Nov. 3, 2006
The Nova Notebook, by Villanova director of media relations Mike Sheridan, appears each Friday from September through February and monthly from April through August. This week we spend time with senior guard Ross Condon, who enters his fourth season with the Wildcats.
Like most Americans, Ross Condon had watched on television the opening ceremonies that accompany the start of every Olympiad. He had heard the stories and seen the photos of his teammate for three seasons, Randy Foye, from the summer of 2005 when Foye carried the American flag in opening ceremonies at the World University Games.
Yet conjuring up visions of himself in that type of setting seemed a rather remote prospect. Condon is in his fourth season on the Wildcats and has played in 20 career games, after joining the team as a walk-on in 2003. Following a period of adjustment that began when he first became a Wildcat, Condon has come to understand that most of his contributions will be made far from public view.
In the summer of 2006, however, Condon experienced the kind of touchstone moment that not every athlete gets to experience, as he represented the United States at the 2006 Maccabi Games, held in Australia. It was an opportunity the 5-11 guard from the Potomac School won't soon forget.
"When I was asked to be a part of it," Condon states, "I was really excited. It gave me the chance to see Australia, a country I was always fascinated by, and experience something that not every athlete gets. When you walk into an opening ceremony with the letters USA on your gear, it's very special."
The Maccabi Games are held around the globe and spotlight athletes of Jewish heritage. Condon was asked to participate this summer and joined college aged players from such schools as Tennessee and Princeton.
"It was an amazing experience," Condon states. "We won the gold medal and saw so many facets of life in Australia. Plus, I met and competed against athletes with a similar heritage to mine. You couldn't ask for a better summer experience."
These days Condon has returned to the role most Villanova fans have grown accustomed to viewing him in. In practice, he remains a dedicated and vital part of the coaching staff's quest to prepare a team with 10 underclassmen for the rigors of a BIG EAST season.
It's an often overlooked assignment, but one Condon has come to appreciate.
"It was an adjustment in the beginning," he says. "The coaches were very open and honest about what my role would be when I came to Villanova. I knew that my biggest contributions would come in practice and not in games. But there is still a period of adjustment, particularly because I came in at a unique time and did get to play some in the beginning of my freshman year."
Indeed, Condon, who arrived after scoring 1,043 points and setting a record for assists at the Potomac School, became a Wildcat as the program completed the suspensions owed to the telephone access code incident in March of 2003. Villanova dressed only five scholarship athletes for its first five games that season, meaning non-scholarship athletes like Michael Claxton, Baker Dunleavy and Condon were suddenly moved up the depth chart.
Condon saw action off the bench in three of Villanova's first five outings that season. The most significant of those appearances came on a quiet Saturday morning about 60 miles east of Los Angeles. The Wildcats were on the second leg of their journey to Maui, fresh from an impressive win over Temple in the season opener. A mere 36 hours later this team with a depleted roster took the court against a Redlands club that utilized three five man units in an effort to push the tempo at all times.
The Wildcats had rushed out to a big lead early but midway through the second half appeared vulnerable. Randy Foye was charged with his fourth foul and, with a loud crowd urging it on, Redlands cut the gap to five. Condon, in just his second college contest, showed no fear and was the unsung hero of the win that day. He logged 19 minutes, contributed four assists and drew a critical charging call.
Villanova escaped the gym with a 114-103 win and was on its way to Maui a short time later. And while Condon's opportunities since that morning have been limited, those who watched that day saw the same kind of courage and skill that his Wildcat teammates have seen each day in practice.
Condon has developed an appreciation for being known as a Villanova walk-on. As a young Wildcat, he watched and learned from Tom Grace, another walk-on who is fondly recalled by the basketball staff. Today, he takes considerable pride in maintaining that tradition as a senior.
"I think being a Villanova walk-on involves a little bit of everything," he says. "You need to have a great attitude and work hard every day in practice. As one of the seniors, I try to be a leader in any way I can. All of us - Mike (Nardi), Curt (Sumpter) and Will (Sheridan) - try to let the young guys know what is expected of them in this program and answer any questions they may have."
One avenue to display leadership is in the classroom. Condon did that in style last winter, earning a place on the BIG EAST Academic All-Stars.
"It was an honor," he says. "There was a period in my freshman year where I had to adjust to college life. We have so many commitments that you have to learn how to manager your time well. By my sophomore year, I felt really comfortable with the academics and have tried to maintain that."
Few are as well-positioned to understand this team better than Condon. His is a sharp basketball mind - coaching may be a possible career pursuit - and this Springfield, Va., native knows the strengths and weaknesses well after battling his teammates on the practice court each day. He is optimistic about what lies ahead for this group.
"It kind of reminds me of my freshman year in some ways," he says of 2003-04. "We had a lot of young guys then with a lot of talent, as we do now. We will get to bond on a long trip when we go the Virgin Islands, like we did in Maui. I know that team had some tough losses in close games but I think this team, because it has three senior leaders like `Bump' (Sheridan), Curt, and Mike, can jell more quickly than that one did. They know what it takes and have been a big part of what we have accomplished."
Perhaps more than anything, the rise of Villanova Basketball is what Condon appreciates most about his basketball experience on the Main Line.
"When we got here, people weren't sure what to expect from this team," he says. "It's been great to watch it grow as the team matured. The students and alumni are really into it now and we want to keep that going. It's the last time through for the seniors, and we want to do everything we can to make this season something special."
Ross Condon's name likely won't be found at the top of the Villanova Basketball marquee any time soon. But those within the squad know well the subtle and substantial contribution he has made in his first three seasons. Count on him making more of those in relative anonymity as 2006-07 unfolds.
