Reflections of a Lifelong Friar Fan: The Magical 1972-73 Season

Craig Leighton brings us back to Providence's amazing run to the 1973 Final Four.

Ernie, Marvin, and Kevin. Providence fans didn’t use the last names of the three Friar greats who formed The Big Three on Providence College’s greatest basketball team.

Ernie DiGregorio, Marvin Barnes, and Kevin Stacom. It seems like they played together for 10 years. In reality, it was only one glorious season that included just 13 home games at the Providence Civic Center. 

But what a run they had together.

Today’s fans may wonder why Providence played just 13 times at home that season. It was the first year at the Civic Center, and there were still several remaining contracts with Eastern schools for home and home series. As a result, that Friar team had to play road games at St. Francis (NY), Canisius, Niagara, Holy Cross, and Brown. 

The program was riding high entering the 1972-73 season. Ernie D. and Marvin were returning from a tournament team, along with core players Nehru King, Fran Constello, and Charley Crawford. Holy Cross transfer Kevin Stacom was also eligible, providing the Friars with a third legitimate star at shooting guard.

The experience of being a Friar fan was about to change in another significant way. The Providence Civic Center was opening, and many fans who could not get a ticket to tiny Alumni Hall could finally see PC in-person.

I was one of those fans, as I became a season ticket holder that year and enjoyed every minute of the thrilling ride that was the 1972-73 season. 

The season started a little slow for the Friars. After winning their first three games, they fell to Santa Clara, 97-92, in the finals of the Utah Classic.

On Jan. 20, they went out West again to test their abilities against defending national champion UCLA. Unfortunately, the game got away from PC and they lost, 101-77.

Still, after the UCLA loss, Providence’s record stood at 10-2, which included double figure wins over South Carolina, Oregon, DePaul, and URI. 

The UCLA loss turned out to be the turning point of the Friars’ season. They proceeded to close the regular season with 13 consecutive victories after that loss, and entered the NCAA Tournament 23-2. PC finished their first season in the Civic Center with a perfect 13-0 home record.

More than the won-loss record, it was how the Friars played that made this team so special. 

DiGregorio was one of the best passing point guards in the history of college basketball. Two or three times a game he brought fans out of their seats with seemingly impossible deliveries. 

Barnes (18.3 points, 19.0 rebounds) was a dominating presence inside who scored at will. He was a ferocious rebounder who finished second in the nation in rebounds. 

DiGregorio led the Friars in scoring, averaging over 24 points per game. Marvin averaged 18.3 points a night, while Stacom added 17.8 points per game. Costello (9.1 ppg), King (8.7 ppg), and Crawford (5.5 PPG) rounded out the scoring for the Friars. 

Providence’s biggest weakness during the 1972-73 season was a lack of depth. They were strictly a six man team. No one else on the squad averaged more than 2.5 points per game. 

Entering the first round of the Tournament, the Friars were playing maybe the best basketball of any team in the country. They were riding a thirteen game winning streak, and were ranked fifth in the country by the AP.

Behind 31 points from DiGregorio and a 21 point, 17 rebound effort from Barnes, they easily dispatched St. Joseph’s in the first round, 89-76. Providence scored 53 second half points in their tournament opener. 

Next up was Pennsylvania, the team that bounced Providence out of the NCAA Tournament the year prior. The Friars got their revenge in ‘73, however, drilling Penn by a score of 87-65. Barnes had 20 points and 13 rebounds in the win, while King (18), DiGregorio (16), and Stacom (16) all finished in double figures. For the second consecutive game, Providence topped 50 points in the second half, this time out-scoring Penn, 51-36, in the final 20 minutes. 

The Eastern Regional Final was a powerhouse matchup of top ten teams in PC and Maryland, out of the ACC. The Terps spent the first two months of the season ranked in the top three in the country, and closed the year in the top ten. 

They boasted three of the best players in college basketball in Tom McMillen (the high school player of the year his senior year of high school), Len Elmore, and John Lucas. All three were All Americans in their Maryland careers, and each was a high first round pick. 

Their coach, Lefty Drisell, arrogantly referred to his team as “The UCLA of the East.” 

Despite riding a 15 game winning streak, few people gave the Friars much of a chance — but PC was having none of it. 

In what was one of the best first halfs ever seen in college basketball, Maryland had a one point lead over PC, 51-50, at the break. DiGregorio was amazing, with 24 points in the first half, but he also picked up four fouls. 

Early in the second half, PC gradually built up a double digit lead behind DiGregorio and Stacom, but with a little over 11 minutes left Ernie D. fouled out. He finished with 30 points and played a masterful floor game. 

Providence’s lack of depth was now going to be severely tested. In order to compensate for the loss of DiGregorio, Stacom moved over to the point and Costello slid to the backcourt. The Friars never missed a beat, taking out Maryland, 103-89.

While DiGregorio was incredible in the first half, Kevin Stacom was outstanding in the second — finishing with 24 points in the game. Barnes had a 19 point, 15 rebound double double, as Providence eclipsed 50 second half points for the third straight game. This time they outscored Maryland 53-38 in the second half. 

The Friars were headed to the Final Four! 

Now winners of 16 straight, and scoring at will in the postseason, Providence’s next opponent would be Memphis State. The Tigers were led by 6’2 guard Larry Finch, 6’9 forward Larry Kenon, and head coach Gene Bartow.

PC was on a roll, and most expected them to beat Memphis State, setting up a rematch with UCLA in the championship. 

The Friars certainly played like the favorites early, displaying the type of game that some analysts called the best eight minutes of basketball they had ever seen. 

Just about all Friar fans know what happened next.

Barnes sprained his knee and was done for the game. Without Barnes, Providence’s lack of depth showed. They could not control Memphis State’s inside game led by Kenon and 6’8 Ronnie Robinson. As a result, Memphis State gradually pulled away and won the game, 98-85. 

The Friar team that had dominated the second half throughout the tournament was outscored 58-36 over the final 20 minutes, after leading by nine at the break. Ernie D finished with 32 points, while Marvin had scored 12 points in 11 minutes before going down. Kenon (28 points, 22 rebounds) and Robinson (24 points, 16 rebounds) dominated on the interior in Marvin’s absence. 

Friar Nation was devastated. I personally felt like I had been punched in the gut. Without Marvin, Providence went on to lose to Indiana in the third place game that no Friar fan really cared about. It was a brutal way to end our dream season. 

Providence finished the year ranked fourth in the country in the AP poll. Ernie was named an AP First Team All American, while Marvin was added to a few other All American squads.

Despite the gut-wrenching loss, Friar fans are a resilient bunch. Thousands of fans, including my father and myself, went out to greet the team at TF Green Airport when they arrived back from St. Louis. 

And while Ernie D’s marvelous career had come to an end, we still had hope for the future. Marvin and Kevin were coming back, and they were being joined by sharpshooter Joey Hassett, 6’7 shot blocker Bob Cooper, and Marvin’s old high school teammate, junior college transfer, Ricky Santos. 

The good times weren’t over in Providence just yet.