Tag: Friar Sports
Women’s Soccer Staying Positive in Defeat
by The Cowl Editor on November 14, 2019
Friar Sports
By Sullivan Burgess ’20
Sports Staff
A fluctuating season for the Providence College Women’s Soccer Team ended last Thursday, November 7, in a 0-2 loss to Georgetown University in the Big East Tournament. The loss ultimately brought the Friars to an untimely end to their season at an 8-9-3 record, and 3-5-1 record in the Big East Conference. The Friars’ record had granted them the sixth-place seed in the Big East Tournament.
Highlights across the season included the opening season home win versus the University of Connecticut, the overtime win at the University of Texas, and even the underdog win against Butler University in the Big East Tournament, which ended in a shootout.
Theresa Durkee ’20 and Hannah McNulty ’21, expressed their favorite moments of the season, as well as the tools and strategies they used when going into the last game against Georgetown. They focused on looking forward to the moment of being in the semi-finals and overall not being intimidated by Georgetown’s record as one of the top-ranked teams in the Big East Conference.
These strategies also included keeping possession, exploiting Georgetown’s weaknesses, and remaining confident with keeping the energy in the tournament. As mentioned by McNulty, who led the team with nine goals, “Being the underdog in the tournament certainly provided us with confidence to show everyone who we can be and keep the identity which we tried to create throughout the season, so we will try to take each game day-by-day.”
While the team lost in the semi-finals, they looked on the bright side of what they accomplished this season, as well as the memories they created with the team throughout the season.
The two words that Durkee and McNulty used to describe the season were “memorable” and “growth.” With this being Durkee’s last season, she was both excited and nervous for the season to the start and end.
Herself, as well as fellow seniors Olivia Lucia ’20, Melissa Bambery ’20, Alessandra Arace ’20, and Katelyn Vieira ’19GS, enjoyed being role models for their teammates and creating a culture that is used today within the team.
When asked about one thing she could say to her younger freshman self, back in 2016, Durkee said, “Do not let the pressure get to you,” telling all the future recruits to enjoy the time they have on the team. Durkee even mentioning to all: “Do it for the little girl.”
As she prepares for her senior year on the team, McNulty has one clear goal on her mind: winning the Big East National Championship. She is ready to take the team and lead the charge against all those that stand in their way next season. Looking forward to what the spring sessions have to offer in 2020, she is grateful for what the seniors taught her on how to be the leader she knows she can be.
The culture for the Friars is ready to expand and change the dynamic for years to come.
Club Sports Raise Money For Charity
by The Cowl Editor on November 14, 2019
Friar Sports
By Eileen Flynn ’20
Sports Staff
This is an important time of the year for raising awareness for different diseases. Like professionals have done in the past, using sports to promote donations and awareness can help each cause in a special way. In the past, role models in various sports have brought to light the effects certain diseases can have on a person’s life.
In 1941, baseball lost New York Yankees legend Lou Gehrig to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) disease. Gehrig’s speech announcing his diagnosis is remembered today due to his sincerity and compassion towards the sport he loves and the challenges he faced.
Even in the last decade, ALS has gained attention due to yet another talented baseball player, this time at the collegiate level. Pete Frates captained the Boston College baseball team in 2007, and only five years later, he also was diagnoised with the disease.
Using sports to familiarize the disease to the public, Frates initiated the nationwide “Ice Bucket Challenge” to spark fundraising and awareness of the disease. Sports fans everywhere joined together to help fight what seemed like an impossible battle to overcome.
The value of sports goes way beyond just the joy that comes from playing. Relationships between the players grow so strong that they are able to help fight diseases such as ALS. The club sports players at Providence College recognized this opportunity and have made it a part of their efforts during their hectic seasons.
The men’s club ice hockey team recently hosted their annual “Pink the Rink” game in honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Every year, the team designs pink shirts with their club team name, along with the appropriate pink ribbons for Breast Cancer Awareness month.
The team sold the t-shirts for $20 in order to promote the awareness of the disease. On Oct. 27, friends and family came out to support the team and the important cause. The rink was full of pink pride, as players dressed in their pink socks and jerseys while fans wore their pink t-shirts. “We decided on a pink the rink game because it’s a fundraiser that brought together our fans and our team to fight against a disease that affects so many people’s lives,” said CJ Joyce ’20. “We knew that it was important to have our fans support not only us, but a great cause by showing up and purchasing shirts.”
Another team at PC looking to use sports to raise awareness for an important cause is club rugby. This month the team is participating in “Movember” in efforts to raise awareness for men’s health.
Friends and families are asked to donate money to their cause, and in return, the boys will grow, or try to grow, a mustache. Nate Jakatis ’20, the captain of the rugby team, explains why it is important for their team to draw attention to men’s health.
“There’s a growing awareness around sports of all kinds about the effects that concussions can have on a person’s overall mental health, from short term to long term, and the damage that they can do if they don’t take care of the injury.”
Since head injuries are common in this sport, Jakatis and the team hope to encourage men to “look out for each other and help those struggling with mental illness who might not feel comfortable asking for help—even if we all can’t grow legendary ’staches just yet.”
Jack Dugan Sets High Goals for Season
by The Cowl Editor on November 7, 2019
Friar Sports
Sophomore Wants to Bring National Title to PC
By Thomas Zinzarella ’21
Sports Staff
“I just want to be the best player in college hockey.” That’s the personal goal that Jack Dugan ’22 has this year as he takes the ice for the nationally ranked Providence College Men’s Hockey Team.
Dugan was most recently awarded the Hockey East Player of the Week for the week of Oct. 28 and was named the Hockey East Player of the Month for October. Dugan has been one of the most electrifying players to watch in college hockey this year, and he currently leads the country in assists (13) and points (18).
The Vegas Golden Knights draft pick has caught the attention of hockey fans including ESPN broadcaster and SportsCenter anchor John Buccigross. Buccigross, who coined the term ‘Cawlidge Hawkey,’ religiously follows college hockey and broadcasts the NCAA Tournament and Frozen Four every year for ESPN. Buccigross attended the game on Saturday night at Schneider Arena against Boston College and went onto Twitter after the game and tweeted this:
“I enjoy watching @GoldenKnights draft pick #12 Jack Dugan play hockey. He is hard nosed, confident, has a good release & works well with his linemates. He digs deep & works to make a play even when he’s tired. The PC Friars are very young, so they need his example and consistency.”
Dugan would finish the game with a goal and an assist, and has now recorded points in seven of the eight games this year. In all seven of those games he has recorded at least two points.
The sophomore forward is coming off a promising freshman season during which he skated in 41 of 42 games and was an active part of the Friars offense. He notched a team high 29 assists which led all NCAA freshmen during the 2018-2019 season.
Dugan was a key part of the Friars’ run to the Frozen Four last year. He put up five assists in the Hockey East quarterfinals against Boston College and had two assists throughout the NCAA tournament. The Friars defeated the top-seeded Minnesota State University in the opener of the tournament and rolled over 3-seed Cornell University to advance to their fifth ever Frozen Four.
The Friars unfortunately fell to Minnesota-Duluth, who would go on to win the National Championship. Going to the National Championship is one of the goals that Jack Dugan and this Friar team have their sights set on.
Dugan also alluded to a Hockey East championship, since the Friars did not make it past the Hockey East Quarterfinals last season after being bounced by Boston College on their home ice.
“We were close last year…obviously came up a little bit short.” Dugan added, “We played a really good team that ended up winning the whole thing. Our focus hasn’t changed. If anything it’s a little more focused on ‘alright we know can get there…now what are the little things we have to do to break through and actually win it.’”
It is still very early in the season but so far Head Coach Nate Leaman’s squad has amassed a 4-3-1 record, including a 2-2 mark in Hockey East play. The Friars opened up their season with a thrashing of Maine 7-0 and followed it up with a sweep of St. Lawrence and No. 9 Clarkson. It will take until December-January for the Friars to try and hit their stride. Under the tutelage of Leaman and with promising play from Dugan, the Friars can only get better from here and boast one of the best scoring offenses in the country.
The Boys are Back
by The Cowl Editor on November 7, 2019
Friar Sports
Friars Ready to Pick-Up the Pace
By Jack Belanger ’21
Sports Co-Editor
It would be an understatement to say it has been a tough past two years for center Emmitt Holt ‘19GS who has dealt with many ups and downs during his time at Providence College. After having a successful 2016-17 season, Holt suffered an abdominal injury that caused him to miss the entire 2017-18 season. Despite getting a full year to recover, he would only appear in six games the next season and would eventually red shirt once again to gain a sixth year of eligibility.
That made the moment all the more special when the home crowd gave Holt a standing ovation when he checked into the game for the first time in the opening half against Sacred Heart University. He brought the crowd to its feet shortly after when he made his first shot behind the three-point line. His play helped spark the Friars to jump out to an early lead that they would not relinquish for the entire game, beating the Pioneers 106-60. After the game, Holt spoke on the standing ovation he received.
“It was a great moment for me and my teammates. It’s great to be recognized for all the hard work I’ve been putting in at practice.”
Head Coach Ed Cooley was also really happy to see his veteran to come back after two years that challenged Holt mentally and physically.
“I was really proud to see Emmitt out there and how the crowd reacts to him.”
It was a dominant performance on both ends of the court for the Friars, a pleasing sight for a team that finished last season 7-11 in the Big East. Seven players scored in double figures for the team, led by Alpha Diallo ’20 with 19 to go along with his team-leading 14 rebounds. The team also showed a willingness to share the ball, witnessed by 31 assists on 39 buckets.
Coach Cooley raved about how experienced the team will be this year, noting that sophomores A.J. Reeves ’22 and David Duke ’22 have matured a lot since last year. The two combined for 26 points, 12 assists, and, most importantly, no turnovers.
Newcomer Luwane Pipkens ’19GS got the start in his first game for the team. The former University of Massachusetts-Amherst guard came out firing on all cylinders, scoring 11 points in the first half with five assists. He also showed off on the defensive end with three steals throughout the night — an effort that sparked the team emotionally.
“It’s a blessing for me,” Pipkens said on coming to PC. “I’m enjoying myself. I’m happy to be here and try to win some games.”
Going into halftime, the Friars nearly doubled the Pioneers’ score, leading 59-30, as Diallo, Pipkens, and Holt all had 11 or more points. Top recruit Greg Gantt ’23 entered the game with about four minutes left in the half and scored his first college points on a fadeaway a minute later. He would hit the first three shots of his career and finish with seven points.
“He has an ‘it’ factor,” Cooley said of the freshman. “He has a very active body. He has never worked this hard in his life.”
PC’s defense put together a complete 40-minute effort that stifled anything Sacred Heart was trying to do with the ball. Holt and Kalif Young ‘20 provided the Friars with strong interior defense that held Sacred Heart to only 24 points in the paint and 32.2 percent shooting from the floor. Young, who got the start in place of the injured Nate Watson ’21, recorded two blocks and steals apiece and after the game was praised by Cooley as one of the best defenders in the country.
In the second half, the Friars raised their intensity on defense and extended their lead to 49 points at one point. PC scored 30 points off of 19 turnovers. The team also pushed the pace on offense, highlighted by the team’s 16 fast break points, which is a new change Cooley plans to emphasize this season.
“We want to try to score off our defense more. Normally some of our teams have played a little slower; we are trying to be one of the fastest teams in the country endline-to-endline.”
With such a deep team this year, Cooley is not worried about wearing his team down early on.
As PC was able to extend their lead late in the game, Cooley was able to give his bench some extended minutes as nine players got 10-plus minutes of action. Even walk-ons Drew Fonts ’21 and Tommy Dempsey ’23 got multiple minutes at the end of the game. Fonts took advantage of the extended minutes and scored five points and recorded an assist.
The Friars will now prepare for their next game against New Jersey Institute of Technology on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. The game will once again be at home and PC will be looking to start the season 2-0. Cooley and the team hope Jimmy Nichols ‘22 will be able to return after he was not feeling well enough to play in the home opener.
Swim and Dive Host Weekend Meets
by The Cowl Editor on November 7, 2019
Friar Sports
Women’s Team Pulls off First Win of the Season
By Marc DeMartis ’21
Sports Staff
This weekend the Providence College Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving Teams had two meets against two different opponents. The first was on Friday against Iona College. Unfortunately, the Friars did not come away with the win, but it was a hard-fought meet.
The team seemed to lack energy in the first half, losing the majority of their events. However, the Friars came back in the second half looking alive and shifting the momentum in their favor.
Andrew Ferrell ’21 said, “We were deflated in the first half of the meet, which allowed them to take advantage and keep their momentum going. But we picked up the energy in the second half of the meet and although we performed much better in the second half, it doesn’t matter at the end of the day since we still lost.”
The Friars’ loss in their meet against Iona could have been due to the number of swimmers missing due to injury or sickness. Parker Cramer ’21 explained, “We’ve had a lot of injuries and illnesses plaguing our team this past week, which did not help us when it came to training for these meets. We weren’t as prepared as we could’ve been against Iona but we made those adjustments against Fairfield and it made it a much better meet.”
The Friars woke up Saturday morning ready to take on Fairfield University. Determined to avoid two consecutive losses, the team rose to the occasion, and the fans were extremely engaged in each and every event because of how close it was the entire time.
The men’s team lost 154-137, but the women’s team saved the day on their end, winning 151-149. It was an exhilarating meet to say the least; the final event decided whether or not the meet would end in a loss or split for the Friars.
Jamie Eigner ’21 described the meet as “definitely one of our most competitive and exhilarating meets that we’ve had considering it came down to the last relay.” Luckily, the women’s team came up clutch and got the job done to avoid back-to-back losses this weekend.
Despite the men’s team losing the majority of their events, they set a new school record for the 800 meter freestyle relay with a time of 8:01.19.
Eigner also mentioned, “All of our guys were there for each other the entire meet and I think we all did great. Looking ahead, we look forward to what’s to come in the future and are ready to remain positive and train hard every day for the rest of the season.”
With newcomers like Taylor Loud ’23 on the women’s team, the Friars seem to be in good hands going forward. Loud impressed after placing first in the 100 meter freestyle event against both Iona and Fairfield.
The women’s swim and dive team participated in a tri-meet this Wednesday, November 6 against the University of Rhode Island and Sacred Heart University at 6 p.m.
Club Volleyball Ready to Defend Title
by The Cowl Editor on November 7, 2019
Friar Sports
by Cam Smith ’21
Sports Assistant Coeditor
Often overlooked on a campus bursting with varsity sports is the presence of some very successful club sports teams. One of these teams, the Providence College Women’s Club Volleyball Team, just so happens to be a league champion.
Indeed, the team, which competes in the Northeast Women’s Volleyball Club League (NWVCL), secured its first-ever league championship last season with a win over Columbia University in the blue division finals. The championship capped off an absurdly successful season for the Friars, who won five out of the seven tournaments they competed in.
The team has already started strong this year, securing a second-place tournament finish while competing against some of the best teams in the Northeast. The finish came at the Friars’ home tournament, as they fell in the third set to the University of Connecticut by a final tally of 13-15.
Despite all of their recent success, the team has their sights set on even loftier goals. Last season, the squad appeared in the National Collegiate Volleyball Federation’s Championships for the first time in program history. The tournament, which pulls the best teams from all the club leagues in the country, did not go the way the team intended it to, as they bowed out in the early rounds. However, this year, the Friars plan to make a deep run.
“Our end goal is to go to Nationals and advance further than last year,” said club co-president Elizabeth Donnellan ’20. “Last season we were not able to get past our pool. It was quite upsetting because we were a really strong team. We are looking foward to using that experience to grow and improve upon our result this year.”
That same strong team returns this season, as the Friars had no seniors last year. Returning veterans include co-president Charlotte Stivala ’21 and secretary Izzy Flaherty ’21. Both fill the roles of the outside hitters on the team and are dominant forces on offense. Joining them is, of course, Donnellan herself, who patrols the right side and is the de facto leader on the court with her ability to visualize the play and make adjustments on the fly.
Siobhan Tierney ’21 and Megan Borrell ’22 also return to the squad. Tierney, a setter, runs the team’s offense while controlling the pace of the game. Borrell, a libero, joins Tierney in the role of setter this year, filling a key void for the Friars.
Joining the returning veterans is Isabelle Heron ’23, a player who excels in her ability to block, often picking up “three or four power blocks in a set,” according to Donnellan.
Certainly, another successful season seems to be in the works for the Friars. However, it was not too long ago when Donnellan herself would have found it difficult to believe they could be playing at this high of a level.
“My freshman year we were good but just not that serious about it,” she said. “My next year we really got a lot more serious as a bunch of new juniors came in, in addition to a really good executive board and then also a new coach. It was a whole new mindset. We won our first tournament in the entire history of the club.”
The Friars have come a long way since winning their first tournament and will now look to continue their recent success as they make a push to return to Nationals. The road to get there continues on Nov. 9, as PC travels to the University of Massachusetts-Lowell to compete in their fourth tournament of the young season.
PC Athletes Earn Conference Honors
by The Cowl Editor on November 7, 2019
Friar Sports
Four Friars Recognized for their Standout Performances
by Scott Jarosz ’21
Sports Staff
Athletes from multiple Providence College athletic teams received awards this past week for their athletic performances. The athletes that received awards were Jack Dugan ’22 of men’s hockey, Paulo Lima ‘22 of men’s soccer, Lydia Rice ’20GS of field hockey, and Clare Minnerath ’20 of women’s hockey.
Dugan started off the 2019-2020 season on the right foot to say the least. On Friday, November 1, Dugan was named the Hockey East Player of the Month for October by the Hockey East Association. Dugan currently leads NCAA Division I Men’s Hockey in points with 18 total on five goals and 13 assists. The player of the month honor is not the only award Dugan has won this season, as he was previously named Hockey East Player of the Week after totaling five points in just two games against the University of Massachusetts- Lowell and Boston College. Dugan’s consistently impressive numbers throughout the early stages of the 2019-2020 season show that he is deserving of the Hockey East Player of the Month award.
Another athlete who has put out a series of impressive performances as of late is Paulo Lima of the men’s soccer team. On Oct. 28, Lima was named to the Big East Weekly Honor Roll for the first time in his career. Lima had an outstanding week to earn the honors, as he totaled five points in just two games for PC that week. In the team’s first game of the week against Villanova University, Lima played a part in each of PC’s goals in a 2-0 victory over VU. Lima assisted the first goal and scored the second to secure the win for the Friars. Lima’s impressive week did not stop there, as he scored the golden goal game winner in overtime against Creighton University in the following game. Lima’s five-point week led him to receive the Weekly Honor Roll recognition from the Big East.
Another athlete who received an accolade this past week is Rice, a graduate student goalkeeper for the field hockey team. On Oct. 28, Rice was named the Big East Defensive Player of the Week. This marks the first time this season that Rice received the award and the third time in her career. The performances that led to Rice being named defensive player of the week were a five-save shutout against Georgetown University and a three-save shutout against Rider University. These back-to-back shutouts against Georgetown and Rider solidified Rice as the Big East Defensive Player of the Week.
The final Providence College athlete that earned an award this past week was Claire Minnerath, goaltender for the women’s hockey team. Minnerath was named the Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 28. In an upset 1-0 victory over Northeastern University, Minnerath recorded 33 saves, a career-high. Minnerath then recorded 20 saves on Oct. 26 in a game against the University of New Hampshire. Her impressive performances against both secured her the defensive player of the week honor.
Sports Shorts Week of Oct. 31- Nov. 6
by The Cowl Editor on November 7, 2019
Friar Sports
by Meaghan Cahill ’20
Sports Coeditor
Men’s Soccer Update:
Traveling to Cincinnati, Ohio for their final road game of the season, the Friars defeated the Xavier University Musketeers 2-1. After being down 0-1 for most of the game, the Friars were able to score both of their two goals in the final 10 minutes of play. Paulo Lima ’22 scored the first goal for the Friars off a corner kick by Gil Santos ’22, notching him an assist. Ramzi Qawasmy ’22 scored his second goal of the season and second Friars’ goal in the game off of a pass from Joao Serrano ’20RS. PC outshot Xavier 19-3. The Friars won their last regular season game against St. John’s University 2-0. Lima and Esben Wolf ’23 netted both goals for the Friars.
Women’s Hockey Update:
The Friars split this past weekend with a 1-0 win against the College of the Holy Cross and a 2-5 loss against Boston College. Sandra Abstreiter ’21 started in net for the first time this season against the Crusaders and recorded her first career shutout as a Friar. She made 26 saves. Bailey Burton ’23 scored the lone goal for the Friars on a redirect off of a rebound from a wrist shot by Chloe Gonsalves ’21.
Clare Minnerath ’20 started the game against BC but after letting in five goals, she was replaced in the second period with Abstreiter, who saved all of the 15 shots on net that she saw. Maureen Murphy ’21 notched both of PC’s goals and won 12 out of 23 faceoffs, the highest on the team that day.
Volleyball Update:
On Friday, November 1 the Providence College Volleyball Team was able to snag a Big East win against Seton Hall University in three straight sets. Some match highlights include Jenae Alderson ’20 and Brielle Mullally ’23 both recording eight kills. Allison Barber ’21, along with Alderson and Addison Root ’20, led PC with 13 digs. As a whole, the team totaled 14 blocks. The team hosted St. John’s University on Nov. 3, when they fell 1-3 to the Red Storm. The match went four sets, with PC winning only one of the four. Despite the loss, Barber tallied 25 assists and eight digs, Root had 14 kills, and Mackenzie Taylor ’22 led the team in digs (12).
Addison Root ’20 Hits Career Milestone
by The Cowl Editor on October 31, 2019
Friar Sports
Senior Joins an Elite Group of Players With 1,000 Kills
By Meaghan Cahill ’20
Sports Co-Editor
The Providence College Women’s Volleyball Team may have lost their match against Butler University on Oct. 10, winning only one of the four sets played, but for Addison Root ’20 there was a lot to celebrate.
Root did not realize at the time, but she registered her 1,000th career kill.
While she did acknowledge that she had a feeling that she was close to achieving the milestone statistic, Root said on the feat, “I knew that I needed 12 in that game so my mindset was ‘alright, gotta go get it!’”
Root was keyed into her achievement by an official announcement during a time out. “During the timeout, our coach was kind of getting on us, so I tried not to smile or anything to keep it casual. My teammates were smirking up at me and I was like ‘Guys, not now!’”
A transfer student from the University of Memphis, Root began her career as a Friar in a stellar sophomore season, starting in all of PC’s 33 matches. At the end of her first season, she led the team in kills (416), aces (36), and was third on the team in digs (258). The MVP of the 2018 Friar Classic, Root was named to the All-Big East Second Team, which at the time made her the first Friar since 2001 to earn a Big East Award in volleyball.
Her first season as a Friar holds not only some of the most memorable playing moments in her career (her first weekend of Big East play included an upset against both Georgetown University and Villanova University and personal career highs), but was also pivotal in rediscovering her love for the game.
“The best decision I ever made personally was to transfer here. Being able to get two degrees and also re-find my love for volleyball after transferring was really everything I could have asked for and more,” said the Kansas native. The ultimate highlights of her career as a Friar are all of the memories she has with the team, hanging out in the locker room and on their road trips.
However, despite her immediate success as a Friar and the success that would follow, Root credits her teammates for having the biggest impact on her career and experience at the College.
“After I got [the 1,000th kill], all of my teammates were posting on social media and I was like, ‘Guys, this wouldn’t be without you because I can’t hit the ball without you. This is all you, I just have to swing.’ We are really close as a team. This has probably been the closest team that I have been a part of,” admitted Root. “We are more than willing to work hard for each other.”
And, despite their overall 5-18 record going into the second half of their season, Root believes it is the team’s closeness and hardworking mentality that will allow them to have a winning record for the final stretch of the season.
“Our record hasn’t necessarily shown all of the work and talent that we have on the team,” Root said before stating that despite the team’s losing record, they are winning more sets than ever this season and only suffered a two-point deficit loss to the ninth team in the country. “We come into the gym every single day and don’t let the losses get us down. We continue to work incredibly hard and have fun playing together.”
Vowing that the team is ready to do whatever it takes to have a winning second half of their season, Root said, “I think we just need to continue to keep the same mentality of working hard and keeping up the fight. We can upset some teams and upset their seasons.”
Individually, Root would really like to see the team capture some Big East wins that she feels they deserve after all of the team’s hard work thus far. “We’re obviously tired of losing but it’s not [as if] we are going to give up. I would like to see some of that translate into some wins.”
More focused on what the team is doing as a whole in comparison to her own personal goals and achievements, Root said she is “pretty happy” with her 1,000th kill achievement. “It was pretty cool,” she concluded.
Men’s Basketball Returns Strong Core
by The Cowl Editor on October 31, 2019
Friar Sports
Top Three Scorers Come Back To Make Another Run
By Liam Tormey ’22
Sports Staff
Last season, the Providence College Men’s Basketball Team finished with an overall record of 18-16, tying for eighth in the Big East with a 7-11 record. The Friars missed out on the NCAA Tournament for the first time in five seasons. Instead, the postseason for Head Coach Ed Cooley consisted of playing in the National Invitational Tournament as the fourth seed. The Friars were a first round exit, losing 84-72 to the University of Arkansas.
This season, the Friars are hoping for a lot more. And there is a lot to be excited about.
Isaiah Jackson ’19 and Makai Ashton-Langford ’21 both left from Coach Cooley’s team this offseason. Jackson graduated last spring, and Ashton-Langford transferred to Boston College to continue his career.
On the bright side, the core group of players are returning for the Friars, including their top scorers.
After Alpha Diallo ’20 withdrew from the NBA Draft this past summer, he returns for his senior year and is looking to be more productive than last year. Diallo finished last season averaging 16 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 3.1 assists.
Nate Watson ’21 will be back after a great season last year (averaging 11.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 0.4 assists). He hopes to show why he is one of the best centers in the Big East this season.
A.J. Reeves ’22 will be looking to stay healthy after suffering a foot injury which hindered what looked like a huge year for the sophomore. Reeves averaged 9.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 0.6 assists last season.
David Duke Jr. ’22 is also hoping to have a big year after averaging 7.1 points and 2.1 assists for PC last season. Expect Duke to have a lot of playing time on the court.
Even more exciting for the Friars is they will get back Emmitt Holt ’19GS who was granted a sixth year of eligibility by a medical redshirt waiver. In the Friars’ first exhibition game this season against Stonehill College, Holt finished with a double-double with 17 points and 13 rebounds. The team hopes Holt can give them more statlines like this thoughout the year.
There were some key additions over the offseason who will likely have a major impact on the way this season goes for Coach Cooley’s team. One of the big additions is Luwane Pipkins ’20GS, a graduate transfer from University of Massachusetts-Amherst. The 5’11’’ guard from Chicago, IL averaged 15.7 points, 3.7 assists, and 3.5 rebounds in his career at UMass. He hopes to add another offensive spark to the Friars’ game.
Another key addition to the team this offseason was Greg Gantt ’23. The 6’8’’, 205 pound-freshman was the number three recruit in the state of North Carolina according to ESPN. There is a lot of anticipation in what Gantt can bring to the team.
The Friars have been suffering from injuries in the past several weeks leading into the season. Watson has been unable to play due to a knee injury, although Coach Cooley hopes to see him return in the first couple weeks of November.
Gantt has been dealing with an Achilles tendon injury and will likely miss the opener against Sacred Heart University.
Pipkins has been battling a hamstring injury, but this past Sunday the Friars traveled to Indianapolis to play in a closed scrimmage against Purdue University, and Pipkins played 17 minutes for the Friars, scoring five points.
Providence won 60-53 against the Boilermakers. Diallo led the way with 22 points and 12 rebounds in 36 minutes of action. Fans can expect to see these types of numbers from Diallo most of the season.
The Friars open up regular season play next Tuesday, November 5 against Sacred Heart University at 7 p.m.
Prior to conference play in the Big East, the Friars have several games to note. In late November, Coach Cooley’s team will travel out to Anaheim, CA to compete in the Wooden Legacy Tournament, which is a combination of schools from all across the country. The Friars will open up that tournament against Long Beach State University. The annual rivalry game against the University of Rhode Island will take place on Dec. 6 at URI.
Just before the start of the Big East, Providence will be tested against two tough teams: Florida University and the University of Texas at Austin. These games will be great indicators of where the Friars are before starting conference play.
Big East conference play will begin Dec. 31 with the Friars’ home game against Georgetown University.
There is a lot of excitement surrounding the team this season. Coach Cooley hopes to get his team back into the NCAA Tournament come March. With many key members returning, anything can happen in Friartown, as long as the team can avoid the injury bug.