Saturday, March 31, 2018

Catholics and basketball

As Loyola-Chicago prepares for its big moment on the big stage, the New York Times published a must-read article on the deep connection between college basketball and Catholic universities. Because I am the son of Catholic college hoops school grad ("Go Bonnies"), I knew about many of the ties and reasons basketball thrived in the Catholic setting. For those who might not be as familiar, it touches on geography, demographics and even old CYO leagues.

BC is only mentioned as being one of two Catholic schools that still plays big-time football. For that reason, I think we will always be a Football school first, but our Catholic identity and history, combined with our ACC basketball ties and football cash, should lead to hoops success soon.

4 comments:

Edward Griffith said...

Jim O'Brien had BC well on the way to basketball success till he ran afoul of Father Leahy
no friend of BC athletics. O'Bie was some one who no amount of money would have caused
to depart BC an alum totally dedicated to "THE Heights"
Women's NCAA over soon and hopefully one of the ND or UCONN assistants "FOR BOSTON"

mod34b said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
working rich said...

And let’s not forget that hockey was what kids in Massachusetts played ,despite Dr Naismith ,until after WW2.
Basketball was nothing at BC until the Bob Cousy era.
Jim O’Brien was also a great player and I’ll never forget how he humiliated Ernie diGregorio from Providence, wiped the floor with him.

BC basketball has a way to go to get back to the Cousy era.

working rich said...

And let’s not forget that hockey was what kids in Massachusetts played ,despite Dr Naismith ,until after WW2.
Basketball was nothing at BC until the Bob Cousy era.
Jim O’Brien was also a great player and I’ll never forget how he humiliated Ernie diGregorio from Providence, wiped the floor with him.

BC basketball has a way to go to get back to the Cousy era.