As we all know, Rhode Island has a rich colonial history, especially as it relates to the beginning of the formation of our country at the time of the American Revolution. I fact-checked myself by confirming with my friend, Rhode Island’s Historian Laureate and former PC History professor Patrick Conley, that although most school children are taught that the Boston Tea Party is given top billing in terms of significance as a turning point in the Colonists insurrection, it was the Burning of the Gaspee in Narragansett Bay that occurred a full year and a half before that really sparked a move toward full-scale rebellion (Sinking of Gaspee June 1772, Boston Tea Party December 1773). Luring a Royal British Navy vessel to ground itself on a sand bar and proceeding to kidnap its crew and burn the vessel down to the watermark was a far more serious act than colonists dressing up as Indians and throwing boxes of tea into the harbor.
Not to over-dramatize, but in a similar way, Rhode Island connections are probably not given enough recognition in terms of one of the most revolutionary changes in the game of basketball since its inception- The strategic adoption of the 3-point shot. The Celtics’ opening night victory over the Knicks last Tuesday highlighted the fact of the 3-point as they tied an NBA record of 29 made 3’s. With the spectacle of a team raining 3’s, it can be easy to forget that it always wasn’t like that not long ago.
Enter Rick Pitino and his coaching strategy with regard to the amazing run of the Cinderella 1987 Providence College Final Four team. I’m old enough to remember the initial reaction of most coaches during the early stages of the 3-point rule. It was less than enthusiastic. Pitino has to be given a lot of credit. The old school coaches that he was about to compete against, Jim Boeheim, Rollie Massimino, and Lou Carnesecca, were not fans; it was considered heresy- that year, their teams attempted 19.1 3’s a game combined, while Pitino’s PC team averaged 19.5 3’s per game.
What makes Pitino’s evolution as an innovator interesting is that, for the most part, players who become coaches usually adopt systems that they experienced as players. Rick played college ball at UMass, where he played for Jack Leaman, who coached a very ball-controlled, disciplined style of play. Jack had the look of a Marine drill sergeant and that’s how he coached His teams were very effective at controlling tempo and were tough getting out of that rhythm.
Rick, however, from his earliest days at Boston University as head coach, was not shy at changing course if he saw a better way of getting things done. Kevin Mackey, who was the assistant coach of Boston College at the time, recently told me a story of how, shortly after beating BU in the NIT, he received a knock on his office door and it was Rick who proceeded to ask him, “will you show me how you put all the pressure defense stuff to work.” Mackey, who had already gained a reputation as a guru in those tactics starting from his days as a successful high school coach in Boston, proceeded to share his knowledge on the subject with Pitino. Kevin and I have always talked about how difficult it is for most coaches to commit to that style of all-out 94 feet of pressure since it flies in the face of the greatest impulse in most coaches- the desire to control the action on the floor.
After five years of coaching at BU, Pitino accepted an assistant coaching job with the NY Knicks. It was there that Rick saw firsthand the effect that the three-point shot was having on the game. The NBA instituted the three-point shot in the 1979-1980 season, but the NCAA did not establish it until the 1986-1987 season.
When researching the history of that Providence 87 Final Four team, there are a lot of entertaining and informative stories of three practices a day, (before the NCAA put in a 20-hour limit) of two guys being 15 minutes late for a meeting and being made to run 5 miles a day for 6 days straight at 5 a.m. to make up for a combined 30 minutes late (30 miles=30 minutes).
He basically breathed life into a moribund program, which up until that point had been at the bottom with Seton Hall in those early years of the Big East. He took a group of relatively unheralded players, instilled tremendous confidence in them, and committed them physically and psychologically to a style of play that most opponents were not equipped to deal with. I remember witnessing that team by the time they reached the NCAA tournament, attacking, pressuring, and launching 3’s as they knocked off UAB, Austin Peay, a # 9 ranked Alabama team, and #4 ranked Georgetown team on their way to the Final Four. It was like watching a boxing match with one combatant playing by Marquess of Queensberry rules and the other being able to be an MMA fighter.
Pitino was the first College coach to embrace and commit to the 3-point shot as an effective tool. That year, PC led the country in 3-point FG’s made per game at 8.2.
Fast-forward to this year’s Providence College team as it is about to embark on Coach English’s second season. The coach has been very clear of his desire to utilize the 3 as an important weapon and he has built a talented roster with that in mind. There are capable 3 point shooters at every position. He won’t have Pitino’s advantage of surprise as did his predecessor but he shares the same commitment to its importance.
This is not to forget and appreciate the Rhode Island connection to the aforementioned Boston Celtics, who, under the direction of Hendricken HS graduate Joe Mazzulla, led the league last year in 3-pointers made, attempted, and also in 3-point FG%.
We can all bemuse ourselves with the idea that we, as Rhode Islanders, were the first to witness its successful adoption as we continue to observe its place in our collegiate and professional teams.
Kevin Stacom is one of the most accomplished Providence College basketball players in history. An All-American at Providence, Stacom was a second-round NBA draft pick, played six years in the NBA, and won an NBA championship as a member of the Boston Celtics.
After his playing career, Stacom coached at the college level and served as an NBA scout for nearly 30 years for the Golden State Warriors and Dallas Mavericks.
