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By BRENDAN MCGAIR Sports writer PROVIDENCE – If there’s a member of the Providence College basketball family who can correlate Tuesday night’s shocking turn of events with a similar stunner that played out 33 years ago, Joe Hassett is your Friar of linkage.
Twice has PC bucked the odds and conquered the nation’s No. 1, and Hassett can say he had his hands in both Friar upsets. His brush with history first came as a knockdown shooter, later on as a radio broadcaster.
“I didn’t realize our win over Michigan in 1976 was the only time Providence had knocked off a No. 1,” admitted Hassett. “Obviously that changed after Tuesday.”
Making room in the basketball annals was necessitated by Providence’s stunner of Pittsburgh earlier this week. Hassett admitted he was caught in a time warp as the final seconds ticked off and 11,887 strong prepared to unwrap itself like Times Square on New Year’s Eve. He had lived and breathed through one No. 1 conquest, and here he was, about to indulge himself once again.
With no TV highlights to swear by, Hassett’s photographic memory was put to the test when asked to walk down memory lane. “When we played Michigan, it was part of the InBank Classic. The game was close throughout. When we got to the two overtimes, no one of the 12,150 sat in their seats, they stood the whole time.”
Hassett, who scored 21 points that game, remembers Bob Misevicius nailing two clutch shots, one that helped send the game into a second overtime, the second coming at the tail end of the second free period that clinched a dramatic 82-81 win for the Friars.
“That was a heckuva game,” said Hassett.
Tuesday’s aftermath saw PC students storm the floor with reckless enthusiasm, creating a sea of Black & White supporters who wanted to revel in the moment with Jonathan Kale, Jeff Xavier and the rest of the conquering Friar heroes. According to Hassett, the jubilant scene was a far cry from what transpired after the final buzzer in ’76.
“Rushing the court must be a new phenomenon,” said Hassett. “When we beat Michigan, it was part of a tournament, so they had to clear the floor for the trophy presentation.”
When Providence faced Michigan, stepping onto the same court with such a highly-acclaimed power wasn’t commonplace. As Hassett noted, these dragon-slaying Friars of today are well-versed when it comes to stepping into the fire with the best of what the polls dictate.
“We just happened to play a good team at the time,” said Hassett. “These guys have played in the Big East for four years; you’re bound to run into good teams sooner or later.”
A captain for the 1976-77 season, Hassett remembers the Friars parlaying the hard-fought victory over the Wolverines into 11 straight wins as part of a 14-game winning streak. That PC squad wound up in the NCAA Tournament, achieving a 24-5 record with aid from Bruce “Soup” Campbell, Bob Cooper and Bill Eason.
“That Michigan win really got us rolling,” said Hassett.
The hope is that the current lot of Friars can take a page out of the only other team to topple No. 1 and embark on a deep run. “Their destiny is in front of them,” said Hassett. “I hope the Pittsburgh wins carries them for a while.”
Putting his fan cap on, Hassett said he was relieved to see PC’s senior class reap the benefits that come with bagging such a monumental win. “They are a great group of guys. They’ve been through their ups and downs, but they’ve always hung tough.”
Hassett said he gathered clues during Pittsburgh’s warm-ups that led him to believe the Friars could catch the Panthers off-guard.
“They were joking and kidding with the student section, perhaps feeling overconfident,” said Hassett. “Getting off to the hot start the Friars did made it much easier for them to play with Pitt. I don’t think Pitt knew what hit them.”
Hassett had another tale to report from Tuesday.
“(PC coach) Keno Davis arrived to the arena earlier than he normally does, saying afterwards that he felt the importance of the Pitt game,” said Hassett. “I told him after congratulating him that he’s going to have to show up early from now on.”
There was a feeling of emptiness at the scorers table at The Dunk as John Rooke, Hassett’s usual sidekick on the dial, was off working the ESPN2 telecast of the Boston College-Florida State game. “John ‘Wally Pipp’ Rooke,” kidded Hassett, referencing the New York Yankees first baseman best remembered for losing his starting job to some Hall of Famer named Lou Gehrig.
There’s a legion of Friar fans professing the Michigan Miracle as THE signature win. Thanks to the Pittsburgh Phenomenon, there’s now another history-making victory to debate over.
Just don’t ask Hassett, who had a prime seat for both, to opine on which win was greater.
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