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.
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.