CRANSTON — This is how the legend of the Stat Beast was born.
Back in the late 1980s, John Zannini and his father began showing up at various restaurants around Rhode Island to attend a radio show featuring then-Providence College basketball coach Rick Barnes. At the time John was part of the official scoring crew at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center and his father, John Sr., was a major Friar booster.
Young John made a point to approach the show’s host, John Rooke, and offer his statistical assistance to the radio broadcast during any road games that he and his father traveled to.