Ask John McQueen '85 to define the Cabrini men’s basketball team’s success while he was a player from 1981-85 and he won’t talk about great outside shooting, hard-nosed defense or an unmatched inside game. He won’t talk about a team that plays well in transition or like a surgeon in a half-court set.
For MQueen – it’s just one word. Commitment. Commitment from the coaching staff and commitment from the players.
“When we walked onto the floor, we were either better-prepared or more-talented, “ McQueen said. “And, in most cases, it was both.”
McQueen arrived at Cabrini from Murrell Dobbins Tech High School in the North Philadelphia section of the city. Even today, he’ll admit that his adjustment to the suburbs took some time, but he knew from the start of his recruiting process that Cabrini was the right choice – a process that included 20 schools from Division I to Division III.
“But, it wasn’t even close,” McQueen said. “Cabrini was the school-most interested from the beginning – not only as an athlete, but also a student and person.”
McQueen knew only run-and-gun basketball from his playing days in the Philadelphia Public League. It took him nearly half of his freshman year to transition to Cabrini’s structured approach.
McQueen credits former Cavaliers Mike Bennett and Hall of Fame inductee John Keating with easing his adjustment to the college game. These players helped instill in McQueen what has become the staple of the Cabrini men’s basketball program – pride and tradition.
McQueen’s 1,524 points rank second all-time in program history. He also lists 13th in career assists (218), 14th in career rebounds (529) and 15th in career steals (123). McQueen’s 497 points in a single-season and 14 field goals made in a single-game stood as the program standard until 2008-09.
McQueen helped lead the Cavaliers to two NAIA National Championship appearances, four conference championships and an 87-35 four-year overall record. He also earned honorable mention All-America distinction.
McQueen recalls the Cavaliers’ NAIA District 19 title victory at Coppin State as his fondest memory.
“We were big under-dogs in that game,” McQueen said. “It was great to go into their place and get a win. I’ll never forget that.”
McQueen’s career didn’t end with the final whistle during his days at Cabrini. He went on to play one season professionally in Belfast, Ireland for St. Gall’s.
