The 2014-15 PC Friars/ Big East Basketball Thread: Bigger, Deeper ... Better (?)

pdaj

Fantasy Maven
SoSH Member
Dec 15, 2002
3,385
From Springfield to Providence
Honestly, my lazy ass was hoping someone else would do start this; but with the season opener tomorrow night, you handful of SoSH Friars' fans forced my hand. (Damn you, guys!) Last year, the first season of the "new" Big East, was special for the Friars. While the Black and White captured headlines by winning their first BE Title since '94 with their defeat of 14th-ranked Creighton, they also ended their (near) 10-year NCAA tourney drought, almost taking out 6th-ranked UNC in the opening round. Following last year's success, fan "buzz" regarding the program has vastly increased, which has been seen through an increase in season ticket purchases. Contributing to this excitement has been Ed Cooley's incoming recruiting class, featuring two ESPN Top-100 players (Chukwu and Lindsey), a Top-100 Rivals player (Bentil), and what's being reported as a late, sneaky grab (Cartwright). 
 
Let's quickly breakdown the 2014 roster ...
 
Who's departed:
 
G Bryce Cotton (21.8 PPG, 5.9 APG) -- Graduated
F Kadeem Batts (12.3 PPG, 7.4 RPG) -- Graduated
G Josh Fortune (8.4 PPG, 3.0 RPG) -- Transfered (Colorado)
 
Who's returned (key players): 
 
F LaDontae Henton (14.0 PPG, 7.9 RPG) -- Sr.
F Carson Desrosiers (3.6 PPG, 4.8 RPG) -- Sr.
F Tyler Harris (11.6 PPG, 5.1 RPG) -- Jr.
G Kris Dunn (3.8 PPG, 5.0 APG) -- So.
 
New additions:
 
C Paschal Chukwu (Westport, CT)
F Jalen Lindsey (Franklin, TN)
F Ben Bentil (Middletown, DE)
G Kyron Cartwright (Compton, CA)
G Tyree Chambers (Bayreuth, Germany)
 
Projected Starting Lineup to start the year:
 
PG Kyron Cartwright
SG Kris Dunn
SF Tyler Harris
PF LaDontae Henton
C   Carson Desrosiers
 
Bench:
 
C Paschal Chukwu
F Ben Bentil
F Jalen Lindsey
G Junior Lomomba
G Ted Bancroft
G Tyree Chambers
 
*F Rodney Bullock -- knee injury; out for season
 
After years of waiting, the Friars will finally showcase a team that has a legitimate 8-9 player rotation. There were times last season when the Friars had 6 players -- dressed. It's been a long time coming.
 
Speaking of patience, Kris Dunn, the team's McDonald's AA, is back and healthy and ready to lead the team. His commitment two years ago was met with a ton of hype; but bad luck with injuries has significantly limited his court time. His ability to stay healthy and meet expectations is one of the primary keys to the Friars' season. The sky is the limit for this kid.
 
For the first time, in probably forever, the Friars will have two 7'0" players on the court at the same time at certain points this season. Chukwu, while very raw offensively, is expected to make an impact immediately defensively. And Ben Bentil, despite also being a freshman, boasts an upperclassman frame, and early season reports of his ability have been extremely positive, i.e. "He looks like the best player on the court". Tyler Harris, the 6'9" wing player who emerged during the second half of last season, has also received a lot of praise from coaches for his continued development.
 
The Friars are extremely long across their lineup and are expected to be extremely tough defensively. Their guard play, and in particular, their perimeter scoring, is widely considered their biggest question mark. Freshman Jalen Lindsey's ability to adapt to the college game and contribute offensively may factor largely in the Friars early season success. His progress has been slowed by an unfortunate finger injury a few weeks back; many expect him to eventually earn a starting role. Cartwright, a quick-footed point guard from Compton, surprised local journalists and fans with his play during last week's exhibition vs. Stonehill College. He and Lindsey, in addition to Henton, could make the most impact from the 3-point line this season.
 
The Friars' schedule:
 
Nov. 15 Albany 7:00 PM 
Nov. 17 Binghamton 9:00 PM
Nov. 20 Navy 7:00 PM
Nov. 22 Florida St 2:30 PM
Nov. 23 Notre Dame 2:30 PM
Nov. 28 Yale 4:00 PM
Nov. 30 at Kentucky 2:00 PM
Dec. 5 at Boston College 7:00 PM
Dec. 8 Brown 9:00 PM
Dec. 10 Rhode Island 7:00 PM
Dec. 13 Stony Brook 12:00 PM
Dec. 20 Massachusetts 1:00 PM
Dec. 22 Miami (FL) 9:00 PM
Dec. 31 Creighton 7:30 PM
Jan. 3 at Marquette 2:00 PM
Jan. 6 at Butler 9:00 PM
Jan. 10 Georgetown 12:00 PM
Jan. 14 St. John's 7:00 PM
Jan. 17 at Creighton 7:30 PM
Jan. 22 Xavier 7:00 PM
Jan. 27 DePaul 9:00 PM
Jan. 31 at St. John's 12:00 PM
Feb. 4 at Georgetown 9:00 PM
Feb. 7 at Xavier 1:00 PM
Feb. 11 Villanova 8:00 PM
Feb. 14 Seton Hall 4:00 PM
Feb. 18 at DePaul 9:00 PM
Feb. 24 at Villanova 7:00 PM
Mar. 1 Marquette 3:30 PM
Mar. 4 at Seton Hall 7:00 PM
Mar. 7 Butler 12:00 PM
 
I'm hoping the Friars are able to win their first few games while working out the kinks and increasing team chemistry in time for Tip Off Classic at Mohegan, and then, the re-match with Kentucky. I expect PC to improve drastically as the season progresses, but non-conference success will be important in building an NCAA Tourney resume. I really don't know what to expect over the first month.
 
Anyone attending tomorrow's game vs. Albany?
 
Edit: Schedule fixed.
 

Deathofthebambino

Drive Carefully
SoSH Member
Apr 12, 2005
41,946
I don't really have anything to add, but did want to say thanks to you for an awesome opening post for the season.  I wouldn't have known much of anything going into the season about this year's team without that, and as I've done since graduation, would have probably just learned about the team as the season went on.  Having things to look for and pay attention to as the season opens is awesome.  I'm as optimistic as always, but last year was pretty magical, and I can't really expect them to duplicate that kind of success, but it'll sure be fun if they build on it this season. 
 

pdaj

Fantasy Maven
SoSH Member
Dec 15, 2002
3,385
From Springfield to Providence
Deathofthebambino said:
I don't really have anything to add, but did want to say thanks to you for an awesome opening post for the season.  I wouldn't have known much of anything going into the season about this year's team without that, and as I've done since graduation, would have probably just learned about the team as the season went on.  Having things to look for and pay attention to as the season opens is awesome.  I'm as optimistic as always, but last year was pretty magical, and I can't really expect them to duplicate that kind of success, but it'll sure be fun if they build on it this season. 
 
Thanks, DTB -- I'm with you. After last season, I'm more than happy to root on a competitive group of kids; but for those close to the program, the belief is this team can make it back to the tournament. I'm really curious and excited to see where this year's squad ends up; they'll be tested early. I can't remember the last time PC's non-conference schedule was this ambitious. 
 

HomeRunBaker

bet squelcher
SoSH Member
Jan 15, 2004
30,096
Great post pdaj!!!

The big head scratcher for me so far is Cooley's decision to take the ball out of Dunn's hands. He's a PG plain and simple. He's the most talented player on the team. I don't like what Cooley is doing by not taking advantage of your best players skill set. To me it pull your hair out frustrating how he's handled this kid over the past 12 months dating back to not protecting his surgically repaired shoulder in a practice drill last fall.

I'll be at the games next weekend vs Florida State and Notre Dame at Mohegan Sun and will post anything seen live that the cameras didn't catch. You can really get a better view on the bench, coaching staff and little things from behind the teams bench as opposed to the television.


Edit: I'll include the link to our thread which had covered the previous two seasons as well.

http://sonsofsamhorn.net/topic/72789-pc-hoops-2012-2013/page-3#entry5630450
 

pdaj

Fantasy Maven
SoSH Member
Dec 15, 2002
3,385
From Springfield to Providence
I'm with you, HRB. Dunn needs the ball in his hand to be effective offensively; he looked completely out of sorts at the 2 guard Saturday. My assumption is that Cooley was trying to get Cartwright's outside shooting on the floor (0-3 3PM-A), but I was surprised Lomomba didn't get more run (8 minutes). I expect he and Lindsey to receive more time tonight vs. Binghamtom. FT shooting (12-24) needs to also improve going forward.
 
The Friars pass the talent "eye test", but the chemistry's certainly lacking at the moment.
 

NoLastCall125

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 28, 2009
897
Providence, RI
pdaj said:
The Friars pass the talent "eye test", but the chemistry's certainly lacking at the moment.
 
And after the Binghamton game they look like their chemistry is improving (with the obvious caveats that they played Binghamton and it's the second game of the season). Dunn looked a little more comfortable at the 2 while filling up the stat sheet. Cartwright looks like he could end up being a four year steal recruit. I love Bentil's size and I'm surprised how athletic Chukwu is. He needs to bulk up significantly more because he was getting beaten up down low by a guy that is 8 inches shorter and outweighed him by a pound, but I see the promise. And I just love the depth. It's a relief that they can go nine deep now (and to think, they could have gone 11 if Bullock hadn't been injured and Fortune not transfer). No more 37 minute per game players so they can rest their legs.
 
My big concern is the lack of a go to scorer. That may come along as the season progresses (with Henton, Harris or even the Lindsay), but I worry in close games is that they won't have that guy they can confidently give the ball. With FSU and Notre Dame coming up fast, I'm hoping to see more consistency from Harris especially. He started off slow last year too, but hopefully he can get it together and build on his strong finish.
 

pdaj

Fantasy Maven
SoSH Member
Dec 15, 2002
3,385
From Springfield to Providence
NoLastCall125 said:
 
And after the Binghamton game they look like their chemistry is improving (with the obvious caveats that they played Binghamton and it's the second game of the season). Dunn looked a little more comfortable at the 2 while filling up the stat sheet. Cartwright looks like he could end up being a four year steal recruit. I love Bentil's size and I'm surprised how athletic Chukwu is. He needs to bulk up significantly more because he was getting beaten up down low by a guy that is 8 inches shorter and outweighed him by a pound, but I see the promise. And I just love the depth. It's a relief that they can go nine deep now (and to think, they could have gone 11 if Bullock hadn't been injured and Fortune not transfer). No more 37 minute per game players so they can rest their legs.
 
My big concern is the lack of a go to scorer. That may come along as the season progresses (with Henton, Harris or even the Lindsay), but I worry in close games is that they won't have that guy they can confidently give the ball. With FSU and Notre Dame coming up fast, I'm hoping to see more consistency from Harris especially. He started off slow last year too, but hopefully he can get it together and build on his strong finish.
 
The Friars continued with their improvement last night vs. Navy. HRB had Cooley's ear -- Dunn played the point when on the floor and looked rather fantastic. The freshman -- Cartwright, Bentil, and Lindsey, in particular -- all contributed. I'm really looking forward to the games at Mohegan. For anyone who missed last night's game:
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=7rbtxVtqy94
 
The shocker of the night? Ben Bentil, the 6'8" freshman PF, going 2 of 3 from beyond the arch. 
 
Prediction: I think Lindsey, another freshman, will be starting alongside Dunn well before conference play.
 

NoLastCall125

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 28, 2009
897
Providence, RI
pdaj said:
 
Prediction: I think Lindsey, another freshman, will be starting alongside Dunn well before conference play.
 
I'm on board with this prediction. Cartwright is showing he's pretty good at point, but this team is better having him come in to relieve Dunn rather than having him and Dunn switch off at the 1/2. Lindsey seems like the type of player Dunn could help turn into a scoring stud while running the point. I'm excited for the next couple of games to really see PC grow and improve. I'm terrified of that Kentucky game though. I have no clue how they'll be able to make it close. 
 

pdaj

Fantasy Maven
SoSH Member
Dec 15, 2002
3,385
From Springfield to Providence
NoLastCall125 said:
 
I'm on board with this prediction. Cartwright is showing he's pretty good at point, but this team is better having him come in to relieve Dunn rather than having him and Dunn switch off at the 1/2. Lindsey seems like the type of player Dunn could help turn into a scoring stud while running the point. I'm excited for the next couple of games to really see PC grow and improve. I'm terrified of that Kentucky game though. I have no clue how they'll be able to make it close. 
 
Agree 100%. I like Cartwright at the point (Can you believe he just turned 18?), but taking into consideration he and Dunn's skill-sets, he's best served to relieve Dunn from the bench. Cartwright's defense is going to need to be developed, but offensively, he does a tremendous job distributing the ball, putting his teammates in the best position to score. Once he gets going a little bit from the outside, he's going to be even more fun to watch.
 
I hear you on Kentucky -- the game's just about a week away. I would have loved for this one to be scheduled in January, just before league play. Hopefully this weekend's kind to the Friars, and they can go into Lexington with a little bit of swagger. Buffalo and BU were able to keep their games with the Wildcats relatively close; if the game's still within reach at the 5 minute mark, I'll be happy. Kentucky was just as nasty last year, and the Friars managed to stay within 15 or so. With much more depth in the front court this season, Providence can afford to be more aggressive this go-around. 
 
Any predictions for Mohegan? I'll be fine with 1-1 split, but grabbing 2 vs. the ACC would be pretty freakin' awesome. 
 

HomeRunBaker

bet squelcher
SoSH Member
Jan 15, 2004
30,096
I'm at the game pretty awesome start.

Dunn has 4 pts, 2 blocked shots and deflected 2 passes in the first 2 and a half minutes of today's game. PC up 9-0 on Florida St.
 

Deathofthebambino

Drive Carefully
SoSH Member
Apr 12, 2005
41,946
Looking pretty damn good right about now.  Up 18 on FSU, with 10 minutes to go.  HRB, do they really look this good, or is FSU just having a horrible day and/or overrated?
 

HomeRunBaker

bet squelcher
SoSH Member
Jan 15, 2004
30,096
Sadly a lot of it was FSU. They looked like they could have lost to Navy. No scorers, no leadership and just a bunch of guys running sets without a purpose.

I left w 3 min to go in the half up 31-11.
 

pdaj

Fantasy Maven
SoSH Member
Dec 15, 2002
3,385
From Springfield to Providence
HomeRunBaker said:
I'm at the game pretty awesome start.

Dunn has 4 pts, 2 blocked shots and deflected 2 passes in the first 2 and a half minutes of today's game. PC up 9-0 on Florida St.
 
Deathofthebambino said:
Looking pretty damn good right about now.  Up 18 on FSU, with 10 minutes to go.  HRB, do they really look this good, or is FSU just having a horrible day and/or overrated?
 
 
Looking forward to your in-person report, HRB. I'll be there tomorrow.
 
Love this team's length and defensive ability. The poise of the freshmen -- Cartwright, Lindsey, Bentil -- you don't see it often at PC. If this team can consistently showcase some perimeter scoring, they're going to be tough to beat any night.
 
Top 25 potential, for sure.
 

HomeRunBaker

bet squelcher
SoSH Member
Jan 15, 2004
30,096
Yup agreed on all that. I'm not sure how much of a test today was we'll find out soon enough though. I was going to either stay overnight or return tomorrow but my Pats are calling.
 

Deathofthebambino

Drive Carefully
SoSH Member
Apr 12, 2005
41,946
80-54 final.  The only game I've really seen was the one posted in this thread, but Henton looked like he's becoming a legit finisher from that tape.  He had 24 again today, to go with 10 rebounds and 4 steals.  He's averaging just a shade under 20 a game.
 
Dunn had 15 points and 9 assists, and ever since they made him the 1, his numbers have been incredible, especially the assists.  The team was 9-19 from 3 point land too.  Lindsay had 15 off the bench on 5/6 shooting.
 
At least on paper, they have been awesome thus far. 
 

HomeRunBaker

bet squelcher
SoSH Member
Jan 15, 2004
30,096
Yes they have clearly taken care of business the last two games. Very encouraging for a team that figures to improve as the season goes along once Dunn gets comfortable running the team and the freshman continue improving. The Cartwright, Bentil, Chukwu, and Lindsey class is looking VERY strong for their age.
 

pdaj

Fantasy Maven
SoSH Member
Dec 15, 2002
3,385
From Springfield to Providence
HomeRunBaker said:
Yes they have clearly taken care of business the last two games. Very encouraging for a team that figures to improve as the season goes along once Dunn gets comfortable running the team and the freshman continue improving. The Cartwright, Bentil, Chukwu, and Lindsey class is looking VERY strong for their age.
 
The last class I can recall contributing this quickly was ... 2005? Curry, McDermott, Efejuku, and Kale. Aside from Kale, all 3 started right off the bat and actually performed relatively well for freshmen. It goes w/o saying, this group's ceiling goes well beyond that group's ...
 

Deathofthebambino

Drive Carefully
SoSH Member
Apr 12, 2005
41,946
Henton looks like he could be a major, major scorer this season.  This team looked really good at big moments today.  Awesome start to the season.
 

HomeRunBaker

bet squelcher
SoSH Member
Jan 15, 2004
30,096
Henton carried us today for 40 minutes. The difference between Dunn on and off the court was mitigated by Henton taking over the game whenever Dunn was on the bench in foul trouble......then Kris kept going to the hot hand once he returned.

This will end up being a very good non-conference win. I like this Notre Dame team a lot!
 

NoLastCall125

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 28, 2009
897
Providence, RI
This game was the one I really wanted PC to win and I'm glad to see they did it in the final minutes too - Henton taking over was awesome and encouraging. With URI and Miami beating top teams (Nebraska and Florida), those could be two more victories that look good come seeding time. I have no doubt right now that this team will be a top 25 team at some point this season and I'm hoping for a 12-1 record by the time the conference schedule starts (which feels unrealistic as I type it out, but looking at the schedule is a real possibility assuming no flukey losses).
 

Orel Miraculous

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 16, 2006
1,710
Mostly Airports and Hotels
NoLastCall125 said:
This game was the one I really wanted PC to win and I'm glad to see they did it in the final minutes too - Henton taking over was awesome and encouraging. With URI and Miami beating top teams (Nebraska and Florida), those could be two more victories that look good come seeding time. I have no doubt right now that this team will be a top 25 team at some point this season and I'm hoping for a 12-1 record by the time the conference schedule starts (which feels unrealistic as I type it out, but looking at the schedule is a real possibility assuming no flukey losses).
 
If they go 12-1 in the OOC then they might even be able to stake a claim to top 15, not just top 25. Having said that, I'd say they have no more than a 1-in-4 chance of going 3-0 vs. UMass, URI, and Miami. Not a single one of those losses would be described as flukey.
 

NoLastCall125

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 28, 2009
897
Providence, RI
Orel Miraculous said:
 
If they go 12-1 in the OOC then they might even be able to stake a claim to top 15, not just top 25. Having said that, I'd say they have no more than a 1-in-4 chance of going 3-0 vs. UMass, URI, and Miami. Not a single one of those losses would be described as flukey.
 
Sorry, when I said flukey I meant losses to a BC or Yale, but your point stands. Miami will be the toughest team of the three to get past, but I believe those three match ups favor PC more, especially since UMass and URI are at the Dunk and the Miami game is on a neutral court.
 
Also, USA Today has them ranked at 25 in the country and they finished 28th in the AP. Nice to see the noise they're making is being heard already this season. Hopefully a solid showing against Kentucky can keep them in the mix.
 

HomeRunBaker

bet squelcher
SoSH Member
Jan 15, 2004
30,096
The Yale game is a scary scary spot with young kids taking the floor with their bags packed and Kentucky on their mind. We aren't good enough to pull a complete no-show and not get at worst a scare here. Cooley has a job to keep these kids focused for this one.
 

Deathofthebambino

Drive Carefully
SoSH Member
Apr 12, 2005
41,946
PC/Yale game just started on Fox Sports Net (channel 925 on Comcast Boston).  I had no idea that Dunn was out with an ankle injury, and Lindsay is on the bench next to him. Neither are officially ruled out, but coach indicated that Dunn is 99% not going to play, and he was going to try and get Lindsay a few minutes if he could.  However, neither look like they are coming in any time soon. 
 
12-10 score to this point.  Friars lead
 

Deathofthebambino

Drive Carefully
SoSH Member
Apr 12, 2005
41,946
Providence is missing their guards right about now.  Down 17-14 midway through the first half.  Friars have about 10 turnovers already.
 

Deathofthebambino

Drive Carefully
SoSH Member
Apr 12, 2005
41,946
They got it going at the end of the half, and go into the locker room up 34-27.  I hope they just come out and finish this off.  I don't want any more stress ahead of the Kentucky game.  Does anyone know if Dunn and Lindsay are expected to be able to go in that one?  I had no idea they were hurt coming into this one.  Been 5 days since the ND game, so either this happened in practice, or these injuries are taking some time to heal.
 

Mloaf71

Well-Known Member
Gold Supporter
SoSH Member
Jul 13, 2005
644
Injuries are from the ND game. Cooley said earlier in the week both are 99% doubtful all weekend but seemed more hopeful about Lindsey Pregame today.
 

Deathofthebambino

Drive Carefully
SoSH Member
Apr 12, 2005
41,946
Damn.  I really would have liked to see what they could do against Kentucky at full strength.  Really hope Dunn makes it back, but I supposed it's probably more important for him and Lindsay to be healthy this time next week than it is now.
 
Good, gritty win today.  Henton with another monster effort.  29 points on 10-19 from the floor (8/10 from the line), to go along with 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals.  He's now averaging 24/game, which puts him around #5 in the nation.  I'm telling you, that kid is going to be on the country's radar as a leading scorer in not too long.
 
Tyler Harris chipped in 14, and they only ended up making 11 turnovers, after making at least 7 in the first 10 minutes.  Cartwright filled in well with 8 points and 7 assists from the PG position.  I was pretty impressed by the minutes they got from Ted Bancroft too.  He ended up with 9 points and 6 rebounds to help out a bit from the guard spot.
 
I don't know if I'm happier that they are 6-0, or just how good they have looked in the process.  This game could have easily gone bad early on.  Yale came to play, they were making their shots, playing well defensively and the Friars were turning the ball over, and not getting open looks to go down, but they fought through it, kept it close, and then basically controlled the game for the entire second half, while maintaining a 7-11 point lead throughout.  I said earlier in the thread that I didn't realistically expect them to duplicate the magic from last year, but damn, this team is getting me excited.  I hope they keep it close against Kentucky, and then start a new winning streak, picking up more and more top 25 votes all along the way.  No bubble team/have to win the conference tournament shit this year.  I want to get in because we're like 26-7 and they have to put us in.
 

shawnrbu

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 14, 2005
39,690
The Land of Fist Pumps
Terrible home loss to Brown tonight.  Wednesday is turning into a must win or else this team could be staring at possibly losing 6 out of 7 with UMass and The U coming up before heading into the Big East schedule. 
 

NoLastCall125

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 28, 2009
897
Providence, RI
Dunn has 19 turnovers in the past three games. Henton hasn't come close to looking as good as he did before Kentucky. Harris is inconsistent. They just don't have a go to scorer right now after Henton looked to be taking his game to the next level. This teams ability to pound the glass and hit free throws has completely disappeared. They just went from clicking on all cylinders to showing how young they are. It's only three games (just two bad losses) and I'm still excited about the future, but the present is making me ill after this loss.
 

Deathofthebambino

Drive Carefully
SoSH Member
Apr 12, 2005
41,946
Yeah, this is really sad.  They just took what was really a fantastic start and flushed it right down the toilet.  It's hard not to think that the loss to Kentucky really deflated them, when frankly, it shouldn't have.  They aren't in the same league as a team like the Wildcats, and I hope that it didn't cause them to lose confidence in themselves, but it's kind of hard to discount that game being the start of this stretch.  Be very interested to see how this young team responds to the adversity.  The season could go in either direction now.  They could build and fight their way to a respectable season, or they could just totally fall apart and end up with a sub .500 ballclub, which could lead to huge negative impacts in the off-season.  Uggh.  I really didn't see this coming after the first 6 games.  If you told me right before the Kentucky game that they would be 6-3 a week or so later, I would have laughed in your face.  Seeing Henton go from a guy pouring in 25 a night to this, and seeing Dunn look completely lost and basically giving the ball away every other time he touches it are the biggest shocks to me.  The bench and the contributions from the freshman have just disappeared.  Right now, the only guy that I think is playing at a semi-respectable level is Desrosiers.
 

HomeRunBaker

bet squelcher
SoSH Member
Jan 15, 2004
30,096
I'm not overreacting to the Brown loss and most NCAA teams seeded anywhere from say 7-12 suffer a bad non-conference loss somewhere along the way.

They still have a lot of growth ahead of them but this still looks like a tournament team to me.
 

NoLastCall125

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 28, 2009
897
Providence, RI
So PC wrapped up the OOC part of their schedule 10-3. They went undefeated against the strongest teams left after Kentucky (URI, UMass and Miami), but managed to lose to BC and Brown. I still think this team is tournament bound and the worst is behind them. Since the Brown game, Henton and Dunn look to have finally gotten back in their groove. Harris coming off the bench has been a spark for both himself and the team. Creighton will be a solid test at home to start the BE schedule before going on the road against Marquette and Butler, but I'm encouraged that they'll be a force in the Big East. 
 

HomeRunBaker

bet squelcher
SoSH Member
Jan 15, 2004
30,096
Kris Dunn with a dominant 15/13/5/3 performance tonight versus Miami. This coming off his previous 5 games:

16/11/5/5
15/7/4/4
22/9/4/2
16/8/6/3
24/6/3/4

I've said this for the past two years. All Kris needs is to remain healthy for an entire season to leave early and go in the 1st round.
 

HomeRunBaker

bet squelcher
SoSH Member
Jan 15, 2004
30,096
Henton - 35/8 tonight
Dunn - 6/12/8/4 plus two rim rattling dunks

A loss to a depleted Creighton team at home would have been crushing but nice to take care of business nonetheless.
 

pdaj

Fantasy Maven
SoSH Member
Dec 15, 2002
3,385
From Springfield to Providence
Many of my Friar brethren hold the same opinion I do -- this team will only go as far as Lindsey, Bentil, and Chukwu develop this year. Perhaps you can even add Cartwright to that list. 
 
Providence has two studs in Dunn and Henton, a fine piece in Desrosiers, and an erratic Harris off the bench. I'm interested to see how the supporting cast performs as the season progresses.
 
Last night was fun to watch.
 
 

Deathofthebambino

Drive Carefully
SoSH Member
Apr 12, 2005
41,946
I agree completely.  I think the team is a little deeper than the one that was basically playing 6 guys in the tournament last year, but honestly, not by much right now.  Henton and Dunn seem to be their entire offense.  Lindsay and Bentil are both starting today, along with Desosiers (who I think is the unsung player on the team.  Doesn't do anything offensively, but is a big time presence down low on the other end of the floor). Bottom line though is if they don't get big time contributions from some combination of Bentil, Lindsay, Cartwright, Chukwu and Harris on a given night, they can't be expected to do much going forward.  It would be awesome to see one of these guys step up and become a consistent double digit scorer on the offense end.  Harris and Lindsay probably have the best chance to be that kind of player, but right now, consistency is a major issue.
 
With about 4 minutes to go in the first half, they are down 31-29 to Marquette on the road.  Henton has 9 points, and Dunn has 5 points and 6 assists (but he also has 7 turnovers already, uggh). 
 

shawnrbu

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 14, 2005
39,690
The Land of Fist Pumps
The Bradley Center continues to be the Friars house of horrors.  At Butler up next is going to be a very tough place to win.  Do we expect this team to match the 4-5 road conference record (which was a very good record for a Friars team)?  On the other hand, there is room to improve on last year's 6-3 at the Dunk against Big East opponents. 
 

Mloaf71

Well-Known Member
Gold Supporter
SoSH Member
Jul 13, 2005
644
PC looked bad today but so has every other road team in the Big East.  Winning on the road in the Big East has proven to be next to impossible so far this year.  If Depaul hangs out in the last min of their game against Xavier no road team will have won in Conference yet.
 

HomeRunBaker

bet squelcher
SoSH Member
Jan 15, 2004
30,096
Deathofthebambino said:
Bottom line though is if they don't get big time contributions from some combination of Bentil, Lindsay, Cartwright, Chukwu and Harris on a given night, they can't be expected to do much going forward.  It would be awesome to see one of these guys step up and become a consistent double digit scorer on the offense end.  Harris and Lindsay probably have the best chance to be that kind of player, but right now, consistency is a major issue.
 
In what is typical of the politics that occur in big time college athletics you see Cartwright continuing to see major minutes as a freshman rather than those minutes going to a guy who could be a better fit in Junior Lomomba as the latter is a transfer and not able to go anywhere. At some point Cooley has to do what is right for the team and begin playing Lomomba many of those minutes with Cartwright being in over his head at this point.
 

NoLastCall125

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 28, 2009
897
Providence, RI
What also seems to be hurting the Friars is what happened in the preseason - Rodney Bullock could have been the perfect Tyler Harris insurance had he not gone down for the year. It would have given Bentil a smaller role until he showed further development. Instead he's forced right into the fire and I don't know if he's ready for it. Plus, Bullock looked like he could score (granted, preseason games). They need a second option desperately behind Henton so Dunn can just focus on distributing the ball. If Harris can't snap out of it, they're in big trouble.
 

Deathofthebambino

Drive Carefully
SoSH Member
Apr 12, 2005
41,946
24 seconds left in what has been a back and forth game all night long against Butler on the road.  Providence was down 7 at the half, but cut that lead quickly and basically have been trading buckets with Butler ever since.  However, PC just got a huge layup on a great take by Dunn to go up by 3, and then Butler missed.  Dunn at the line for 2 shots.
 

Deathofthebambino

Drive Carefully
SoSH Member
Apr 12, 2005
41,946
Uggh.  They give up a put back layup by Butler.  16 seconds to go.  PC has to get a clean inbounds. 
 
One of the things that's starting to concern me is PC's free throw shooting.  Announcer just said Henton is their best shooter at 77%, and then Dunn at 65%.  Don't have a chance to look it up now, but if those are your BEST free throw shooters, you are going to lose some games down the stretch.