Jeff Borzello spoke with unnamed Big East coaches about which teams had the biggest and least recruiting advantages. —- On Wednesday night, DePaul defeated Providence 70-62 in the first round of the Big East Conference tournament, powered by 21 points from Javon Freeman-Liberty and Charlie Moore. The loss ends the Friars' season.
Providence has a losing record (20-15) but managed to make it to the conference tournament. It was their first trip since 2009 when they lost to Georgetown in the second round. Before that, the last time the Friars made it past the first round was back in 1976 when they lost to St. John's.
They play their home games at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in downtown Providence. The venue opened in 1999 and has a capacity for 12,857 fans. Mark Pope is the head coach for the Friars. He's been with them for eleven seasons and has a record of 110-120.
Providence College's sporting teams are known as the Providence Friars. They participate in the Big East Conference (NCAA Division I) for all sports except ice hockey, where they play in the Hockey East Conference. Former athletic director and men's basketball coach Dave Gavitt formed the Big East Conference in 1979. The Friars have won two National Championships - 1984 and 1990. They have also appeared in the NCAA Tournament every year since its inception in 1939, with their only absence coming due to World War II.
The team's official mascot is Freddy the Frenchman. He was introduced in 1993. Before that, the school used the "Friar" as its nickname, with various representations of this figure serving as the face of the team throughout history.
Providence College became a member of the American Athletic Association on July 1, 2013.
The basketball program has had many great players come through Providence, including Al Skinner, Sherman Douglas, Richie Regan, Ed Pinckney, Walter Berry, Ralph Sampson, and Glen Rice. Over the last 40 years, the program has produced over 100 NBA players. Currently, it is led by Matt Howard who has been hired after spending three seasons as an assistant under Nate McMillan at Washington University in St. Louis.
His coaching career began in 1991 when he was named the 16th head coach in Providence College history.
Providence Friars men's basketball head coach Ed Cooley is in his ninth season at the helm of the program, and has led the team to a 240-149 record during that time. He has reached the NCAA Tournament every year since 2006.
Cooley has built one of the most successful programs in the nation, producing five straight 20-win seasons and three straight trips to the NIT. This past season was particularly impressive as the Friars won 24 games for just the third time in school history. They also earned their first No. 1 national ranking since 1993.
Prior to joining the Providence staff, Cooley spent nine years as an assistant under Matt Painter at Purdue University. During that time, Painter went from being an unknown to being named National Coach of the Year after leading the Boilers to a 30-4 record and their first No. 1 national ranking in 2011-12. Before rejoining Painter at Purdue, Cooley served as an assistant under Jim Harrick at Xavier University from 2000-09. Under Harrick, the Musketeers made four consecutive NCAA Tournaments from 2000-03 before falling short of a fifth appearance in 2004-05.
Friars of Providence
| 6th Place, Big East (9-11 Conf) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Record 13-13 | Predictive rank #66 | Streak L1 |
The Friars have made two NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament Final Four appearances, in 1973 and 1987.. Providence Friars men's basketball.
| Providence Friars | |
|---|---|
| University | Providence College |
| First season | 1926–27 |
| All-time record | 1,424–953 (.599) |
| Head coach | Ed Cooley (9th season) |
The team began playing in downtown Providence in 1972-73, in the brand-new 12,000-seat Providence Civic Center (renamed the Dunkin' Donuts Center in 2001).
The Friars won their second NIT title two years later, driven by another future hall of famer, John Thompson, as well as future Boston Mayor Ray Flynn. The fourth-ranked Friars reached the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament's Elite Eight with a 24-2 record in 1964–65.
The fourth-ranked Friars reached the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament's Elite Eight with a 24-2 record in 1964–65. Jimmy Walker led the country in scoring in 1966-67, becoming the school's first 2,000-point scorer and the first New England athlete to be drafted first overall in the NBA draft.
Providence Men's Basketball Schedule for 2020-21 (13-13-0) : Season Overview : The Friars are 13-13-0 all time and have won 10 or more games three times. They have a winning home record of 7-3 and a losing road record of 6-10.
Providence has not had a 20-win season or made the NCAA Tournament since 1995-96 when they were 24-4 overall and finished second in the Big East behind Georgetown. They lost in the first round of the tournament to Georgia Tech by one point (87-88).
The Friars play their home games at the PC Pavilion on the campus of Providence College in downtown Providence. The venue has a capacity of 11,844 people but only 10,000 tickets are sold due to safety regulations put into place by the school due to low attendance at games.
There have been two deaths at PC Pavilion during basketball games since it opened in 1972. In 2003, former Providence player Duane Wilson was killed when he was hit by a car as he ran from the court after hitting a shot during a game with Boston University.
On Tuesday, Syracuse point guard Kadary Richmond, forward Robert Braswell, and center John Bol Ajak accessed the NCAA transfer site. Who will join the victors from Saturday in the men's NCAA tournament Elite Eight? Here is who will be available for Syracuse: PG Kadary Richmond (No. 9 ESPN/USA Today, No. 11 AP) has started all 36 games he's played in during his two seasons at SU. He's a lethal shooter from long range, making 42 percent of his 3-pointers this year. Richmond also leads the Orange in assists with 95 thefts while playing excellent defense. SG Robert Braswell (No. 10 ESPN/USA Today, No. 12 AP) was one of Syracuse's most consistent scorers this season, averaging 14 points per game. The 6'5" swingman made 44 percent of his 3s and 81 percent from the free throw line. He'll be able to help out offensively if Richmond gets the ball inside. SF John Bol Ajak (No. 21 ESPN/USA Today, NR AP) was another key contributor for the Orange this year, scoring 15 points per game. The 7'0" center was very effective around the basket, where he averaged 1.3 blocks per game. Ajak also pulled down 5.6 rebounds per contest.
Richmond and Braswell will provide depth at both the point and shooting guard positions for Syracuse.
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