The best high school player in New England, John Egan was the first big-name recruit to come to Providence when recruiting became synonymous with college basketball. Under Joe Mullaney, Egan split time between shooting and point guard. He made the NIT All-Tournament team in 1959 and repeated that honor while helping the Friars to the Championship in 1961. He was a Second Team All-American as a senior. His 39 points against Villanova set the single game record at the time.
Egan was the 12th pick in the NBA draft in 1961. His 11 seasons in the NBA ranks third only to Lenny Wilkens' 15 and Otis Thorpe's 16 among PC players. Egan played 11 seasons (1961 - 1972) in the NBA, spending time with the Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks, Baltimore Bullets, Los Angeles Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers, and San Diego/Houston Rockets. In 712 career games, Egan averaged 7.8 points per game and recorded 2,102 career assists. His best season came as a member of the 1963-64 New York Knicks, posting averages of 13.0 points and 5.4 assists per game. After his playing career, Egan served as a coach of the Houston Rockets from 1973-76.
