From Behind the Bench: Inside the Basketball Scandal That Rocked St. Bonaventure

Vinny Pezzimenti

iUniverse, Jul 19, 2011 - Sports & Recreation - 204 pages

On a March afternoon in Cleveland, St. Bonaventure battled powerful Kentucky for 40 minutes and two overtimes in the first round of the 2000 NCAA Tournament. Though the Bonnies would lose that day, the moments that accompanied that game provided St. Bonaventure's proud alumni a vast sense of pride. For a men's basketball program that was once considered an elite entity, it was fulfilling return to glory. No one could have envisioned then that St. Bonaventure basketball would endure lowest of lows almost exactly three years later. The St. Bonaventure basketball scandal of 2003 created national headlines and rocked to its core a proud institution. The university president schemed to allow an ineligible player, by NCAA standards, on the court, leading to series of damning events. Victories were forfeited, a team in turmoil quit on its season, several of those involved were fired and the president of the board of trustees, ripped by his role in the sorry state of affairs, committed suicide. As student-managers, we closely witnessed the circumstances that led to the upheaval. We were in the locker room, the coaches offices and on the team bench. We were there for all the corruption, deceit and greed. We were there when an ill-conceived plan came tumbling down in the harshest of manners and St. Bonaventure's lost ways became a punchline across the country.

Contents

• Chapter 1: 1
• Chapter 2: 11
• Chapter 3: 24
• Chapter 4: 39
• Chapter 5: 49
• Chapter 6: 68
• Chapter 7: 84
• Chapter 8: 93
• Chapter 9: 101
• Chapter 10: 112
• Chapter 11: 122
• Chapter 12: 128
• Chapter 13: 137
• Chapter 14: 145
• Chapter 15: 155
• Chapter 16: 159
• Chapter 17: 163
• AFTERWORD: 171

About the author

Vinny Pezzimenti is a former sports writer for the Centre Daily Times in State College , Pa. , where he covered Penn State football and high school sports. He started his career in 2004 at the Olean (N.Y.) Times Herald, where his main responsibility was covering St. Bonaventure and Atlantic 10 basketball. He moved to State College in 2008 and now resides in North Chili, N.Y. Vinny grew up a short walk from St. Bonaventure's campus in Allegany , N.Y. He was a fan of the Bonnies from a young age, watching as the team ascended from the depths of the Atlantic 10 to a participant in the NCAA tournament. Vinny graduated from St. Bonaventure in 2004 with a degree in journalism/mass communications and served as a four-year manager for the men's basketball program. ----- Bill Peters was an assistant college basketball coach for four years. He started his career in 2004 with the first two years at Division II Franklin Pierce College in New Hampshire. He spent the next two years at Schenectady County Community College in New York. He moved down to Charleston, S.C. in 2008 to begin a new career with Allstate Insurance. Bill grew up in Albany , N.Y., where he started is coaching career at the age of 17 as an assistant coach for the Voorheesville high school boy’s basketball team. Bill graduated from St. Bonaventure University with a degree in business management and served as a four-year manager for the men’s basketball program.

Vinny Pezzimenti is a former sports writer for the Centre Daily Times in State College , Pa. , where he covered Penn State football and high school sports. He started his career in 2004 at the Olean (N.Y.) Times Herald, where his main responsibility was covering St. Bonaventure and Atlantic 10 basketball. He moved to State College in 2008 and now resides in North Chili, N.Y. Vinny grew up a short walk from St. Bonaventure's campus in Allegany , N.Y. He was a fan of the Bonnies from a young age, watching as the team ascended from the depths of the Atlantic 10 to a participant in the NCAA tournament. Vinny graduated from St. Bonaventure in 2004 with a degree in journalism/mass communications and served as a four-year manager for the men's basketball program. ----- Bill Peters was an assistant college basketball coach for four years. He started his career in 2004 with the first two years at Division II Franklin Pierce College in New Hampshire. He spent the next two years at Schenectady County Community College in New York. He moved down to Charleston, S.C. in 2008 to begin a new career with Allstate Insurance. Bill grew up in Albany , N.Y., where he started is coaching career at the age of 17 as an assistant coach for the Voorheesville high school boy’s basketball team. Bill graduated from St. Bonaventure University with a degree in business management and served as a four-year manager for the men’s basketball program.

Bibliographic information

• Title: From Behind the Bench: Inside the Basketball Scandal That Rocked St. Bonaventure
• Author: Vinny Pezzimenti
• Contributor: Bill Peters
• Publisher: iUniverse, 2011
• ISBN: 1450225667, 9781450225663
• Length: 204 pages
• Subjects: Sports & Recreation / Basketball