The Greatest Names in History then, and remains now, a basketball genius who ranks as one of the greatest coaches in any league at any time. In 1981, Mullaney returned to Providence for a four-year stint before moving onto the CBA.
ERIC
MURDOCK
Eric Murdock will long be recognized as one of the most complete and versatile guards in the storied history of PC backcourt greats. The third all-time leading scorer at Providence, he is second among three-point shooters, third in free throws, sixth in assists, second in steals and 29th in rebounding. He is second on the all-time NCAA steals list as well. Murdock’s senior year was a storybook ride through both the record books and the collective imagination of the basketball public. Not chosen to any of the three BIG EAST postseason all-league teams as a junior, Murdock was a First Team All-American, one of the nation’s top scorers, BIG EAST scoring champion, Eastern Player of the Year and the nation’s Most Courageous Player Award winner as a senior. He had 12 30-points-or-more scoring nights (three over 40) and played in the East-West All-Star Game before being the 21st pick in the NBA draft.
YEAR 1988 1989 1990 1991 Totals
G 28 29 28 32 117
RICK
FG-FGA PCT 114- 276 .413 164- 359 .457 147- 351 .419 262- 589 .445 687-1575 .436
FT-FTA PCT 45- 61 .738 99- 130 .762 96- 126 .762 238- 293 .812 478-610 .783
REB PTS-AVG 85 300-10.7 135 471-16.2 116 432-15.4 168 818-25.6 504 2021-17.3
YEAR 1950 1951 1952 Totals
G 23 24 23 70
GOD
SHAMMGOD
Few stars shone as bright as Rick Pitino’s Providence College coaching stint. He took over a PC basketball program that had won just 79 games in the previous seven seasons and turned it into a Cinderella story that was the envy of the college basketball world. In his first year, he led the team to a 17-14 record and an NIT Quarterfinal appearance. In 1987, his Friar team finished fourth in the BIG EAST Conference, PC’s best finish ever, and advanced all the way to the the NCAA Final Four. His use of the new three-point field goal and incredible full-court pressure and frenzy brought a band of overachievers to the brink of a national championship. He was named the National Coach of the Year for his efforts. Pitino left to coach the New York Knicks following the season, and is currently coach of the University of Louisville in the BIG EAST Conference.
SCHLIMM
“Slim” Jim Schlimm was a 6-3 center from St. Mary’s in Pennsylvania, who was also the first big scorer for Coach Vin Cuddy. Schlimm became the first Friar to top 1000 points in a career, scoring on a variety of hook shots against taller opponents. In his junior year, PC won the NAIB New England Tourna-
FG-FGA PCT FT-FTA PCT REB PTS-AVG 144- 192 .493 69- 99 .697 357-15.5 152 72 376-15.7 141 63 158 345-15.0 437 204 1078-15.4
God Shammgod arrived at Providence College as one of the top recruits in the country and with one of the most distinctive names in the history of college basketball. In two seasons as a Friar, Shammgod helped lead the Friars to a berth in the NIT (1996) and a trip to the NCAA Elite Eight (1997). He registered 428 assists in 65 career games. His 6.58 assists per game for his career ranks third all-time at PC. As a sophomore in 1997, he recorded 239 assists, which still ranks as the sixth highest single-season mark. Also in his sophomore season, the crafty point guard led the Friars to the Elite Eight where he recorded 23 points and added five assists as the squad nearly upset eventual national champion Arizona before falling in overtime, 96-92. Shammgod was selected in the second round of the 1997 NBA Draft in the 45th spot by the Washington Wizards. Shammgod returned to Providence College to earn his bachelor’s degree in 2012 and graduated in 2015.
YEAR 1996 1997
G FG-FGA PCT FT-FTA PCT REB 29 81-241 .336 98-142 .690 50 36 127-288 .441 125-188 .665 81
Totals 65
PITINO
JAMES
ment and traveled to Kansas City for the nationals. A mainstay for PC’s first postseason tournament teams, Schlimm captained the Friars as a senior.
208-529 .393
ROBERT J.
223-330 .676
131
PTS-AVG 279- 9.6 390-10.8 669-10.3
SLAVIN, O.P.
He never scored a point, never coached a win and never suited up for that matter, but if there is a visionary of the success that PC basketball enjoys it would be Father Robert Slavin, who served Providence College as its sixth President. Father Slavin’s tenure from 1947-61 played witness to the greatest growth period of Friar basketball. Father Slavin was greatly impressed with the Catholic colleges in Philadelphia and with the success of their basketball programs. He had a vision of Providence College having a basketball program recognized on a national level. While his support was both enthusiastic and constant, his greatest contributions were in building Alumni Hall, thus giving the Friars a gymnasium on campus, and hiring Joe Mullaney.
MICHAEL
SMITH
One of the most-loved Friars to ever don the Black and White and the school’s greatest power forward ever, Michael Smith was the first player ever to win three consecutive BIG EAST rebounding titles. He finished his Providence career as just the fourth player to score 1000 points and grab 1000 rebounds. And, like the three before him (Marvin Barnes, Jim Hadnot,
and John Thompson) he did it the old-fashioned way - in three years. Smith’s name dots the record books. He set records for BIG EAST career rebound average (11.67); PC career field goal percentage by a forward (.554); and PC career rebounds by a forward (1038). He led the Friars to their first-ever BIG EAST Tournament Championship where he was named Most Outstanding Player. YEAR 1992 1993 1994 Totals
G FG-FGA PCT FT-FTA PCT REB PTS-AVG 31 108- 218 .495 117- 202 .579 319 333-10.7 33 135- 243 .556 119- 218 .546 375 389-11.8 30 144- 238 .605 100- 140 .714 344 388-12.9 94 387-699 .554 336-560 .600 1038 1110-11.8
KEVIN
STACOM
Listing Kevin Stacom as Ernie DiGregorio’s backcourt mate unfairly undervalues the career of one of PC’s greatest guards. A transfer from the school that gave the Friars Joe Mullaney (Holy Cross), Stacom was a twotime team Defensive Player of the Year. He was also one of the most consistent and effective shooters ever at PC, netting a .527 career field goal percentage, tops among guards. He was a Second Team All-American as a senior who played in the 1973 World University Games. He took over the Friar offense as a senior after DiGregorio graduated. Stacom was a second round draft choice of the Boston Celtics who played five full seasons in the NBA and part of a sixth. YEAR G FG-FGA PCT FT-FTA 1973 31 238- 431 .552 75- 87 1974 32 263- 520 .506 66- 82 Totals 63 501-951 .527 141-169
JAMEL
PCT .862 .805 .834
REB PTS-AVG 121 551-17.8 100 592-18.5 221 1143-18.1
THOMAS
Jamel Thomas arrived at Providence as one of the lesser known recruits in a class that included God Shammgod, Derrick Brown and Ruben Garces, but by the time he left, he was the Friars’ third leading all-time scorer. Thomas was a major cog as a sophomore on the Friar team that raced to the Elite Eight, and his corner jumper against Arizona in the Regional finals sent the game into overtime. Thomas earned Second Team All-BIG EAST honors as a junior, and then moved up to First Team honors as a senior. In his final season, Thomas carried the Friars, averaging 22 points, with a career-high 38 points in an overtime win at Villanova. The athletic swingman played parts of two seasons in the NBA.
YEAR 1996 1997 1998 1999 Totals
G 29 36 29 30 124
FG-FGA PCT 105- 232 .453 187- 429 .436 163- 455 .358 225- 532 .423 680-1648 .413
FT-FTA PCT REB PTS-AVG 36- 58 .621 132 270- 9.3 65- 96 .677 184 504-14.0 156- 200 .780 200 536-18.5 153- 203 .754 217 661-22.0 410-557 .736 733 1971-15.9
THOMPSON
JOHN He might be better known as the 1988 United States Olympic Team coach or the former Georgetown University basketball coach but John Thompson began his career in college basketball environs at Providence College. A nationally-recruited 105