Sport Shorts Jan.31- Feb. 6

by The Cowl Editor on February 6, 2020

Sports

Sport Shorts for Jan. 31-Feb. 6

by Joseph Quirk ’23

Sports Staff

Men’s Basketball:

The men’s basketball team had a big week on the hardwood this week. They played one game, Saturday, February 1, and started the month off with an away win at Butler University. Butler was ranked 16th in the nation, and the Friars were coming off a three-game losing streak that some believed killed their bid for the NCAA tournament. After a close loss to Villanova University last week, the Friars finished this time, winning 65-61. The Friars rolled out a larger lineup this week that involved bringing Luwane Pipkins ’20G and Alpha Diallo ’20 off the bench. The Friars offense operated much smoother, with better ball movement and more pick-and-roll and post plays. It also helped that Butler shot just 7.1 percent from three. The Friars’ leading scorers were Pipkins (22-3-2 with a steal) and David Duke ’22 (10-4-1).

The Friars extended their win streak to two games after beating Creighton University 73-56 on Wednesday, February 5. A.J. Reeves ’22 led the Friars with 22 points. The Friars’s defense held the Blue Jays to 37 percent shooting from the field. The team’s next game will be this upcoming Saturday, February 8 at Xavier University.

Women’s Basketball:

The Providence College Women’s Basketball Team had a rough week with two road losses on Friday, January 31 and Sunday, February 2. The first of the losses came at Marquette University, with a final score of 55-85. The teams started the game close, both shooting poorly in the first quarter. Both teams dramatically improved their shooting (for the most part) each quarter thereafter. However, poor defense from the Friars and good shooting from Marquette allowed for the Golden Eagles’ efficiency to rise above that of the Friars. Marquette had more rebounds and fewer turnovers. The leading scorers for the Friars in this contest were Mary Baskerville ’22 (11-2-1 with 2 blocks), Kyra Spiwak ’21 (10-2-3 with a steal), and Chanell Williams ’21 (10-1-1 with a steal).

The Friars then traveled to DePaul University and suffered another tough loss 71-93. The Friars found themselves struggling behind the arc, shooting worse than the Blue Demons. On the bright side, they shot significantly better than DePaul at the charity stripe, shooting 80 percent as opposed to 60 percent. The Friars were once again outrebounded and responsible for more turnovers. The leading scorers for this game were Williams (15-3-3) and Spiwak (13-3-2). Next up for the Friars is a home game Saturday, February 8 against Creighton University.

Swimming and Diving:

This past Friday through Saturday (January 31- February 1) the Providence College men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams traveled down to Berkeley Aquatic Club in New Jersey for a Tri-Meet with the Seton Hall University Pirates and Georgetown University Hoyas. Both the men’s and women’s teams lost to the both Seton Hall and Georgetown in a disappointing fashion. The men’s team lost by a total score of 553 to 122 while the women’s team lost by a total score of 503 to 193. It’s been an up-and-down season for sure in the pool for both Friars squads, and they came into this meet riding a bit of a hot streak. The men’s team came in off a two-meet win streak while the women’s team was coming in off a tie. Both squads will next compete in the BIG EAST championships in East Meadow, New York from February 26-29

Basketball Loses Heartbreaker to Nova

by Meaghan P Cahill on January 30, 2020

Sports

By Joseph Quirk ’23

Sports Staff

providence college men's basketball — Tessa McAndrews ’23/The Cowl

The noise was deafening. Screams and shouts coming from every corner of the sold out Dunkin’ Donuts Center, ready to watch the Providence College Friars take on rival Villanova University Wildcats. That same energy would remain for the entire game, which resulted in a close, yet devastating loss for the Friars.

“I really want to thank our crowd. Our crowd gave us every opportunity to be successful. The energy in here, I couldn’t be more blessed,” said head coach Ed Cooley after the game. The crowd showed up for the Friars team coming off two road losses to Creighton University and Seton Hall University that some believe may have killed their tournament chances. But the fans were not ready to give up on their Friars.

The game was close and physical for the entire 40 minutes. The Friars showed some improvement offensively, but a lot of the struggles that had haunted them all year came back to bite them in the end.

“That’s the Big East this year, man,” said Villanova head coach Jay Wright. “That’s what every game has been for us. That’s what makes this league great.” The Big East has been one of the most competitive conferences in all of college basketball this season. Many believe there will be up to six of the ten member schools in the NCAA tournament this year, which has caused almost every game to be thrilling, exciting, and important. This game was no different.

Both teams felt the pressure heading into Saturday’s game. Villanova was ranked in the top-10, looking to defend their spot against a gritty PC team at home. And PC has been trying to dig themselves out of a hole since the first few weeks of their basketball season.

The young Wildcats were led by junior guard Collin Gillespie, who dominated the game. He had 18 points, four assists and seven rebounds all while shooting 50 percent from the floor and controlling the pace. Gillespie is one of the oldest and most experienced on the young Villanova team and is taking on his leadership role very well.

“I still got a year and a half left. It’s just so fun with this group, we’re all so young and everything is a learning experience for us,” said Gillespie when asked if he felt like an “old man” with such a young group. Gillespie rose to the challenge in this game, staying in for most of the second half with four fouls. “Definitely still be aggressive but be smart,” Gillespie said of his play style in the second half. “On defense and offense you just gotta be smart.”

Unlike Villanova’s offense, the Friars had another rough night shooting-wise. PC shot an abysmal 31.7 percent from the field, 13.0 from three and 77.3 from the free throw line. But that was not the only issue as turnovers also killed the team.

“[The turnovers were] as costly as we’ve had since I’ve been coaching here.” said Cooley. “For a game of that magnitude to not even get shot attempts turnovers.We try to work as much as we can on time and scoring.”

providence college men's hockey — Tessa McAndrews ’23/The Cowl

Cooley also spoke about the overall offensive struggles the team has dealt with all season. “When you look at the overall body of work of this year’s team, our offense is really struggling,” he said. “The efficiency just isn’t there.”

Cooley noted how the team runs different situations and drills in practice and that the same shots that are missing in games are falling in practice. He stressed that the team has put in the effort and has the talent and that’s why it has been such a stressful season on the coaching staff.

However, the offense showed promise and life in the first half when they utilized off ball motion, more pick-and-roll plays and had more of an intensity driving to the rim. Perhaps the brightest star who thrived for PC was Nate Watson ’21. The center had been coming back from a knee injury suffered in the preseason and had been either off the bench or on a minutes restriction for most of the season. “Nate is coming along. I’m really proud of him…today was a big day for him.”

Watson finished shooting 7-12 with 18 points, nine rebounds, and a steal. It was a very encouraging performance for the future.

The Friars play 16th-ranked Butler on the road next Saturday, followed by Creighton at home and Xavier University on the road.

A Decade of PC Athletics

by Meaghan P Cahill on January 16, 2020

Sports

A Look Back at a Monumental Ten Years

By Thomas Zinzarella ’21

Sports Staff

This decade has shown one of the largest growths among every sport at Providence College. There are so many moments to choose from but here are some of the greatest from this past decade:

Coach Ed Cooley holding trophy — Photo Courtesy of PC Athletics

Men’s Basketball Capture 2014 Big East Championship

Ed Cooley and the Friars playing in Madison Square Garden are something Friars fans have begun to enjoy throughout this decade, and it all began back in 2014. This was the first year of the newly aligned 10-team Big East conference and the Friars only championship was back in 1994. The Friars were an NCAA Tournament bubble team coming into the tournament making it vital for them to win. Some had the Friars succeeding and others had them as the first four teams out. Well, the Friars burst a couple of bubbles and downed the Creighton University Blue Jays to punch their ticket. This Creighton team held one of the greatest college basketball players ever to roam the floor, Doug McDermott. The Friars were led by Bryce Cotton ’14 and LaDontae Henton ’15 with a number of other upperclassmen who started the rise of Friar basketball. This would be their first of five straight NCAA tournament appearances and set the standard of what PC basketball is today.

Friars Knock off No. 3 Villanova

Valentine’s Day 2018: The Friars needed a win to bolster their NCAA tournament resume, having already defeated the No. 5/4 Xavier University Musketeers about a month prior in Providence. The holiday featured a Big East match-up against rival Villanova University. The team PC faced is considered by many college basketball critics to be the best team of the decade, as they would go on to win the NCAA Tournament. It was a fast-paced, nail biter of a game as the Wildcats and Friars remained within single digit points of each other over the course of the two halves. Ultimately, the Friars pulled ahead at the end and beat Villanova 76-71 in a game that Cooley cites as “the greatest win” that he has had with the College. Scenes of students storming the court in a matter of seconds have stuck with many Friar basketball fans ever since. The win was a pivotal moment for the team that year as it gave them the momentum they needed to make a push in the Big East Tournament which secured them a spot in the Championship game.

2014 Men’s Soccer College Cup

Just like the men’s basketball team, 2014 brought great success for the men’s soccer team. The Friars advanced to the NCAA tournament as the 11th overall team. The Friars earned themselves a first round bye and picked up victories over Dartmouth University, the University of California-Irvine and the No. 3 team Michigan State University en route to their first ever College Cup appearance. The Friars faced a tough task with in the No. 2 University of California-Los Angeles Bruins and fell 3-2 in double-overtime. Under the direction of Craig Stewart, the Friars have made six NCAA tournament appearances with a follow-up Sweet 16 appearance in 2016 under future MLS star Julian Gressel ’16.

Women’s Cross Country National Championship

Any time there is a national championship mentioned, it more than likely will be involved as one of the greatest moments. The 2013 National Championship Women’s Cross Country Team is no exception. The Friars were runners up the year prior and would not be deterred the following year. The Friars were led by Emily Sisson ’14 who finished seventh overall. Sisson is now currently competing for a spot on the U.S. National team for this upcoming Olympics and is well known in women’s running. It was the Friars first championship since 1995. Under head coach Ray Treacy ’82, the team has won two national championships and has transformed into one of the best programs in the country.

Cross country team after win — Photo Courtesy of PC Athletics

Men’s Hockey Team Wins 2015 National Championship

Friars head coach Nate Leaman has elevated this program to national prominence once again and brought the Friars back into the spotlight by advancing to the 2015 Frozen Four. The Friars were one of the final teams to make the tournament and used this motivation to their advantage. After the Friars got past the University of Nebraska-Omaha, the Friars faced off against the Boston University Terriers in the NCAA National Championship game at the TD Garden in Boston. The Friars were searching for their first National Championship in program history and, after falling behind 3-2 after two periods of play, needed some magic to secure the win. In what is considered one of the craziest finishes to an NCAA Championship hockey game, the Friars were able to come out on top in last ten minutes of the third period after finding themselves in a tied game when BU accidentally scored on their own net. It was Brandon Tanev ’15 who flicked in the game-winner wrist shot with just over six minutes left of play that secured the program’s first ever NCAA championship. Tanev would go on to become one of seven Friars to play in the NHL from the team.

Hockey team celebrating after championship — Photo Courtesy of FTW/USA Today

Women’s Basketball Team Advances it to the 16th Round of the 2018 Women’s Basketball National Invitation Tournament

Women’s basketball had lost its way for a bit after their great success in the 1980s and early 90s at PC. Jim Crowley in his third year at the helm took tremendous strides for the Friars. The Friars made postseason play for the first time since 2010 and just the second time since the Friars advanced to the 1991-92 NCAA tournament. The Friars defeated University of Hartford and University of Pennsylvania to advance to the Sweet 16 of the WNIT and were set to face their fellow Big East foe, the Georgetown University Hoyas. The Friars ultimately fell to them, but this was a special collection of players young and old. Friar fans saw one of the greatest scorers in program history, Jojo Nogic ’19, and featured the Big East Freshman of the Year, Mary Baskerville ’22. Nogic finished as the 4th all time leading scorer in program history and Baskerville also set the program record for blocks for a freshman and the most by a Friar since the 1999-2000 season. The Friars also won eight games in conference play, the most since the 1996-1997 season. These are just a few of many accomplishments for this women’s basketball program as they look to continue their rise in the rigorous Big East conference.

What You Missed: Men’s Basketball

by Meaghan P Cahill on January 16, 2020

Sports

Friars Get Back on Track With Four Game Win-Streak

By Liam Tormey ’22

Sports Staff

David Duke Friars basketball versus Georgetown — Photo Courtesy of PC Athletics

As the first semester of the 2019-2020 school year came to an end on Dec. 14, the Providence College Men’s Basketball Team was sitting at a 5-5 record, a record that the team did not expect to be at. However, the season was young, with winter break just around the corner. That Saturday night, Ed Cooley’s team faced off at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center against Stony Brook University.

The Friars got off to a quick start against Stony Brook, getting up by ten points at halftime. Stony Brook made it interesting in the second half, scoring 54 points, but thanks to David Duke’s ‘22 and Luwane Pipkins’ ‘20G 21 points on the night, the Friars pushed their record to 6-5 after a 82-78 victory.

The Friars would be back in action just three days later as they traveled to Brooklyn, NY to play in the Air Force Reserve Basketball Hall of Fame Invitational against a solid University of Florida side. From the very start, the Friars were just not in the game.

The Gators got an early lead and went on a couple of runs to push their lead at halftime to a score of 37-22. There was no looking back for the Gators after that and the final score in the sixth loss of PC’s season was 83-51. The Friars were 15-58 (25.9%) from the field, 1-18 (5.6%) from three-point range, and 20-34 (58.8%) from the free throw line.

This game was one the Friars wanted to forget about. It would have been no Christmas gift.

The rest of the month-long winter break was very successful for the Friars. Right before the Christmas festivities, PC finished up their non-conference play and hosted the University of Texas Longhorns in a solid challenge for a Big East-Big 12 Battle. The game was nothing like the previous one, and the Friars answered the call. The Friars were great defensively and held the Longhorns to 48 points. Ed Cooley’s team grabbed a 22-point victory by a score of 70-48 and grabbed 52 rebounds, the first time they have grabbed over 50 rebounds in a game since they played the University of Connecticut on January 31, 2013. Alpha Diallo ’20 led the team with 14 points and 12 rebounds. The Friars finished up their non-conference play at 7-6.

Big East play opened on New Year’s Eve at the Dunk as the Friars hosted Georgetown University. From the get-go the Friars came out to play. At the end of the first half, the Friars went up 54-23, shooting 64.5 percent from the field. Alpha Diallo once again led the team with a game-high 20 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 steals. The Friars led the entire game and closed out their first victory in the Big East 76-60.

PC then had to go on the road for two tough contests against DePaul University and Marquette University.

Both teams had very good non-conference performances. In Chicago, the Friars were in a nail-biter against DePaul. After being down by two at halftime, the Friars came back and grew their largest lead of ten points in the second half. DePaul would not go down easy and, with under a minute to go, the game could go either way. Thanks to Maliek White ’20 and his 16 points off the bench, the Friars won another Big East game by a score of 66-65. Three days later PC headed to Marquette, having to face up against Big East Player of the Year Markus Howard. This was probably the most entertaining game of the break. The Friars did as much as they could to shut Howard down although he had 39 points on the night. AJ Reeves ‘22 saved the day for the Friars as he hit a game-tying three pointer with under ten seconds remaining. White had another big game and in overtime propelled PC to their fourth straight win behind his 19 points.

The final game of the break was against the No. six team in the country, Butler University. Although being down by 12 at halftime, the Friars had made the game as close as it could have been, but the shots were not falling. PC shot 31 percent from the field and 24 percent from behind the arch. It was a tough test for the Friars and, unfortunately, they lost their first game in five games. PC now currently sits at 10-7 overall and fifth in the Big East standings at 3-1.

Editor’s Corner: Do or Die Versus URI

by The Cowl Editor on December 5, 2019

Sports

By Jack Belanger ’21

Sports Co-Editor

This upcoming Friday was supposed to be the first test of the year. If things went the way they should have, the Providence College Men’s Basketball Team would be 9-0 (or at the very least 7-2) with momentum going into their game against the University of Rhode Island Rams at the Ryan Center. A tough loss would not have been a season-ending blow and the team could use the game as motivation against the University of Florida and the University of Texas.

Instead, the Friars sit at 5-4 with bad losses to mid-major teams such as Long Beach State University and the College of Charleston. Even the loss to Big Ten Conference opponent Northwestern University is not great considering the Wildcats were not expected to be competitive. This team has struggled to finish games when their opponents show some fight in the second half (even the Pepperdine University game was too close).

Now, the Friars are walking a tight rope for any hope of returning to the NCAA Tournament. Not only does the team have to avoid anymore bad losses, they are going to have to win some games they will not be favored in like against Villanova University or Seton Hall University. Before the team can even think about Big East play, they need to take care of business against their in-state rival.

While the season up until this point has been unspectacular, the Friars can use this game against the Rams as a turning point for their season. This will be the first game where PC will be playing in front of a hostile crowd that will surely pack the gym on Friday. The Rams themselves are 5-3, but are battle-tested. Their three losses have come at the hands of Power-5 schools University of Maryland, Louisiana State University, and the University of West Virginia. Needless to say URI will be itching to prove that they can beat the Friars.

The season is far from over but the team needs to build a winning streak going into the conference schedule to give themselves some breathing room. Last season the Friars were 10-3 going into Big East play and still finished 18-16 overall. This team has the talent to compete—CBS sportswriter Matt Norlander ranked PC as the 15th best team during the preseason.

One last thought on changes that need to be made: it is time for Greg Gantt ’23 to get more minutes. Last season, head coach Ed Cooley was willing to give big time minutes to A.J. Reeves ‘22 and David Duke ‘22 as freshmen and he needs to again. Gantt is averaging 4.1 points per game while playing in just 10 minutes per game, and shooting 60 percent from the field. Maybe it is because of the small sample size, but that is much more efficient than starting guard Luwane Pipkins ’20G who is shooting 29.5 percent overall and only scoring 8.8 points per game.

Cooley will have had almost a full week to prepare for this game. Now is the time to make the necessary adjustments if he wants his team to be playing meaningful games come March.

Editor’s Corner: Do or Die Versus URI

by The Cowl Editor on December 5, 2019

Sports

By Jack Belanger ’21

Sports Co-Editor

This upcoming Friday was supposed to be the first test of the year. If things went the way they should have, the Providence College Men’s Basketball Team would be 9-0 (or at the very least 7-2) with momentum going into their game against the University of Rhode Island Rams at the Ryan Center. A tough loss would not have been a season-ending blow and the team could use the game as motivation against the University of Florida and the University of Texas.

Instead, the Friars sit at 5-4 with bad losses to mid-major teams such as Long Beach State University and the College of Charleston. Even the loss to Big Ten Conference opponent Northwestern University is not great considering the Wildcats were not expected to be competitive. This team has struggled to finish games when their opponents show some fight in the second half (even the Pepperdine University game was too close).

Now, the Friars are walking a tight rope for any hope of returning to the NCAA Tournament. Not only does the team have to avoid anymore bad losses, they are going to have to win some games they will not be favored in like against Villanova University or Seton Hall University. Before the team can even think about Big East play, they need to take care of business against their in-state rival.

While the season up until this point has been unspectacular, the Friars can use this game against the Rams as a turning point for their season. This will be the first game where PC will be playing in front of a hostile crowd that will surely pack the gym on Friday. The Rams themselves are 5-3, but are battle-tested. Their three losses have come at the hands of Power-5 schools University of Maryland, Louisiana State University, and the University of West Virginia. Needless to say URI will be itching to prove that they can beat the Friars.

The season is far from over but the team needs to build a winning streak going into the conference schedule to give themselves some breathing room. Last season the Friars were 10-3 going into Big East play and still finished 18-16 overall. This team has the talent to compete—CBS sportswriter Matt Norlander ranked PC as the 15th best team during the preseason.

One last thought on changes that need to be made: it is time for Greg Gantt ’23 to get more minutes. Last season, head coach Ed Cooley was willing to give big time minutes to A.J. Reeves ‘22 and David Duke ‘22 as freshmen and he needs to again. Gantt is averaging 4.1 points per game while playing in just 10 minutes per game, and shooting 60 percent from the field. Maybe it is because of the small sample size, but that is much more efficient than starting guard Luwane Pipkins ’20G who is shooting 29.5 percent overall and only scoring 8.8 points per game.

Cooley will have had almost a full week to prepare for this game. Now is the time to make the necessary adjustments if he wants his team to be playing meaningful games come March.

Men’s Basketball at Wooden Legacy

by The Cowl Editor on December 5, 2019

Sports

By Thomas Zinzarella ’21

Sports Staff

providence college men's basketball wooden legacy tournament — Photo Courtesy of PC Athletics

The Providence College Men’s Basketball Team wrapped up their west coast swing on Sunday, after competing in the John Wooden Legacy Tournament in Anaheim, California. The Friars went into the tournament with high expectations but ultimately came out with more questions than answers.

After dropping a home game to the University of Pennsylvania, the Friars were defeated by Long Beach State on Thanksgiving Day. The Friars went into halftime with a 37-28 lead and led by as much as 17 in that first half. The Friars offense went stagnant at times which helped Long Beach State chip into the deficit. After shooting 48 percent in the first half, the Friars cooled off in the second half, shooting 35 percent from the floor and just 3-12 from downtown.

The 49ers pulled within one with under a minute left after Michael Carter III sunk a three to cut the score deficit to one. With the Friars up two with 17 seconds remaining, Alpha Diallo ’20 missed the front end of a one and one to extend the lead. Carter III was fouled again on a three-point shot attempt with three seconds remaining and sunk all three free throws. David Duke ’22 caught a pass on a give and go and his 15-foot runner was short as time expired. The Friars ultimately lost the game 65-66.

The Friars and Ed Cooley were absolutely shocked at the result as they left the floor. The Friars led the game for almost 37 minutes. “You all saw the game, it wasn’t one of our better finishes,” Cooley added. “You have to give Long Beach a lot of credit. They executed down the stretch and took advantage of our mistakes. Anytime you get in those close games; everything means something.”

Providence failed to record a field goal in the final seven minutes of game action. The Friars also did not help themselves by turning the ball over 21 times.

After the Friars dropped game one of the tournament, they took on the College of Charleston Cougars. Things did not get much better for the Friars. Many of the same problems seen in the game against Long Beach State reappeared again. The Friars struggled on the offensive end, especially finishing around the rim. For most of the game, PC was held to just one possession on the offensive end as they were outrebounded 25-37. It was the third time they were outrebounded this season. For the second straight game, Providence held a lead at the half, this time 29-27. The Friars shot 43 percent from the field before going 7-28 from the field in second half and a mere 1-8 from behind the arc. Duke led the way with 22 points, 7-8 FG, and five assists. On the other side, Grant Riller scored 29 points, including an impressive 9-10 clip from the free throw line. The Friars also held a lead that was as high as 13. For the first time since 2015, an Ed Cooley squad dropped three straight non-conference games.

Providence then finished out the tournament against the Pepperdine University Waves. Pepperdine took nationally ranked University of Arizona to the wire in the opening game of the tournament before falling just short 97-95. Ed Cooley knew that he would have his hands full and the Friars knew exactly where they needed to go in game three. The Friars needed to work the ball down in the post area and reestablish Nate Watson ’21, who is still working his way back from an MCL injury he sustained prior to the start of the season. Watson finished with a team high 15 points on 7-10 FG, with AJ Reeves ’22, who also netted 15 points on 4-8 shooting from the field. Reeves’ 15 points were the most he has scored since the home opener against Sacred Heart University. The Friars improved on offense in some parts shooting 47 percent from the field for the game while shooting 20-27 from the charity stripe.

According to Kevin McNamara, journalist for the Providence Journal, the Friars have not lost more than four games in non-conference play since 2000. For Friar fans, their schedule does not get much easier with a road game on Friday with their in-state rival University of Rhode Island, and games against the University of Florida and the University of Texas still left on their schedule. For now, PC basketball fans get a sigh of relief but, there is still work left to do. If the Friars want to compete for a spot in the NCAA Tournament, they will have to get better play from their senior leaders Diallo and Luwane Pipkins ’20G.

Simpkin ’94 Reflects on Career

by The Cowl Editor on November 21, 2019

Sports

By Liam Tormey ’22

Sports Staff

Dickey Simpkins providence college basketball former player Chicago Bulls — Photo Courtesy of Ron Frehm/USA Today

Last Thursday, the Sports Business Organization at Providence College got the chance to speak with former NBA and PC men’s basketball player, Dickey Simpkins ’94. Simpkins spoke with the group over Skype and discussed his journey from his early childhood to where he is today.

Simpkins, who grew up in Washington D.C., recalled the first time he ever picked up a basketball back in the fourth grade. He said a father of one of his classmates asked him if he wanted to play a basketball game with them that weekend. Simpkins said he went that Saturday with just a pair of shoes, and “ever since then, playing basketball started for me.”

It was a long time until Simpkins realized he was good enough to make it somewhere in basketball. His high school basketball coach told him it was a real possibility, and he said that conversation “turned a switch in my life and I started to do everything to the best of my ability.” He later was invited to an Olympic event where he got the chance to play in front of NBA scouts and he knew getting drafted was a real possibility.

Offers from Duke University, University of Notre Dame, University of Connecticut, and many more were all on the table for Simpkins, but he wanted to play in the Big East Conference or the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Without football at PC, Simpkins knew he could get his name out there.

Simpkins came to PC in 1990 and stayed all four years under head coach Rick Barnes. He said he had an unbelievable experience at PC and even got the chance to win a Big East Championship in 1994 against Georgetown University.

After the ‘94 season, Simpkins entered into the NBA draft and was selected 21st overall in the first round by the Chicago Bulls.

Simpkins remembers the first time he ever met Michael Jordan in the team facility. Simpkins was sleeping in the team facility’s lounge area when Jordan walked by him. He was half-asleep when Jordan came up to him and said, “What’s up, young fellow?” Simpkins said he thought he was dreaming until he fully woke up from his nap and saw Jordan in the locker room.

Simpkins is a three-time NBA Champion and loved his time in the league. He played seven years in the NBA before playing six years overseas. He said it was an “unbelievable experience” to be able to learn about so many different cultures.

After finishing his 13-year playing career, Simpkins wanted to get into the business side of the sports world. He has been in television as a color commentator for college basketball games for 12 years now following his career, has his own basketball development camp called Next Level Performance Inc., and has worked as a scout for both the Charlotte Hornets and currently the Washington Wizards.

Simpkins then took some questions from members of the group. When asked about how to get into the business of the sports world whether that is in broadcasting, the front office, or even as a scout, Simpkins said to “study your craft.” Finding people in the industry who are good at what they do now and replicating their qualities was a tool Simpkins thought would be helpful.

He emphasized how important it is to create and build relationships. During his time at PC, Simpkins created a relationship with current ESPN commentator and former Friar, Doris Burke ‘87. She was the reason Simpkins got his first television job at ESPN and wanted everyone in the club to know how important relationships can be.

Simpkins was really proud to be able to share some tips about his journey to the Sports Business Organization at PC. As an individual who has done so much on and off the basketball court, he was a great speaker to help the club to find ways to get into the sports industry.