BY TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA ATHLETICS Freehold Township’s Tim Begley enjoyed quite a career at the University of Pennsylvania, and was named the Ivy League Player of the Year for his exploits this past season. It’s March Madness, something University of Penn senior guard Tim Begley has become accustomed to.
Begley, who lives in Freehold Township and starred in high school at Christian Brothers Academy, made his third trip in the last four years to the Big Dance, the NCAA Basketball Tournament, this week on the wave of the Quakers’ third Ivy League championship in that span. The Quakers (20-9), lost their opening-round game to Big East regular-season champion Boston College, 85-65, in Cleveland, Thursday. But not before Begley left his impact on the game. The senior was the game’s leading scorer with 19 points, including five-of-11 three-pointers in his final college game as a Quaker.
Penn’s success has made the college basketball experience something that was beyond Begley’s expectations when he first arrived on the Philadelphia campus fresh out of CBA.
“I never expected to have this much fun,” said Begley. “I wish I could do it all over again.”
Much of the fun has been experiencing March Madness. It’s something that never grows old according to Begley, who cut his basketball teeth at the Barkalow School.
“It’s incredible,” said Begley. “Kids in class are wishing you luck. For one week in your life, you are somebody. Everywhere you go, there are cameras following you.
“I did play in pretty big games in high school and pretty big regular-season games [in college],” he added. “The NCAA is a different world. It has a different feel. You are playing in a big arena. It’s a game you’ll remember the rest of you life.”
That’s why 2005 took on added urgency for Begley, who was a senior. He was spoiled his first two years when the Quakers won the Ivy. But last year they were on the sidelines as Princeton captured the league crown and the NCAA berth. Begley and the Quakers were determined not to repeat 2004, and avoided it by storming through the Ivy with just one loss and wrapping up the NCAA bid early.
“In our league there is no conference tournament,” said Begley. “You have to come and play every night. Every game counts. Last year, we slipped up a couple of times and it cost us.”
There were no slip-ups in 2004-05 in large part because of Begley’s steady play, which was rewarded after the season by his being named the Ivy League Player of the Year and a unanimous selection as First Team All-Ivy.
Begley led the Quakers in scoring (13.7 ppg) and assists (4.8 apg), and averaged 5.4 rebounds a game. He set Penn’s all-time record for three-point shots made, 253, while joining the 1,000 career-point scorers. He’s 23rd all time with 1,162.
“It’s a pretty nice honor for the team,” Begley said of his Player of the Year award. “It’s nice to know that you don’t have to score the most points or have the most assists. Wins and losses matter.”
In that case, the 6-foot-6 guard had the competition beat.
Begley and the Quakers were a perfect match because winning was more important than individual stats to each player.
“We’re a pretty scrappy bunch,” said Begley. “We aren’t the biggest or fastest players, and we’re not the best shooters. We play together. We’re a bunch of guys who want to win.”
Begley learned how important the Big Five — Penn, Temple, Villanova, LaSalle and St. Joseph’s — are in Philadelphia and the joy of playing basketball in the famed Palestra.
“The Palestra is hands-down the best place to play in college basketball,” he said. “There is a lot of history there. The Big 5 crowds are split down the middle.
“Being from Jersey, I didn’t have the knowledge of what it [Big 5] means in Philadelphia,” he said. “It’s an awesome atmosphere.”
One made for Begley.
Barkalow School coach Rich Hartman and Begley have remained in contact over the years with Hartman attending as many games as he can. To him, the Ivy League’s MVP is still the same player and person he was when he was playing for Hartman at Barkalow.
“It’s scary,” said Hartman. “He’s so much the same. He never panics and you never see him sweat. Tim looks likes he’s having such a great time out there.
“He’s doing all the same things he did for us and CBA,” he added. “He’s one of those kids who make everyone around him better, and he sees the floor so well.”
Hartman had no way of predicting that Begley would turn into a Division I basketball player, let alone an Ivy League Player of the Year, but he did know from the start that Begley wasn’t your average player.
“In seventh grade, most kids just push their shots, Tim had a real quality shot, good technique,” he said. “He used both his hands dribbling and passing the ball.”
Much like at Barkalow, Begley enjoys talking about his teammates and the team more than himself.
“He’s very humble,” said Hartman. “He doesn’t want to take any credit.”
There is no denying though, as Hartman noted, that winning seems to follow Begley. In seventh grade, Barkalow won the county league championship, and in eighth, the Blue Jays were the runner-ups and won the Casey Invitational. In his last two years at CBA, the team had a combined record of 52-2 winning a pair of Shore Conference Tournament championships and one NJSIAA South Jersey Parochial A state sectional crown.
Although his talent was superior to his teammates, Hartman pointed out that the Blue Jays were able to win championships because of his unselfish play.
“Tim always tried to get his teammates involved,” he said.
Along with his talent and unselfishness, there was Begley’s love for the game itself. Nothing could keep him off the court, not even a scratched cornea.
“When he was in seventh grade, I saw that he was absent from school and I panicked,” said Hartman. “Tim had scratched the cornea of his eye and came to school later in the day wearing an eye patch. He told me, ‘Coach, I can play.’ He went out and went 7-for-7 from the foul line with one eye.”
For his part, Begley has remained close to both the Barkalow and CBA programs.
“I grew up playing basketball at Barkalow,” said Begley. “I appreciated it. I’m back at home in Freehold whenever I can be. It’s one of the reason I chose Penn. It’s an easy hour for my family to come to the games.”
Hartman remarked that Begley has attended Barkalow practices when he could. This year Hartman took his Barkalow team to a game in the Palestra, where they not only experienced what college basketball is all about, but why Begley is so special.
“He met all the guys and shook their hands,” said Hartman. “He talked to them, asking them questions. It wasn’t about Tim.”
Begley remembers when he was just like them.
“I was in their shoes a few years ago,” he said. “I tell them, ‘Have fun with everything you’re doing.’ ”
And maybe, just maybe, if they are lucky, they can they can get out of basketball what Begley has.