2008 Woodie Awards
Friar Legend Sticks with Hoops
Erin Redihan '08
Issue date: 4/24/08 Section: Sports
Like most people, former Providence College Women's Basketball Player, Mary Burke '87 looks back on her time as a Friar nostalgically.
A two-sport athlete in high school-basketball and volleyball-Burke chose to focus on basketball when it came time to think about college. As a native Rhode Islander, Burke drew attention from scouts from a number of New England schools like the University of Connecticut, the University of Massachusetts, and Boston University. However, when Burke visited PC, she knew that it was the place for her.
"One of my former teammates from high school was at PC playing volleyball," Burke said. "I saw her play and I knew it was the right place. It was a weird feeling."
After playing out her high school days, Burke enrolled at Providence in the fall of 1983. As with most Division I athletes, Burke found it necessary to adjust from high school ball to college and stepped up her game accordingly.
"It was a transition," Burke said. "There was a difference in quality, speed, and level of play. Everyone was a star at their high school before coming here."
Once in college, not everyone can be the star that he or she was in high school, but Burke became one of those select few who shined at the next level. She ranks fourth all time on the PC women's scoring list with 1,672 points and seventh in rebounding with 740 boards.
"I was very fortunate to play on a team that was the best in the Big East," said Burke. "Our biggest competitors were Villanova and St. John's. These were the teams we were constantly competing with."
The Friars were good enough to earn a berth to the 1986 NCAA Tournament after making it to the Big East Tournament Championship game. The Friars hosted a home game against Vanderbilt.
"Although the results of that game were not as positive as we would have liked, the fact that we hosted a game spoke volumes about our commitment to the team," said Burke.
Though the 1987 team failed to make it back to the Big Dance, it did qualify for the NIT. In addition, Burke was named to the All-Big East Team at the end of the season.
A two-sport athlete in high school-basketball and volleyball-Burke chose to focus on basketball when it came time to think about college. As a native Rhode Islander, Burke drew attention from scouts from a number of New England schools like the University of Connecticut, the University of Massachusetts, and Boston University. However, when Burke visited PC, she knew that it was the place for her.
"One of my former teammates from high school was at PC playing volleyball," Burke said. "I saw her play and I knew it was the right place. It was a weird feeling."
After playing out her high school days, Burke enrolled at Providence in the fall of 1983. As with most Division I athletes, Burke found it necessary to adjust from high school ball to college and stepped up her game accordingly.
"It was a transition," Burke said. "There was a difference in quality, speed, and level of play. Everyone was a star at their high school before coming here."
Once in college, not everyone can be the star that he or she was in high school, but Burke became one of those select few who shined at the next level. She ranks fourth all time on the PC women's scoring list with 1,672 points and seventh in rebounding with 740 boards.
"I was very fortunate to play on a team that was the best in the Big East," said Burke. "Our biggest competitors were Villanova and St. John's. These were the teams we were constantly competing with."
The Friars were good enough to earn a berth to the 1986 NCAA Tournament after making it to the Big East Tournament Championship game. The Friars hosted a home game against Vanderbilt.
"Although the results of that game were not as positive as we would have liked, the fact that we hosted a game spoke volumes about our commitment to the team," said Burke.
Though the 1987 team failed to make it back to the Big Dance, it did qualify for the NIT. In addition, Burke was named to the All-Big East Team at the end of the season.
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