From March Madness miracles to a season opener in Rome: The story of Catholic college hoops

NEW YORK (AP) — The Dons. The Hoyas. The Zags. Rollie Massimino and his cigars. Lou Carnesecca and his outlandish sweaters. Sister Jean — a devoted fan and mentor of Loyola Chicago players even after she turned 100.

The list could go on endlessly. Talented teams, colorful coaches, unforgettable characters — adding up to the remarkable history of Catholic college basketball over the past 100 years.

Advertisement

The Catholic hoops legacy will be on full display in a few weeks in an especially fitting location and matchup.

Catholic powerhouses Notre Dame and Villanova will compete in the 2026 season opener Nov. 1 at Rome’s Palazzo dello Sport, six miles from the Vatican headquarters of Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born pope, a sports fan, and a Villanova graduate. There’s been no word from the Vatican on whether Leo might attend the Eternal City Tip-Off, though it’s considered unlikely following his lung cancer diagnosis.

The doubleheader between the Notre Dame and Villanova men’s and women’s teams has cast a new spotlight on the deep roots of basketball in Catholic schools in America, dating to the early days of the sport.

After James Naismith invented the sport in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1891, YMCAs and colleges played key roles in the early expansion. Many of those schools were Catholic institutions in urban areas; basketball — requiring only an indoor court and a handful of players — was an ideal sport for them.

Advertisement

By 1927, before the era of season-ending tournaments, the potential of Catholic college hoops became clear — Notre Dame’s 19-1 team was named national champion by the Helms Athletic Foundation. It repeated that feat in 1936.

The NCAA men’s tournament started in 1939, officially crowning a national champion. Since then, Catholic schools have won 10 titles — including three by Villanova.

Holy Cross, in Worcester, Massachusetts, was the first of these champions, defeating Oklahoma in the 1947 final. NBA legend Bob Cousy was a reserve…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/march-madness-miracles-season-opener-121642891.html

Author : DAVID CRARY

Publish date : 2026-10-16 12:16:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.