Before he could coach the Denver Nuggets in the NBA Finals, Mike Malone had to hide behind trees. The spying in disguise was a necessary part of his duties at Providence College, where Malone, a graduate assistant at the time, was tasked with ensuring players went to class. “We called Mike Malone a Friar, the real Friar,” says Jamel Thomas, a star guard for the Providence Friars from 1995 to 1999.