When an addendum isn't enough - d2easthoops gives you more!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQV-w0pnZ3U
As mentioned earlier in the week, I’m happy and honored to have my friend and colleague Steve Zerdelian cap the extended Super 75 series with an addendum to my list, which was somewhat limited due to my not having seen certain New England teams and players in my earliest years of D2 fandom (full disclosure: I did see one of the greats included below but it was one time and I had no memory of him so I didn’t feel right adding him to my list). So without further ado, here’s Steve’s thorough contribution:
Chris has been kind enough to allocate some space for me to discuss some of the great players I want to mention, and I’ll try to do so in a short space but it’s not an easy task! Anyway, here we go…
Let’s start with the conference that ruled the roost in the ‘80s and into the ‘90s: the NECC. Whether it was Sacred Heart, Bridgeport, New Hampshire College or Lowell, the league was packed with stars. Even the teams that never won a regional in that era (New Haven, Southern Connecticut, Quinnipiac, Franklin Pierce) were terrific and boasted stars of their own. Oh, the NE10 (back then the NE7/NE8) was more than solid but that league generally looked up to the NECC when titles were won. Thus, I’ve got to start in the NECC.
The 1986 national champion was Sacred Heart, the first regional team to do so in the Division II era. That unit won 30 games (including five in the NCAA tournament) under legendary coach Dave Bike and was stacked with talent. Among the galaxy of stars were Keith Johnson and Kevin Stevens but I remember two true standouts – Roger Younger and Tony Judkins.
Younger, a two-time NABC All-American (1st and 2nd teams), was an electric scorer, who, at 6-3, operated both inside and outside the paint. He ended his career with 2,153 points, which is still in the top 10 in Pioneer annals. As an aside, Younger, Johnson and Stevens all made the Final Four all-tourney team in ’86 as SHU beat Southeast Missouri State to win it all, with Younger as the MVP.
Judkins, (left), meanwhile, was a freshman on that team but made an impact by tossing in over ten points a game. The 6-5 Judkins continued to blossom as the years went along and also ended his career at SHU with over 2,000 points (2,009 to be exact). Judkins, a lithe, bouncy 6-5 athlete, was also a two-time NABC All-American (2nd and 3rd teams) and finished his stint in ’89 with another regional title. The enduring memory of that regional (held at Bentley) was of Judkins making an impossible 35-foot fall-away triple at the buzzer to stun Bridgeport, 69-67, and send the Pioneers to yet another Elite Eight.
The only other team to actually win it all was the underdog University of Lowell team in 1988. That team had a sweet starting five (Pat King, Gavin Cummings and Brian Parath rounded it out) with local products Leo Parent and Bobby Licare leading the way and Don Doucette in the head coach’s seat. To put their achievement in perspective, Lowell Tech and Lowell State merged for the 1975-’76 season but had never made a single NCAA tourney appearance until 1988. That unit won the NECC crown for the first time and went to New Haven to claim the regional title. After that, the Chiefs beat Alabama A&M on the road in the national quarterfinals and eventually knocked off Florida Southern and Alaska Anchorage (all three teams ranked in the top 5 nationally when UL beat them) to win a most unlikely national championship in Springfield. It was a great story in every way.
Parent (6-6) transferred in from Manhattan College and was an immediate superstar. He did everything on the floor for the Chiefs and, as a virtual point forward, dictated traffic at the offensive end. Parent was ultra-productive (1,868 points, 1,011 rebounds and still a program record 246 rejections) but his grit and poise always stood out for me. A truly magnificent player to watch.
Licare, a high school teammate and fellow Massachusetts-Lowell Hall of Famer of Parent, was a 5-10 point guard who quietly made the engine run. He was efficient and deadly, filled with confidence and ability. Licare was extremely well-rounded – just look at his numbers (1,503 points; and program-records of 321 steals, 710 assists and a 47.8 three-point shooting mark) – and was a subtle but vital player for the Lowell championship team.
Sacred Heart's Tony Judkins, a 2015 inductee of the New England Basketball Hall of Fame
Bridgeport made a string of Elite Eight showings in the late 80’s/early 90’s and Chris has done a nice job of highlighting a few of their key players. I have some earlier memories of Purple Knights, including the single season of Manute Bol (’85). Seeing the 7-6 future NBA player in person that season was an out-of-body experience. He was part myth and part rumor, so when I did get the chance to see him live, it was stunning. Sure, Bol was a good player (he blocked a lot of shots!) but just getting to see him in person at that stage of his career was enough to make an indelible mark.
Two other UB players I want to highlight are Norman Taylor (6-7, ’88) and Ed DeChent (6-4, ’89). Taylor was a brute in the paint but had subtle skills to go with his power. He was able to score (2,170 points) and board (1,240 caroms) with the best of them and I have no doubt that, if he came along now, he’d adapt easily.
DeChent played only two years with Bridgeport (with an injury splitting the seasons) but he was a talented swing man. His best game in my view was in the first round of the ’89 regionals (yes, the same one SHU won), when he went off for 35 points and 11 rebounds in a 132-127 overtime win against Stonehill. (Lambert Shell had 41 and 11 that day). DeChent tossed in 22 in the final despite the crushing loss to the Pioneers. Many may have forgotten him but not me – the guy was a serious competitor.
Chris has also done sterling work in discussing the thrilling New Hampshire College clubs in the 90’s but I want to reach back a little bit to highlight Cleveland Woods (6-5, ’87) and Kirk Jackson (6-3, ’90). Both were part of regional title teams at NHC with Woods (2,240 points, 1,170 boards) doing his work in the paint. He was sort of an amalgam of Wayne Robertson’s strength and Norman Taylor’s size but Woods was an agile paint presence.
Jackson was a silky smooth scoring guard (2,097 points) who came along just as the three-pointer was coming into vogue. His forte was as a slasher, scything through defenses. Both will stand the test of time as NHC/SNHU all-time greats.
Somehow, New Haven did not win a regional in the late ‘80s/early ‘90s but it wasn’t for lack of talent. Stu Grove’s Chargers were a treat to watch and for me, the jewel in the crown was Herb Watkins (6-5, ’88), (right). Much like Tony Judkins, Watkins was a lean, explosive athlete who scored in bunches, and is still #2 on the all-time UNH scoring list (1,998). (Herb Watkins photo credit pending)
Gary Battle (6-3, ’91), a powerful and potent backcourt scorer (1,959 points, #3), Jason Williams (6-7, ’93; 1,949 points, #4), a pogo-stick forward and Brian Smith (6-5, ’91; 1,936 points, #5), a silky and slim guard, were all part of the Charger firmament in this era, a fun one to those who were lucky enough to see them in action.
Other NECC players that deserve a mention include crafty and talented Tom (Butch) Mair of Franklin Pierce (’91) a skilled and tough lead guard in an era loaded with formidable foes… Southern Connecticut had some solid players but my personal favorite was Michael Prim (’86), a slick wing who netted 1,773 career points as an Owl… Before moving to Division I, Quinnipiac produced some good ones, including scorers Peter Gray (’86; 1,839 points) and Lester Ayala (’92; 1,687 points).
In the NE10 (known as the NE7 and NE8 through much of the ‘80’s), there were a glut of magnificent players, including AIC’s future NBA star, Mario Elie (6-5; ‘85). He was a bit more of an interior player at AIC than he eventually became in the NBA but Elie was a three-time All-American who led the Yellow Jackets to the ’85 regional title before departing with 2,124 points.
James Hector (6-5; ’94) came along a few years later with a powerful inside game and eclipsed Elie on the all-time AIC scoring list (2,306 points) but didn’t enjoy team success on the same level.
Across town at Springfield College, Ivan Olivares (6-6; ‘86) was making his mark, leading the nation in scoring as a senior (26 ppg) and closing his career with 1,651 points. His ability to slice through defenses and score was unforgettable and he was also a strong body in the paint.
Hassan Robinson (6-5; ’95) ended his Springfield career with 2,003 points, tops in SC history, many accumulated via the drive and perimeter shot. A great baseball player (he played pro ball), Robinson was a shade overlooked thanks to the program falling off a bit but he was still a super player.
St. Anselm grew into a regional power in the late ‘80’s with Jamie Cosgrove (6-0; ’87) at the forefront of their rise. Known for his success as a regional head coach in later years, Cosgrove was a fierce competitor (I know, not a stretch) but folks forget just how good he was. Trust me, as a leader on the floor, he was superb.
One of my favorite players to watch in those Hawks days was Jim Laurendeau (’88). The 6-6 athlete was a menace in the lane, athletic enough to mix it with anyone but also skilled and talented. I can only imagine what it was like to play against Cosgrove (1,088 points) or Laurendeau (1,204 points) – it must have been like trying to catch a swarm of angry bees, difficult and painful.
Still, for my money the best St. A’s player I ever saw was Chris Madigan (’90), (left). The 6-2 fistful of dynamite was a ridiculous scorer (2,010 points), able to finish in the paint as well as bombing away from deep. I loved his game, which was worth the price of admission every night.
(Chris Madigan picture courtesy Griffin Spencer, Director of Athletic Communications, St. Anselm College)
Bentley’s backcourt pairing of Billy Holden (6-3; ’90), (below left) and Jim Ferrer (6-0; ’89), (below right) was as potent as any the region has ever seen. Holden was a rangy shooter who drove the paint with reckless abandon. His knack for scoring in traffic complemented his perimeter game perfectly and he still stands #2 on the all-time Falcon scoring list (2,103 points).
Ferrer player briefly at Seton Hall before arriving at Bentley, where he scored 1,073 points in only two seasons. With a basketball brain unlike any other, Ferrer was a master at angles and finding ways to either score or create (he also had 524 assists, an average of 9.2 per game). Although they had just two years together, Holden and Ferrer remain a duo with few peers in regional annals. (Photos courtesy Dick Lipe, Director of Athletic Communications, Bentley University)
One other Bentley player I have to mention is Todd Orlando. The 6-9 big man (who played at Bentley while I was in high school) was a player before his time, able to run the floor as well as battle in the lane. Orlando (’84) ended his Falcon career with 1,671 points and 1,024 rebounds, one of only three players in program history who reached the 1K mark in both categories.
My alma mater, Stonehill, has had some terrific players over the years but when the topic of the best I ever saw comes up, I have only one answer – Jon Cronin (I never saw earlier stars like Michael Allocco, ’73, and Bill Zolga, ’80, who reside in the same strata). The 6-5 forward (’92) remains the program’s #2 scorer with 2,301 points and if he was selfish, he’d have had a lot more than that. A magnificent all-around talent, Cronin was equally at home in the deep corner, burying triples, as he was barreling down the lane. He burst onto the scene as a freshman as the Chieftains won the NE10 crown and went wild for 39 points and 17 rebounds in the unforgettable NCAA loss to Bridgeport and his game only grew from there. There aren’t many players like him at the D2 level anymore – a rare gem.
Assumption’s long and glorious history was cemented into place well before I was able to see them in action but there were a few players in this window that made a major imprint on me. Drew Adderly (6-3; ’92) was a powerhouse of a player – built like Bo Jackson but blessed with subtle and varied basketball skills. Adderly is the all-time leading scorer in Greyhound history (2,489 points) and only trails Super 75er Michael Mallory (SCSU) on the all-time NE10 list. Anyone who saw him in action knows just how good he was.
One of his teammates was Demetri Beekman (5-11; ’93), a deft and talented scorer and table-setter. Beekman was lightning quick, able to penetrate any defense and deserves to be remembered as a great in his own right. He wrapped up his AC career with 1,261 points and a school/NE10 record 1,044 assists. Think about that last number – he averaged 8.8 assists a game (including a high of 20) and yet scored over 1,200 points.
One final Assumption mention, this time for Jim Best (6-6; ’88), who notched 1,620 points as a Hound. Best was the first player (and one of the few) I can ever recall that initiated the offense from the short corner. His passing ability and decision-making bolstered his scoring touch, and he impressed every time I watched him.
The last stop here is Merrimack, where Gary Duda (6-0; ’92) and Paul Neal (6-2; ’91) stood out. Duda (2,008 points) was a dead-eye perimeter shooter with moxie from the perimeter while Neal (1,922 points) was a slashing wing that developed a sweet shooting touch and played with ferocity in the paint. The duo helped the Warriors rise to the upper tier of the league in the early 90’s with the blend of leadership and production.
This may be the last stop for this article, but stay tuned for more from d2easthoops.org
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