RADNOR — Radnor’s Megan and Nicole Massimino always have been willing to listen to what their grandfather has to say.
When it comes to basketball, they give their full and undivided attention. Needless to say, legendary college coach Rollie Massimino has inspired them to play the right way.
“Even now he’ll come home and say, ‘Let me just show you one more thing in the driveway.’ We’re always learning from him,” said Nicole, the freshman.
The sisters are doing something they never imagined — playing at the university for which Rollie Massimino compiled 357 coaching victories, inside the arena he helped build.
The Massiminos are going back to the Pavillion, but for the first time, they’re not coming to support the Wildcats.
“It’s going to be a weird feeling because we’ve been watching Villanova games since we were little,” said Megan, a junior. “It’s going to feel weird actually being on the court and playing the game instead of watching. We’ve talked to him a little bit. He loves watching us play basketball and the fact that we get to do that at Villanova, he’s really excited about it.”
While Megan and Nicole weren’t even born by the time Rollie moved on from Villanova after the 1991-92 season, they have a great appreciation of the history of Villanova basketball and realize that the program might not be what it is today without their grandfather’s success.
“He’s always showing us something, forcing us to go into the driveway to play basketball with him. He loves doing that to us,” Megan said. “We’re always watching basketball games with him, things like that.”
Rollie Massimino, who was inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fames in 2013, is still going strong at 79. He has served as head coach at Northwood (Fla.) University since 2006. In his illustrious career, Massimino has compiled more than 700 victories. Massimino sent over a video message Friday, cheering on Radnor as it prepared to play Villa Maria for the District One Class AAA championship Saturday at the Pavilion.
A Georgetown recruit for lacrosse, Megan expects to see some hardwood action for the first time since tearing her ACL.
“We didn’t see ourselves at first going to the district final, but once we got into the district playoffs we said to ourselves, ‘We can do this.'” she said. “We knew we could win and get to Villanova. That was our goal.”
Much like the Raiders (13-12), the Hurricanes (15-10) were toiling through a mediocre season before both teams kicked it into full gear late in the year. Villa has won five of seven on the way to reaching the district final, while Radnor has reeled off five straight wins following an 8-12 start.
“Right now, it’s all kind of surreal,” Radnor coach Mark Jordan said. “A month ago, we lost four straight tough games. At one point we lost to Springfield, two overtime games, and plus one against Marple (Newtown) when we lost when one of their little guards made a shot at the buzzer. That was four straight tough games … and it made you think, ‘This isn’t our year.’ But a month later, we’re sitting here getting ready to hop on a bus to take a five-minute trip to Villanova to play at the Pavillion. It’s pretty cool. We’re all excited. We’ll get ready for Villa Maria and hope not to get run over like Pope John Paul (II) in the first game (of the District One semifinals). We’ll try to match their match their physicality.”
Jordan knows his team is the underdog. Villa Maria has reeled off three consecutive District One Class AAA titles, so the Hurricanes certainly have the experience. But Jordan believes his group has as a great chance to end the streak, so long as his players don’t get stagnant.
“We just have to keep moving. We’re going to be on a really big court, that goes for sure, and a big gym obviously at the Pavillion,” he said. “We’re going to do a lot of screening, always moving. If you don’t move, they’re going to body up against you. Are we going to get stuck at times? No doubt. They’re going to trap us, get caught up in corners and lose our dribble now and then. We’re working on our dribble game and just getting open — cutting hard and spacing the floor a little bit. Who knows, (maybe) we can score a bunch of points. We’ve been in the 50s every game almost, except for Merion Mercy (43-40 semifinal win). We can shoot for 10 points per quarter, and we might be in good shape, but they’re very good defensively.”
Myonie Williamson is pacing the Raiders with 21 points per game in the District One playoffs.
In the victory against Merion Mercy Wednesday night, Nicole Massimino banked two free throws in the final seconds of regulation to put Radnor ahead by three points while helping the Raiders move on to the title game at Villanova.
Yes, the stars seem to be aligning for Radnor.
“Rollie was the reason why I wanted to get into coaching,” Jordan said. “I saw Rollie on the sideline stomping up and down, and I sort of mimicked my style a little after him. The fact that we’re here, in the house that Rollie built with two of his granddaughters, it’s a cool little sidenote. Win or lose, it’s going to be a great time.”
And regardless of the outcome, Radnor and Villa Maria both qualified for the PIAA Tournament next week.
Also in the Class AAAA boys bracket, Haverford will make the journey to Dallastown Area High School for its first PIAA Tournament berth in 43 years. They’ll square off against District 3 champion York at 6:30.
Friday will feature a pair of boys games involving Delco squads. Archbishop Carroll, the third seed from District 12 in the Class AAA field, will hit the road to Garden Spot High School for a date with District 3 runner-up Manheim Central at 8.
Delco Christian, District One’s third-place team in Class A, will face a shorter trip but a daunting task nonetheless, heading to South Philadelphia High School for a 7:30 game with District 12 champ Math, Civics & Sciences.
Radnor's Nicole, left, and Megan Massimino will be playing on a Pavilion court at Villanova at which their grandfather, legendary Villanova coach Rollie Massimino, once patrolled the sidelines when the Raiders take on Villa Maria Academy in the District One Class AAA title game Saturday. (Robert J Gurecki)
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