Former faculty basketball star Mike Babul handed away on Monday after struggling a coronary heart assault on the age of 47. The College of Massachusetts Amhurst (UMass) mentioned in a heartfelt assertion that the Minutemen fanbase is grieving the lack of a legendary member of the neighborhood.
Mike Babul earned All-Convention, Gatorade Participant of the 12 months, and MHSCA Participant of the 12 months honors
On the time of his passing, Babul was the top coach of the boys crew at Thayer Academy, a coach, and the proprietor of Hoop Work, a year-round basketball camp for girls and boys in New England.
“Babul was a real Massachusetts basketball legend on the court docket, serving as a optimistic drive in his neighborhood and on many sidelines as a coach,” UMass launched in a press release.
Mike, a local of North Attleborough, and his twin brother, Jon Babul, performed 4 years collectively at North Attleborough Excessive College, the primary beneath their father, Mike Sr., after which Don Johnson. The Babul twins have been coached by Johnson throughout their sophomore, junior, and senior seasons.
We mourn the passing of UMass alum Mike Babul.
Babul was a real Massachusetts basketball legend on the court docket, serving as a optimistic drive in his neighborhood and on many sidelines as a coach #Flagship🚩 pic.twitter.com/vF9ZO1HdzS
— UMass Males’s Basketball (@UMassMBB) December 31, 2024
As a 6-foot-6 ahead, Mike Babul gained recognition as a standout highschool basketball participant throughout his senior yr, when he averaged 20.1 factors and eight.4 rebounds per recreation.
Babul earned All-Convention, Gatorade Participant of the 12 months, and Massachusetts Excessive College Coaches Affiliation Participant of the 12 months honors. He was additionally chosen to the Parade journal high 40 All-America crew.
“His attributes as a basketball participant have been apparent to everybody, however what we knew is he was an superior individual,” Johnson advised The Boston Globe in a latest interview.
“Nice teammates. They’re essentially the most celebrated gamers ever in North Attleborough, however essentially the most humble youngsters and selfless gamers. They might’ve scored 2,000 factors if we left them in, and so they didn’t care about stats, simply in regards to the crew. That claims loads about the kind of individual he was.”
Babul was chosen to the Atlantic-10 Convention All-Defensive crew in three consecutive seasons at UMass
Mike Babul went on to play 4 years (1996-2000) for coach Bruiser Flint at UMass, after being recruited by coach John Calipari. He was chosen to a few Atlantic-10 Convention All-Defensive and All-Tutorial groups. His Atlantic 10 All-Defensive honors have been earned in three consecutive seasons (1998-2000).
In 120 profession NCAA video games (100 begins), he averaged 3.7 factors, 3.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 22.7 minutes per contest whereas taking pictures 44.3% from the sector and 48.2% on the free throw line.
Following his taking part in profession, Babul pursued a training profession, starting at Seekonk Excessive College in 2002. He then moved on to the NCAA, together with stints in a number of roles at Memphis, Youngstown State, Drexel, Texas-El Paso, Auburn, and Wagner.
Mike Babul goes residence.
Babul, UM class of 2000, was a 3x A-10 Defensive Staff member.
Nice shot of him on Paul Pierce in ’97. Pierce shot .513 from the ground that season (97-98), however on that night time Babul and UM’s D held him to .357 (5-14). https://t.co/019ldx0u9K pic.twitter.com/QtIfykbT3X— UMassHoops.com (@UMassHoops_com) June 13, 2023
Mike Babul served beneath Calipari at Memphis. He was named affiliate head coach at Wagner in 2015 and remained with this system till 2019, when he turned an assistant for the Brooklyn Nets’ NBA G League affiliate, the Lengthy Island Nets, staying till 2020.
Moreover, Babul was the director of the Metro West Swarm AAU basketball program in Mansfield. He and Jon ran the annual Babul Brother Basketball Camp of their hometown as properly.
Jon performed at Georgia Tech and now works for the Atlanta Hawks because the Vice President of Basketball Growth. Mike Babul is survived by his fiancée, Maria.
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