The Last Amateurs: Playing for Glory and Honor in Division I College Basketball

by John Feinstein

If there's any doubt about John Feinstein being one of sport's true believers, The Last Amateurs readily dispels it. After years of smartly dissecting our games at their highest levels in bestsellers like The Majors, A Good Walk Spoiled, and A Season on the Brink, he returns to dissecting our games at their purest level, ground he first staked out quite stirringly in A Civil War, his chronicle of Army-Navy football.

In The Last Amateurs, he mines the 1999-2000 season of Patriot League basketball. Given the high-stakes, high-profile, and often dirty world of college hoops these days, Feinstein comes up with a remarkably refreshing place to visit, a sporting environment short on scandals, prima donnas, and sneaker contracts, but long on a pure passion for the game that complements achievement in the classroom. In the league's seven schools--Bucknell, Lehigh, Lafayette, Colgate, Holy Cross, Army, and Navy--academics come first, the hardwood second. These are campuses populated by students who happen to be athletes, not athletes stopping off on the way to lucrative careers in professional sports. Indeed, these are young athletes who have their post-college focus on the rest of their lives, not the NBA. Sports, for them, builds character, not bank accounts.

Still, the Patriot League is a Division I conference, with its champion earning an automatic berth in the NCAA tournament. It takes the games seriously--often, as Feinstein reveals, heartbreakingly so--even if it doesn't necessarily play to ACC, SEC, Big 10, and Pac-10 standards. Feinstein's interviewing, skillful as ever, brings the players, coaches, and administrators of the colleges in this league to full form, making The Last Amateurs a rarity among sports books--a smart volume about smart people with their heads and priorities pointed in the right direction. Like the conference itself, it's in a league of its own. --Jeff Silverman

Genres: Sports, Basketball, Nonfiction, History, College

394 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2001

About the author

John Feinstein was an American sportswriter, author, and sports commentator.

Reviews

[Jagger Cummings · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book started off slow but grew on my as the book went on! I absolutely loved how they showed the Patriot League and all of its teams. I would recommend this book to any basketball enthusiast!

[Doni Guanciale · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was written about a
now obscure 1999-2000 season in the Division 1 Patriot League, but here it is twenty years later still feeling relevant and poignant.

I am a graduate of a Patriot League school, the College of the Holy Cross, and the intense academic culture is so well captured in this book. I have a deep appreciation for our athletic department and it’s student athletes. I would love an update on the status of the Patriot League today and also the players mentioned in this book because I have no doubt many of them have done amazing things in the last 20 years.

What I admire about John Feinstein’s writing is how clearly he makes his opinion known on the negative culture big college conferences have fostered in college basketball. While I can imagine many people disagree with his “diva” accusations of the top college players (and sometimes I do too), I think his argument of the “last amateur” being players in the Patriot league has some validity in how we view and expect college sports as an American society. Has the opportunity of insane, increasing revenues spoiled the option to allow the players to be students first and athletes second? Possibly. I think in the last 20 years this point of view has escalated even further. I would love to hear Feinstein’s opinion on the NCAA allowing college athletes to be paid and imagine this book could be a starter, counter argument for that.

I read this book per the request of my dad, a former college baller and also a lifelong basketball fan, and I can see why it has stuck with him for so long. Through this read, “for the love of the game” and “student-athlete”, are intertwined in a clarity that helps you see the bigger picture of sports, specifically college basketball.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

The back of this book quotes a reviewer as saying, 'Feinstein makes you care.' No truer words could have applied to this book. As niche as this subject, the 1999-2000 Patriot League Basketball season is, you certainly don't have to be an avid and obsessed fan of college hoops (as i am) to enjoy this. While this is partly due to the subject, its Feinstein's writing that draws you in, and does in fact, make you care. Care about the games, the students, the coaches, and past, present and future. Feinstein is a highly acclaimed sports writer, and this instalment certainly didn't disappoint. Feinstein is a rare writer that could make any subject fascinating, and towards the end of the book, I wanted it to just continue on and on until this moment.

[Luca Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

RIP John Feinstein. What an icon in the sports journalism/media world. His depth and ability to tell personal stories with such care, and not mince words is what made him so special. Not afraid to speak his mind at all, he did not like how comfortable big school players had gotten during this time frame. Will have to see what his overall thoughts on NIL were. Saw another review that stated “Feinstein just made you care”, and it could not be more on the nose. Did not have any interest, background or knowledge in the Patriot League’s history or the 1999-00 Patriot League Season results, yet at the end of the book I was so invested in these 7 schools, coaches and players. Some of my favorite anecdotes are as follows:

- Chris Spitler (Holy Cross-Guard) party bit of going up to girls.
“Hey do you know who I am?” “Yeah, you’re a loser trying to hit on me.” “AHA, I’m not just any loser. I happen to be the worst Division I basketball player in the country. Now what do you think of me?”

- Stefan Ciosici (Lafayette-Center) who was born and raised in Romania before coming to the states for College.
"Coach, I'm confused," he said. "I went to my first class today and there were a couple of kids sitting there with hats on, turned backward."
"Uh-huh," Coach O'Hanlon said.
"And there was another kid drinking a Coke."
"Yes."
"That's allowed?"
"Allowed? What do you mean allowed?"
Ciosici shrugged. "In my country you do that they’ll probably shoot you."

- Loren Shipley (Navy's longtime basketball trainer) summed up the experience of visiting Hamilton (Colgate): "Every time we pull in there I expect to see Jimmy Stewart running down the middle of Main Street hollering, Hello, movie theater! Hello, emporium!'"

Thank you Chi for letting me borrow your copy of this book. No one is reading these to begin with so I don’t even need to add a joke about “ain’t nobody reading all that lil bro”. 4.5 Stars.

[Peter Krol · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was a time when collegiate athletics were things the participants did from love of the game rather than from love of fame or love of money. This book is not about that time, but about another time when the former time was preserved in microcosm in one particular conference. Perhaps even that microcosm is now all but gone.

I confess most of my enjoyment of this work comes from the fact that I was there. I saw most of these players and some of these games with my own eyes. I bumped into a few of these players in the classroom and dining hall.

But even with that said, this is a fine piece of sports writing. It stands strong, especially 25 years later, when NIL has so transformed college sports as to be unrecognizable from what they once were.

I've googled it but haven't found whether Feinstein ever wrote at least some articles on those times when Patriot League teams didn't nearly upset but actually upset strong teams. I think, of course, about Bucknell toppling Kansas in 2005 (the first such Patriot League victory in history). But I'd also love to know if he ever wrote about Bucknell defeating Arkansas (2006) or Lehigh baffling Duke (2012). Please comment if you can link to anything for me.

[Shea McMurray · Rating 4 out of 5]

The premise of this entire book is that the idea of the student athlete was already ridiculous in 2000. Pretty wild to think about how much further it's gone since.

[Tom Anstett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here are your options for this book:
A. If you have been a college basketball player...
B. If you have any experience as a basketball coach...
C. If you have been or are a parent of a basketball player who aspires to college basketball or is playing college basketball now at any level...
D. If you are a fan of basketball, especially of the Patriot Conference...
E. If you appreciate quality (chronological) narrative combined with solid characterization...
F. If you are an avid reader who enjoys variety and/or if you know little about basketball...

Which choice have you chosen? For your choice, here is your completion: Read this book.

Feinstein is an expert in writing about college basketball as he uses astute research to trace the fortunes of the teams in the Patriot League in the 1999-2000 season. Easy to read for both game narratives and descriptive voice, the book contains a compelling variety of views: coaches, players, parents, administrators, referees, and fans. Feinstein's use of each view promotes the pace of the book and offers readers - from any above letter choice - an entertaining scope of the ups and downs each perspective will feel during a long, competitive basketball season. Moreover, readers can understand the depth of emotion the players and coaches feel from one of the lowest levels of Division I basketball: players who play more for the love of the game and relatively underpaid, fine coaches who demand that their players actually go to class and graduate.

[Paul Whitla · Rating 3 out of 5]

A behind the scenes look at College basketball and in particular at the ‘Division 1' Patriot league - a league made up of colleges not at the top tier of College basketball where the players had little opportunity to ever make the NBA.

Long book that I skimmed through. Within the first 75 pages or so the reader is introduced to the seven teams in the league and then all of the details of everyone involved with each programme. The sheer volume of names of coaches, assistant coaches, college presidents and athletic directors, not to mention the student athletes themselves is daunting and difficult for all but the most ardent fan to follow.

Feinstein chose to focus on this group and this league because he saw them as real ‘student athletes’ that is they were both required to perform well in terms of basketball but also follow a regular course load at their colleges. This was contrasted to the more successful college tems which Feinstein suggests are just a breeding farm for the NBA. To some extent Feinstein does succeed in illustrating the excitement of the game at this level and the true love of the sport that leads the players and teams to compete with all their hearts despite the recognition that they will never be the best at it nor be able to turn their love of the game into a career choice.

[Tom Gase · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again, John Feinstein turns in a great read. I'm convinced he can make the year in the life of any sport sound interesting. Especially after this book, The Last Amateurs.

The Last Amateurs is about a year in the life of the Patriot League for college basketball. The seven teams profiled during the 1999-2000 season include Layfayette, Army, Navy, Holy Cross, Lehigh, Colgate and Bucknell. Feinstein, much like other great college basketball books like A Season on the Brink, A Season Inside, Last Dance and A March to Madness, describes the college basketball players very well, as if you are in the dorm rooms and weight rooms and gyms with them every week. With Army and Navy being in this book, it also felt a lot like Feinstein's best book (in my humble opinion), A Civil War.

Feinstein takes us into the lives of the many student athletes (they actually ARE student athletes in this league--no scholarships for basketball) before the season, during the season and as the season ends in the championship tournament.

I recommend this book to any fan of college basketball, sports or just John Feinstein. I hope he continues to write books, especially on college basketball, for years to come.

[Hubert · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do like Feinstein's writings on sports and sports culture. I was really impressed with his survey of a year behind the scenes at the Baltimore Ravens, Next Man Up: A Year Behind the Lines in Today's NFL. This tract, concerning the trials and tribulations of basketball teams in the hardly-recognized Patriot League, feature similar themes: overcoming adversity in the midst of difficult situations, playing as the underdog in the grand scheme of college basketball, and great personal stories of players, coaches, and administrators. Ultimately, the thrust of the book gets lost, as it is very difficult to follow the lives of seven college teams. The narratives and the descriptions of the games themselves do get somewhat tiring 3/4 of the way through the book.

Nonetheless, worth reading, particularly the bits about underattended games, long bus rides, the fact that some schools had athletic scholarships to give and some didn't, and that the league is home to two military academices, Army and Navy.

[Christian Derosena · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is nothing better than getting the recognition you deserve after being under looked your whole life. Nothing better than getting looked at and appreciated by other people who respect you. Nothing better than all of your hard work paying off in the long run.

In the novel, The Last Amateurs, John Feinstein goes on the lookout for college basketball played with passion and heart within the game. Feinstein came across a small division 1 conference named the Patriot League. The Patriot League is one of the smallest NCAA division 1 conferences, that includes Holy Cross, Colgate, Army, Navy, Bucknell, Lehigh, and Lafayette. The athletes at these schools do not live the same luxuries that big-time division schools have. No private jets, same day travel to games, full on workload of school, and less financial support. What makes these players special is that they all have their own journey to playing at the next level.

I really enjoyed this book for many reasons, one of them is because it helps young basketball players, like me, learn that everyone has their own path and your hard work will be recognized. Personally, I see all the players on social media getting offers and growing like crazy almost like they have everything going well for them. Even some of my friends and teammates that don’t work as hard as I do are better than me. The novel really helps me understand that not everyone will have the same path to success and that is okay. It also helps me realize that whatever is going on in your life or whatever happens on the court, I cannot give up. Another reason why I enjoyed the novel is because it really takes me though the recruitment process and why the kids in the Patriot League were underlooked. I learned that college coaches look for well rounded people and not just good basketball players. A lot of the players in the Patriots League were good basketball players but struggled in something else that didn’t get them into a Big division 1 school. Overall, I appreciated all of the advice that the book provided for a young athlete. It was a bit of a longer book, so I give it 4.5 stars.

If you are a young basketball player who wants to learn more about getting to the next level of college basketball, it is 100%worth reading because it will change your mindset for the better.

[Alejandro Cano · Rating 5 out of 5]

John Feinstein's encouraging non-fiction novel ‘The Last Amateurs’ demonstrates numerous messages and portrays minor life lessons through different schools' journeys through a basketball championship called the Patriot League. There are a vast amount of characters in the story but all of them can be seen going through minor to major significant changes in their personalities which gives the reader a closer understanding and connection to the characters.
John Feinstein writes this novel about the 1999-2000 season of a league under the NCAA called the Patriot League. This league involves 7 schools Lafayette, Colgate, Navy, Holy Cross. Bucknell, Army, and Lehigh. These characters are real people that went through changes throughout the season, for some, it was their last season and some others were just entering this league. People in this novel realized that maybe basketball was not for them and pursue happiness and others chose the path of an athlete. John Feinstein is able to demonstrate how a season of basketball, a sport that the players loved can impact the ways they see the future.
There were certain pieces that I greatly enjoyed like how this was an actual season of the Patriot League and these were real people's personal experiences. Something that really helped the novel was how every person was built differently because that is how it is in the real world. I personally enjoyed the pacing of the story and how it was not too fast and not too slow, it was the perfect pace where I was tuned in at every page. There was slight suspense added where I had to flip the page and tell myself to finish one more page. The book was really entertaining and didn't let me off the hook it got me on when I first started reading the book. Literary devices that John Feinstein used throughout the book such as suspense, satire, and comedy kept me interested in this book and the style that he wrote in was just really good in every aspect.
To the readers reading this review, if you are into sports (mostly basketball) and like to be on the edge of your seat while reading this is a great book to fill in your bookshelf.

[Vansh Nishchal · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Last Amateurs is a nonfiction sports novel written by John Feinstein. It details the stories of 7 basketball teams from a college confrence called the Patrioit League. The author spent a season immersed with these teams. The Patriot League can be thought of as similar to the Ivy League, as the colleges within the confrence (Lehigh, Lafeyette, Holy Cross, Colgate, Navy, Army, and Bucknell) are academically rigiorous and highly prestigious. The central theme of the novel is that the players from the teams are hard-working, true student athletes who play for the purity of the game, not to join the NBA (as compared to the big time college programs). These are youths who work very hard in the classroom, as well as the basketball court. Virtually every player graduates from college, and most maintain high Grade Point Averages while simultaneously expending alot of effort into basketball. Hence you can see why the book is titled "The Last Amateurs" -- they are among the last true amateurs within the sport of college basketball (compared to many of their peers, who are simply professionals-in-training). However, you should not get the wrong idea: while these students are very smart and academically-oriented, the basketball is still highly competitive. The winner of the Patriot League has a chance to play in the NCAA tournament, the biggest stage in college basketball. The author's writing style is captivating, and he tells the ancedotes in such a gripping manner that makes you keep wanting to turn the page. I loved reading this book and it was extremely motivational. It touched me on a personal level because I am also someone who works very hard in academics and in basketball, so it inspired me that maybe one day I can be in the Patriot League or a similar environment. In short, I would wholeheartedly reccomend this book even to those who don't know much about basketball or sports in general, because the ethos of this book can keep anyone engaged and motivated. 5/5!

[Jude Cuff · Rating 5 out of 5]

John Feinstein's book, “ The Last Amateurs,” shows how Patriot League basketball players are super dedicated and face tough challenges, proving they play for the love of the game and their studies, not just to become rich and famous, which is what real Amateur sports are all about. This cool book explores college basketball, but not the kind you see on TV or ESPN all the time. It explores a smaller league called the Patriots League, which has a bunch of smaller schools where the players are actually students first, athletes second. Feinstein does a great job of showing how these guys are super dedicated, bouncing their classes with super hard practices. It's not just about winning for them, it's about playing because they love the game and love getting a good education as well. As the book goes on, we get to learn about the coaches and players, and it's amazing to see how much they care about their teams and care about each other. Feinstein does a great job showing that these players aren't just in it for the fame or to get rich. They’re playing because they are truly dedicated and passionate about basketball and want to do their best while getting a good degree. The book goes into how hard it gets for these teams to compete with teams from the NCAA with a ton of money and scholarships. But even though they are up against a very tough team and playing against their odds, they still work super hard and play with a lot of heart. If you’re into sports and like reading about college teams grinding every day to get better and better and compete with a tougher opponent this is the choice for you. Its a good reminder that sports can mean a lot more than just winning.

[Olivia Bianco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked this up after a year of not reading it simply because the summer is NOT the time to read about niche college basketball teams. It was a much needed palate cleanser and no one really writes quite like John Feinstein did, his ability to recap games in a way that makes you makes you care and the way he's able to depict the athletes and coaches in particular makes you feel like you were in that locker room. The book does bounce around A LOT which was very confusing for a while especially with what player was on which team but as the book went on and the focus narrowed a bit I got used to it.

I loved Season on the Brink so much I will probably read everything college basketball he wrote and this felt so poignant now than ever before. The idea of the student-athlete feels almost nonexistent in modern college basketball and with NIL ruining the beautiful game it was so nice to read about all these boys who just loved the game so much. The end of the season stuff was so moving he got me!

[Mdc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read in fall 2019.

I bought this book at a used bookstore in Summerside, PEI.

I really enjoyed this book. As someone who closely watches March Madness each year , and is a huge basketball fan, and has played basketball my whole life, but not someone who is really in the loop about US college basketball, I really appreciated the inside look this book provided. The book provided a lot in insights about the conferences and provided some details about how the schools and divisions make money from the networks, etc.

Although the book is now 20 years old, I found it was kind of nice that I could go and google the key players mentioned and see what has become of them in the last 20 years. For example, one of them has become a police officer.

Also some nice tidbits of information like I never knew Coach K started at Army, and started at Army with Bobby Knight, very interesting!

[Caleb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've heard about this book for 20 years and finally read it. He follows the Patriot League in 1999-2000 season for basketball. They had seven teams at that time and had only some just beginning to issue scholarships. Feinstein's point was this wasn't as glamorous as the Ivies but these kids were all read students and going to graduate. And he's right--every senior that year graduated and none went to the NBA. That said, there were some strange copy editing errors that jumped out (including totally incorrect facts and typos) which were jarring in a 20 year old book. Had they never gone back and fixed that? And the point of amateurism is compelling but at times it felt like he whacked the read over the head with it. Still, well worth a read as the college sports 20 years ago feels further and further away.

[Joshua · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must-read for any college basketball fan who cares about more than what ESPN will put on SportsCenter or the front page of their website. This is a comprehensive analysis of a conference whose goal is exactly what the heart of college sports should be about - advancing students' education (and elevating their "floor" as professionals in the workplace) through sport, even if they're not going to play basketball for a career.

This book puts a face, a name, and most importantly, a story, to the "cupcake" teams my school - Kentucky - plays every season. If you find yourself cynical about the state of modern college athletics amidst the realignment, NIL, and transfer portal era, this book will restore your faith in the power of sport.

[Sean Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm really struggling with what to write about this book and why it earns a five star rating. I enjoy Feinstein's writing certainly, but the story, the subject matter (the Patriot League men's basketball circa 1999-2000), the characters (the players and coaches in the Patriot League) were not only fascinating but endearing. Reading Feinstein's accounts of games, conversations, player meetings and his own particular brand of subtle sarcasm towards big-time college basketball left me wanting more of the story, the characters, and the writing. As a coach and fan of the game of basketball, I thoroughly enjoyed The Last Amateurs.

[Daniel Montague · Rating 3 out of 5]

For better or worse this book lacks conflict. Though the players and coaches are endearing and seemingly good human beings they lack drama. Though certain players (Spitler) stand out in many cases I had a difficult time sorting out a Lafayette from a Bucknell or a Lehigh. The utter decency of everyone involved in the Patriot League left me wanting a villain or at least a prick. In my experience the most intriguing sports stories involve conflict and this book left me devoid of that. Feinstein is a talented writer but this book felt one note and that is of admiration.

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny that nothing has changed in college basketball. An interesting and difficult thing to write on because Feinstein had to cover multiple players from seven different teams. Some of the writing seemed lazy at times and for about the first 3/4 of the book I still didn't know who was who. Good, but not great for me.

[Hunter · Rating 3 out of 5]

I consider myself to be college basketball fan, but as a west coast resident, it was hard to have appropriate context for the players and universities, which are in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. I wish Feinstein had provided us a bit more framework so those of us less in the know might be a bit more engaged. That said, it was still an interesting read that I just needed to persevere through.

[Tamatha Picolla · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very thorough description of the Patriot League’s entire season. It is definitely a love letter to true student athletes who play D1 but are more academically focused. The author clearly hates traveling to Colgate University in the snow (who doesn’t)? It was just too much of a description, but if you are a fan of any team in this league, you will enjoy it more than I did.

[John Buchanan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was reading about the ACC a little more exciting? Yes. Was trying to understand where the hell Lehigh, Lafayette, Colgate, and Holy Cross were difficult? Yes. Was it easier to identify with mid-major student athletes who actually were students before athletes? Definitely. I'll have to tune into the Patriot League Championship game this year, and every mid major championship game for that matter.

[Ryan Holmgren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining and enlightening book, but gets hard to keep track of all the players, coaches, assistants, etc. All in all, well worth the read for any college hoops fan. Especially fascinating now, in the age of NIL deals.

[Jimmy FitzPatrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still good all these years later. Jarring to read during the pro athlete era of college sport that these players went to class. More important the book reads easily and is well paced. Highly recommended

[Michael Chen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great insight during a season of the Patriot League

[Ryan Halstead · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but wish I read it 20 years ago. Currently, college basketball is even more different than when this was written. Enjoyed other Feinstein books more.

[Bill Avington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this story about life in the Patriot League. As someone who lives near many of these schools, I identified with it.

[korykeys · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book when I was a freshman in high school and fell in love with college basketball even more because of it.