“The realization starts happening that you are going to be on national TV in front of millions of people…and it’s fun at first but then you’re like ‘alright don’t mess up,’” said Mr. Kevin Owens when discussing the game.
Mr. Owens graduated from Camden Catholic High School and played basketball at Monmouth University from 1999 to 2003, after redshirting his academic freshman year in 1998. During his athletic freshman year, Owens started all 28 games and was named an all NEC (Northeast Conference) freshman.
Owens reflected on the time when the boys basketball team went to Europe to compete in a tournament, a year prior to them winning their conference. He explained this as a pivotal moment in their team development and chemistry, which ultimately aided in them reaching a level as prestigious as March Madness, even as a small school.
“At that time it felt really good to know each other and to trust each other because it was really big,” Owens said.
Duke University competed versus Monmouth in the first round of March Madness on Thursday, March 15, 2001; the night it became real for Owens. Duke was the number one seed hovering over him, which should have been intimidating, but for him it was exciting. Owens went on to score Monmouth’s first few points of the game.
“We played Duke, Duke ended up winning the National Tech Championship so I lined up against Shane Battier, and Mike Dunleavy and Jay Williams,” Owens said, in awe.
The final score of the game was 95-52, with a victory from Duke, but Owens walked away content, knowing he reached a new level of achievement as a collegiate athlete, making difficult sacrifices and finding his sense of purpose. Owens even reflected upon revisiting that game with his daughter and unraveling the strong contrasting emotions of Duke’s win, and their devastating loss.
“It gave me the proof that I was good and it gave me an understanding that I am on this level and I can compete,” said Owens.
Continuing to make a big mark throughout his career, Owens started 111/114 of the games he competed in, ended with 100 blocks and is currently ranked fourth on Monmouth’s career blocked shots list, and won the Joan Martin award for his dedication to the team. In addition, Owens won NEC Defensive Player of the Year in his senior year. He closed out his career with approximately 1000 collegiate points at Monmouth.
As of now, Owens still incorporates basketball into his life, currently acting as the varsity boys basketball assistant coach at Camden Catholic, where he graduated from.
