The Owner's Box, Ep. 20

Holy Cross' Lauren Manis scored 2,000 points and grabbed 1,000 rebounds.

We're now 20 episodes into our experiment in audio expression, and this is a special one -- especially for the younger athletes that may have permission to listen to this old man's ramblings.

Lauren Manis.

Lauren Manis, the former Bishop Feehan High School basketball standout who re-wrote the record books at Holy Cross, is my special guest. Manis, the 6-foot-1 senior from Franklin, is the only athlete in Holy Cross history (regardless of gender) to have scored 2,000 points and grabbed 1,000 rebounds in his or her career, and one of just three NCAA Division I basketball players to have accomplished that feat this year. And of the 11 individuals that have guested with me on the podcasts since I started them in October, she is by far the youngest one of them -- unless you count my usual level of maturity, that is.

Manis and her Crusaders were at Bucknell University on March 12, awaiting their semifinal-round game against the Bison in the Patriot League Tournament, when they got the news from Holy Cross AD Marcus Blossom that the league had decided to scrap the rest of the tournament in response to the growing coronavirus crisis. The Crusaders were entering the game with a four-game winning streak and the confidence that they could advance to a championship game -- and a possible meeting with Boston University (and Manis' former Feehan teammate, Katie Nelson) with an NCAA Division I tournament berth at stake.

Manis at Feehan in 2016.

Manis also talks about how she considered transferring to another school as inner turmoil struck the Holy Cross program midway through her career, but decided to stay because of the love of her teammates and the quality of a Holy Cross education. We also discuss how her work with a sports psychologist helped her bolster her self-confidence and improve her game, and her plans to play professionally once the coronavirus crisis allows her to get a tryout.

I've been a big fan of Lauren's since she first stepped onto the hardcourt at Bishop Feehan back in 2013. She improved her game every single year of her career, and people in the know believe that her best basketball may be yet to come. It was a pleasure to chat with her, and to offer that conversation to you via my podcast. I think that young basketball players of either gender can glean some inspiration and solid advice from what Lauren had to say. Enjoy!