PC Took Up a Collection to Get a 1960 NIT Game on Local TV

PC Took Up a Collection to Get a 1960 NIT Game on Local TV

 

Providence College basketball Friar fever began in a more innocent basketball era, the late 1950’s.  There was no Civic Center/Dunkin Donuts Center/Amp.  There were no 3-point goals, no freshmen players on the varsity squad, no 30-game schedules, no NIL $.  But there was an emerging Friar fever in Rhode Island.

Under coach Joe Mullaney, the Friars made their first appearance in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) in 1959. In the 1950’s and 1960’s, the NIT, which was played every year at Madison Square Garden, was more prestigious than the NCAA tournament.

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The Friars had their first magical season in 1958-59 when they were selected to play in the 1959 NIT, despite having only an 11-5 regular season record. They were the last team selected for the tournament. Junior Lenny Wilkens and sophomore Johnny Egan were the stars of the 1958-59 team.  The Friars stunned the basketball world, beating Manhattan and 12th-ranked St. Louis to reach the semi-finals.  Their Cinderella run ended, however, when those arrogant Johnnies from St. John’s easily beat the Friars 72-57.

The Friars’ 1959-60 team was even more successful.  Led by Wilkens, Egan, and sophomore 6’10” Jimmy Hadnot, PC finished the regular season at 15-4, including a seven-game winning streak to end the regular season.   The NIT folks fell in love with PC.  They were a top 20 team, and the Friar faithful could be counted on to fill 5,000 of the 18,864 seats at Madison Square Garden.

Once again, PC reached the semi-finals with wins over Memphis, 71-70, and St. Louis, 64-53, on the first weekend of the 1960 NIT.  Their opponent for the semis would be the #8 team in the country, Utah State.  Friar fever was rampant throughout the state, thanks to Chris Clark, who brought all the games to fans over the air on WPRO-AM.  Friar fans, however, begged Providence College to get the Utah State game on TV, since no national television network was scheduled to air it.

PC approached WPRO to televise the Thursday night game.  They agreed, but they needed $7,500 (about $82,000 in today’s money) to cover their costs.  Paul Connolly, the head of the PC Alumni Association, was tasked by Reverend Slavin with raising the funds in just a few days. By Tuesday, just two days before the Thursday game, he had raised just $4,000 from the PC alumni.  The Holy Trinity of politics at that time in Rhode Island—the Irish, the Democratic Party, and the Catholic Diocese of Providence—was already swinging into action to help PC.

Providence Mayor Walter Reynolds, one of a long line of Irish Catholic Democratic Providence mayors, pledged $600 from the City of Providence, even though the City Council wouldn’t be able to authorize the expenditure until March 25.  The Democratic controlled General Assembly authorized $1,000.  Republican Italian Governor Christopher Del Sesto gladly signed the legislation in a great ceremony, knowing it was in his political interests to do so.

PC was close to raising another $1,000 from alumni, but was still almost $900 short of $7,500.  Almost every male parochial school student age 10 and above in Rhode Island was a PC basketball fan.  It was not surprising then that in my parochial school, Our Lady of Mercy, which was run by the good Sisters of Mercy, stepped up to the charity stripe.  My 8th-grade sister came into the classroom on Tuesday morning of that week, full of joy, praising the “wonderful lads” of the Providence College basketball team.  “Wouldn’t be grand if we could watch them on the telly on Thursday night,” she asked.  “Well, the Bishop is looking to help PC make this happen!  Could you ask your mum or dad to give you a quarter to bring in tomorrow?”

I remember enthusiastically bringing my quarter the next morning to put in the basket on Sister’s desk.  I doubt our quarters amounted to much, but with great fanfare, the Bishop on Wednesday night made a contribution of $1,000 that was hand-delivered to Reverend Slavin at PC.

And, so, on Thursday night, Chris Clark did one of his many PC “simulcasts” on WPRO radio and TV, as the Friars tangled with Utah State.  The Friars won 68-62 but played raggedly in long stretches of the second half.  They only shot 34% for the game and were out-rebounded by the much smaller Aggies.  Rhode Island fans were thrilled, however, to have a “W” and to see the Friars heading to the NIT finals.

The Friars would have to wait until 1961, however, to win their first NIT.  Bradley, an old PC nemesis, crushed the Friars in the 1960 championship game, 88-72.  Lenny Wilkins, despite being on the runner-up team, was named MVP of the tournament and was selected as an All-American.

Alas, they didn’t have to pass the basket in future years to get a big Friars game on TV.  WPRO-TV realized that a PC basketball broadcast was money in the bank, and commercial sponsors started lining up to be a part of Friar fandom.