Tag: Men’s Basketball
PCI: Who Will Win the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player?
by The Cowl Editor on March 21, 2019
Sports
Kyle Guy of Virginia Will Take the Award
by Scott Jarosz ’21
Sports Staff
One obvious frontrunner to win this year’s Final Four Most Outstanding Player, is certainly Duke University’s Zion Williamson. The 6’7”, 285-pound player attracted the eyes of basketball fans nationwide when videos of his athletic dunks in high school games went viral. In his first season at Duke, Williamson has averaged 22.1 points per game along with 8.9 rebounds per game.
While Williamson has excelled in his first season of collegiate basketball, he has shown some signs of immaturity as well as inconsistency. The same goes for the rather young Duke basketball team as a whole.
However, one experienced player who has been a consistent leader for his team is University of Virginia’s Kyle Guy, a veteran guard who has been truly playing up to his full potential this year. With his experience and excellent ability to score points, Guy will ultimately be named the 2019 Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player.
In the 2018-19 season, Guy has averaged 15.6 points per game, which is the highest on his team. While this figure may not be as impressive as Williamson’s 22.1 points per game, Guy’s presence has arguably had a larger impact on his team’s overall success. Virginia sits atop the leaderboard of the Atlantic Coast Conference with a record of 29-3 overall and 16-2 in conference. Behind Virginia on the leaderboard is the University of North Carolina and Duke. Virginia is currently ranked as the #2 team in the country, and despite a 59-69 loss to Florida State University in the ACC Tournament, they have shown no signs of slowing down heading into the NCAA Tournament. Virginia has been selected as the #1 seed in the South Region for the NCAA Tournament, and they are scheduled to play 16-seed Gardner-Webb on March 22 in Columbia, South Carolina. The question remains, what is guard Kyle Guy capable of doing that could not only lead his team to an NCAA Tournament victory, but will earn him the title of the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player?
PCI: Who Will Win the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player?
by The Cowl Editor on March 21, 2019
Sports
R.J. Barrett Will Lead to Duke to the Finals and Secure the Award
by Cam Smith ’21
Sports Staff
The name Zion Williamson has ruled over national headlines for the past two years, as the basketball prodigy went from dominating high school gymnasiums to hushing hostile crowds in the NCAA. With his top-seeded Duke University Blue Devils poised to make a run at the National Championship, it would seem reasonable to pencil in Williamson as the tournament’s most outstanding player. The only issue is that Williamson already shares the court with the man who will win the Most Outstanding Player award, and his name is R.J. Barrett.
Barrett entered his collegiate career as a number one recruit, and he lived up to that billing even in a season where he was often overshadowed by the high-flying antics of his Blue Devil teammate. Barrett led Duke in scoring, averaging 22.9 points per game while grabbing 7.5 rebounds per game, second only to Williamson. Barrett set an ACC record for 20-or-more-point games, compiling a whopping 23 of them while also being the only player in a power conference to average more than 20 points, seven rebounds, and four assists.
His regular season dominance was capped off with a stretch of jaw-dropping performances to end the ACC schedule, games that were played without Williamson, who was out due to a knee injury. Barrett dropped 33 points on the University of North Carolina on Feb. 20, and three days later, he followed that up with a 30-point performance in a win against Syracuse University. He would go on to average 26.1 points in the six games without Williamson.
In the tournament, teams will likely focus in on Williamson, sending double teams his way, allowing Barrett to use his off-ball ability to get open lanes to the basket where he is a talented finisher. The return of Williamson will also take the pressure off Barrett on the boards, permitting him to get out in transition quicker, which will play to his strengths as a masterful runner of the fast break. All of these factors will likely contribute to some tremendous performances by Barrett, even though he has already proven he can put up big numbers without the presence of his esteemed teammate.
Barrett led Duke in scoring a team high 19 times, and on the best team in the country, he is going to have plenty of chances to continue to do just that as Duke plans on making a deep run. Everything considered, Barrett will add yet another accolade to his résumé after winning the NCCA Tournament Most Outstanding Player award.
Friars Come Up Short at Madison Square Garden
by The Cowl Editor on March 21, 2019
Sports
Providence College Misses NCAA Tournament for First Time in Six Years
By Sullivan Burgess
Sports Staff
The last week has been quite eventful for the Providence College Men’s Basketball Team. From the Big East Tournament in Madison Square Garden to the National Invitational Tournament at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center, the team experienced ups and downs that ultimately closed the season, which had also been a rollercoaster.
On Wednesday, March 13, the team, ranked as the eighth seed for the Big East Tournament, faced conference rivals Butler University. After a close first half, the Friars began to pull away and defeat Butler 80-57. Shooting 55.8 percent from the field and 47.8 percent from the three point line. The last time the team shot this well was in 1993 against the University of Connecticut.
Four players achieved double digits in points during this game. The leader was guard Maliek White ’20. White had a consistent and career-high 19 points providing a spark throughout the entire game, being the team’s go-to player. Alpha Diallo ’20 also scored 18 points with two threes, David Duke ’22 recorded 16 points shooting 6-8 from the field and 2-3 from the three. Lastly, Isaiah Jackson ’19RS, came off the bench with another performance of clutch shooting for 13 points.
The next day for the first game of the quarterfinals, the Friars had to face the top-seed team of the tournament and #23-ranked team Villanova University. While the Friars kept the pace for most of the game, they ultimately failed and lost the game, 62-73.
The team was led in scoring by Nate Watson ’21 with 15 points, and more double digit scoring from Diallo and Jackson. After the game, Coach Cooley said to the press, “Our youth and mistakes on the floor came back to bite us all day…We play hard as hell and are right in these games and then you can’t score enough. It’s a microcosm of our season.”
Villanova would go on to win the Big East Tournament, earning the title of back to back champions of the tournament and guaranteeing their place in the 2019 March Madness NCAA Tournament. Meanwhile, back in Providence, the Friars had to wait and watch for their placement in either the March Madness Tournament or the NIT.
Cooley was open to the media about the possibility of being selected for the NIT, stating, “We earned exactly what we got this year. If we get into the NIT, I’ll be excited about it because I still want to play with this young group. If we don’t, we’ve got to look ourselves in the mirror. We deserved to be in that 8-9 (Big East) game. That was our body of work.”
Four Big East schools were selected for the March Madness tournament, including Villanova, Seton Hall University, Marquette University, and St. John’s University. Later that night, the Friars were selected to host the University of Arkansas as the fourth seed for the NIT hosted at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center.
The day came on Tuesday night, and sadly the Friars’ struggle throughout the season came back to haunt them as they fell to Arkansas, 72-84. While White put another career high of 19 points, the team shot 38.7 percent from the field goal, and 13 percent from the three point line.
The back and forth season came to a close, leaving the team at a record of 18-16. It was certainly not the season the coach or players had hoped for, but the pieces are in place for the team to be successful next season.
Who Will Win the Big East Men’s Basketball Tournament?
by The Cowl Editor on March 7, 2019
Sports
Marquette University
By Jack Belanger ’21
Sports Co-Editor
Marquette University will win the Big East Tournament next week due to the simple fact that it is nearly impossible to stop this team on offense. The Golden Eagles have too many weapons for any team to take away for an entire game.
A perfect example of the team’s depth on offense is when Marquette beat Providence College on Feb. 23. They had five players score in double-figures, with forward Sacar Anim (fourth on the team in scoring), who was tied with Sam Hauser for the team lead in points that day with 18.
Three of the team’s starters are shooting over 39.8 percent from the three point-line, including Joey and Sam Hauser who are shooting 45.5 and 40.1 percent, respectively. The team overall is shooting 40.7 percent from behind the arc, which is the eighth in the country.
It is also helpful to have one of the top candidates for Big East Player of the Year in guard Markus Howard. Howard has led the conference in scoring for most of the season and, with three games of 40 or more points, is certainly capable of taking control of a game. Having a guy who can create his own shot in games coming down to the wire can prove to be the difference in the final possessions.
While Villanova University is certainly also a contender to win the tournament, the Wildcats simply are not as dangerous as they were last season. The team lost its top four scorers to the NBA draft and has suffered through some inconsistent play this year, losing to weaker teams such as Furman University as well as University of Pennsylvania, and suffering through a three-game losing streak in the Big East.
These two teams have the best point differentials in the Big East with the Golden Eagles having the best at +9.2 with Villanova second at +7.9. While these have been the two best teams in the Big East, they are trending in opposite directions going into the final weeks. Since Jan. 28, Marquette has been ranked #11 or better. Meanwhile, in the same timeframe, Villanova has gone from #14 to being unranked.
While every team in the Big East will be a tough opponent come tournament time, regardless of how they finish in the standings, Marquette is playing at their best which will give them momentum over other teams. While Villanova has won three of the last four Big East Tournaments, this year, the Golden Eagles will outshoot and defend well enough to be the last team standing at Madison Square Garden.
Who Will Win the Big East Men’s Basketball Tournament?
by The Cowl Editor on March 7, 2019
Sports
Xavier University
By Scott Jarosz ’21
Sports Staff
The Big East Men’s Basketball Tournament at Madison Square Garden is consistently one of the most exciting and unpredictable conference tournaments in all of college basketball. Any given Big East team is capable of making a run and getting to the championship game. Providence College’s performance at the 2018 Big East Tournament was a prime example of this. PC entered the tournament as the #5 seed and was matched up against #4 Creighton University in the quarterfinals. The Friars went on to beat Creighton in overtime, then faced the #1 seed Xavier University in a semifinal matchup.
PC was behind the entire game but went on to overcome a 17 point deficit and beat Xavier in overtime. PC would go on to play Villanova University in the championship game, where PC ultimately lost in yet another overtime thriller. PC’s run in last year’s Big East Tournament demonstrated that lower seeds are capable of making surprise runs in the tournament, given the conference’s lack of disparity between the best and worst teams. That is why there is good reason to believe that Xavier will be the team that wins the 2019 Big East Tournament.
Xavier currently has a record of 16-14 overall and 8-9 in conference play. While these numbers do not reflect a team that has had much success, Xavier has shown sparks late this season that show the team is ready for postseason play. With the departure of previous head coach Chris Mack, it took some time for the Musketeers to adjust to the new play style brought forth by new coach Travis Steele. Through the first 11 Big East games, Xavier had a conference record of 3-8 and looked like a team that had given up. But since then, Xavier has gone on to win five straight Big East games, including a 66-54 win over Villanova and an 84-73 win at St. John’s University.
Xavier’s final regular season game, following a road loss to Butler University and home wins against Seton Hall University and St. John’s University, will be a home game against St. John’s. What is the leading force behind Xavier’s sudden winning streak? A big part of it can be attributed to the steady stream of quality performances by forward Naji Marshall. During the team’s winning streak, Marshall scored 28 points against Seton Hall University and most recently 31 points against St. John’s at Madison Square Garden. If Marshall can continue his stellar play through the final regular season game and into the Big East Tournament, Xavier will be the team holding the Big East Championship trophy on March 16.
Men’s Basketball Sweeps St. John’s
by The Cowl Editor on February 28, 2019
Uncategorized
By Gavin Woods ’22
Sports Staff
It has been a busy week for the Men’s Basketball Team. In the span of six days, Providence College played two home games versus St. John’s University and Marquette University, before their matchup at Butler University.
The Friars started the week with a home game against St. John’s, who is currently third in the Big East. To say that St. John’s had the momentum going into the game would be an understatement, especially coming off staggering wins against Marquette, Butler, and most recently, Villanova. However, the Friars had won their last matchup just two weeks prior, and they showed no signs of backing down.
PC came out hot at the start of the game, scoring an early three from Makai Ashton-Langford ’21. The name of the game for Providence, however, was defense. The Friars did not give up a single point until 7:49 into the game, with a lead of 9-2. Perhaps even more impressive, PC was able to almost completely shut down Shamorie Ponds, the leading scorer for St. John’s, who averages 19.7 points per game. Ponds finished the night with two points, well below his season average.
The Friars were able to hold on to their decisive lead, finishing with a final score of 78-59. There was not a single lead change throughout the game.
Next, PC faced the Golden Eagles of Marquette, who are currently at the top of the Big East standings. Marquette boasts a win percentage of .85 and a conference record of 12-2. Marquette certainly came into the game with confidence, as they won their last matchup against Providence.
The Golden Eagles began the game scoring early and often. They led at the half by 11 with a score of 31-20. Providence seemed to be containing Marquette’s star guard, Markus Howard, who averages 25 PPG, holding him to only 14 points. However, this enabled Marquette to adapt, using their other weapons including Sakar Anim and brothers Sam and Joey Hauser. Marquette had a total of five double-digit scorers, compared to Providence’s three.
The biggest difference between PC and Marquette was shooting accuracy. The Golden Eagles sank 54.9 percent of their field goals, 47.6 percent from three and 76.9 percent of free throws. This is compared to the Friars’ percentages of 28.6 from the field, 30 from three, and just 50 from the free throw line.
The game’s lead scorer was Alpha Diallo ’20 who dropped 19 with six rebounds. However, it was Marquette’s Sam Houser who stole the show with an impressive 18-point 13-rebound double-double.
Their next game proved to be the closest for Providence, as they traveled to face off with Butler. Of the three games, this was the closest matchup, with both Providence and Butler having an overall record of 15-13. This was the first meeting between the two teams during the 2018-2019 season, and both teams were desperate to improve their conference record.
Though the game was tight throughout, Providence seemed to have the slight edge. The Friars’ largest lead was 14 points with 7:15 left in the first half. However, a rapid comeback from the Bulldogs resulted in a Providence lead by just five points at the half. The battle continued through the second half, with a total of four lead changes. Providence continued their offensive game plan, facilitating the ball through Nate Watson ’21. Watson led the Friars in scoring with 21 points.
Towards the end of the second half, PC began to build their lead over Butler. The Friars were up by seven points with less than a minute left to play. However, Cooley elected to continue his strategy to not foul the other team until the end of the game. This enabled Butler to come back from their deficit and tie the game, due to several Providence turnovers. This gave PC one last chance to end the game, with 10 seconds left in the second half. A failed open three point shot from David Duke ’22 sent the game to overtime, where the Friars outscored Butler 11-5.
Though the Friars seem to have found themselves in a late season slump, with a record of 6-10 in the Big East conference, these two conference wins will certainly help PC in their placement for the Big East tournament.
Friars Fall to Villanova
by The Cowl Editor on February 14, 2019
Sports
Friars Go Into “Do or Die” Mode as They Get Ready for Playoffs
By Sullivan Burgess ’20
Sports Staff
The last week has been difficult and disappointing for the Providence College Men’s Basketball Team, but nevertheless an improvement from what the season has provided, helping fans and students keep a positive mindset moving forward as the season progresses towards its finale at Madison Square Garden for the Big East Tournament.
The week began with the Friars headlining a home game against the 15-9 Georgetown University Hoyas. After a stunning defeat in overtime at Georgetown, the Friars looked to bounce back and secure a win. Unfortunately, while keeping a close game throughout the first half, the second half of the game belonged to Georgetown as they went on a scoring tear, defeating the Friars 76-67.
This put the Hoyas in fourth place in the Big East standings; while the Friars have jumped back and forth in the standings, currently they are in ninth place.
After the game, Head Coach Ed Cooley stated, “It has just been one of those years. You just have to hang in there and get onto the next game…I never want to get used to losing…and we have to get our team into a good space.”
On a side note, during the game forward/guard Alpha Diallo ’20 became one of only 50 Friars to join the 1,000-point club.
Later that week, the Friars traveled down to the city that never sleeps and took on St. John’s University with a record of 18-7. This was the first matchup of the two teams this season, and all eyes have been on St. John’s point guard Shamorie Ponds, who led his team to victory against Marquette University.
However, the Friars managed to turn things around and handed St. John’s a loss at their home court—Madison Square Garden—with a final score of 70-56. The game was led by center Nate Watson ’21 who scored 18 points and had five rebounds. There was also a notable double-double from Diallo, who had 10 points and 15 rebounds.
This spark was needed as the Friars traveled down to play against the always red-hot Villanova University. While the Friars bounced back and forth for the lead against the Wildcats, the last few minutes of the second half belonged to the Villanova as they went on a scoring tear to end the game at 85-67. Watson lead in scoring again with another 18 point game and six rebounds, however, it was not enough to stop Eric Paschall and Phil Booth’s 25 and 22 point game, respectively.
This now puts Providence at one of their lowest records at 14-11 overall, and 4-8 in the entire conference. The Friars now need to figure out a gameplay strategy that works for them for the remaining six games of the season.
The next game brings the team back home to the Dunk against Xavier University for the two teams’ second matchup of the season. The last time these two met up in Cincinnati, the Friars found themselves a 64-62 victory, and will look to reignite that spark to avoid another losing streak.
While so far the road has seemed tough, the road ahead does show some light. It may look as if the Friars are knocked out right now with no chance of a March Madness appearance this season, but fans and critics will continue to show support for their hometown Friars.
Former Friars: Where Are They Now?
by The Cowl Editor on January 31, 2019
Sports
Kris Dunn is Rising Up as Leader on the Bulls
By Scott Jarosz ’21
Sports Staff
Now in his third year in the National Basketball Association, Kris Dunn ’16 has established himself as one of the youngest elite point guards in the NBA. Drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2016 as the fifth overall pick in the first round, Dunn’s talent was immediately recognized leaguewide. A point guard at 6’4”, 205 pounds, Dunn’s physical build attracted the attention of many NBA teams when combined with his more-than impressive skillset.
Dunn began his career in the NBA back in 2016 with the Timberwolves. It took him some time to fully transition from college basketball to the more fast-paced, skilled NBA. In his rookie season, Dunn averaged just over 17 minutes per game, 3.8 points per game, and 2.4 assists per game. Following the 2016-17 season, Dunn was traded to the Chicago Bulls alongside Zach LaVine in exchange for Jimmy Butler and the rights to two other players. Dunn adjusted well to his new team and his presence had an immediate positive impact.
In his first year with the Chicago Bulls, in the 2017-18 season, Dunn began to look as dominant as he was throughout his career at Providence College. In his first season with the Bulls, Dunn averaged almost 30 minutes per game along with 13.4 points per game, six assists per game, and 4.3 rebounds per game. Perhaps his most notable performance of the season came on December 26, 2017 against the Milwaukee Bucks. In this game, Dunn netted 20 points alongside 12 assists, four steals, and two blocks. This outstanding performance placed Dunn in legendary company as he became the second Bulls player to ever record at least 20 points. The only other Bulls player that had ever done so was Michael Jordan.
Now in the 2018-19 season, Dunn is finally starting to establish himself as a rising star in the NBA. Despite the struggles that the Bulls have been experiencing as a team, Dunn has shown resilience to continue battling throughout the season. After being sidelined for a significant length of time early in the season with an MCL injury, Dunn has returned to being a consistent presence at point guard for the Bulls. He is now averaging 12.1 points per game, 6.3 assists per game, and over 30 minutes played per game.
While his numbers as the team’s point guard are respectable, Dunn’s presence as a young leader is part of what makes him a special player.
Kris Dunn stated, “I’m trying to be a good leader for this team, I am trying to do what coach wants me to do. We are starting to push the pace, starting to figure that out and be aggressive on both ends of the floor.”
Despite only being in his third NBA season, Dunn has accepted his responsibility to be a leader as a point guard and run the team as effectively as possible. The Bulls are currently in 13th place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 11-39, but Dunn’s positive presence as a young star on this team provides hope for its future.
Editor’s Corner
by The Cowl Editor on January 24, 2019
Sports
With a little luck (and help) the Friars can still go dancing
By Jack Belanger ’21
Sports Co-Editor
It has been a tale of two seasons for the Providence College Men’s Basketball Team. After a successful nonconference schedule in which the team got its 10 wins that they usually strive for and only had one bad loss to University of Massachusetts-Amherst (again), the team has struggled to put together a complete game against their Big East opponents. While many Friar fans are nervous that the team will miss their first NCAA Tournament in six years based on their start in the conference, there is still plenty of time for the team to turn their fortune around. With 12 games left, the Friars can still reach the 10 conference wins needed to put themselves in a position to be called on Selection Sunday. Here is what needs to happen:
1. A.J. Reeves ’22 returns to form quickly.
The offense just has not looked the same ever since Reeves went down with a foot injury in early December. While Alpha Diallo ’20 may be the team’s most versatile player on the offensive end, Reeves has simply been the best shooter on a team that has struggled to find success behind the arc. He leads the team in shooting from three with 45.3 percent and has made the second most threes on the team despite missing nine games. Until the star freshman makes his return, it will be hard to win a shootout versus teams like Marquette University.
2. Get one win between Marquette and Villanova University.
Even if the Friars reach 10 wins in the conference, the selection committee always will look at what teams you beat. Right now the team is missing that key signature win that will put them above other teams. While wins over Power-Five Conference teams like the University of South Carolina and the University of Texas are solid, neither team is a top team in their respective conference. Last season, the Friars got two big wins over ranked teams in Villanova and Xavier University. With a much tougher nonconference schedule this year than last, one win over the top of the Big East will go a long way for the Friars.
3. A team or two needs to falter down the stretch.
The yearly theme in the Big East is that every game will be a dogfight and there will be no easy wins to come by. That theme never has been truer than this season. After Marquette and Villanova, no team currently has a winning conference record. So while the Friars may only be less than two games behind third place, they need to jump above several teams to get back into the top half of the league. Having more than three teams finish at 10-8 might mean that one of those teams will be left out. Friars are going to need to sweep usual contenders such at Butler University and Xavier and hope those teams fall below .500 at the end of the season.
Coach Cooley to Lead Team USA
by The Cowl Editor on January 17, 2019
Sports
Team Will Consist of Players From Big East
By Sullivan Burgess ’20
Sports Staff
It has been quite an exciting few weeks for Providence College Men’s Basketball Head Coach Ed Cooley. Not only has he been gifted with one of the highest honors in the state of Rhode Island, but also has been given an incredible opportunity for himself and PC basketball.
On December 18, 2018, media and faculty gathered inside the Ruane Friar Development Center to announce that Coach Cooley will be the head coach for Team USA and lead the men’s basketball team at the Pan American Games in Peru this summer. The team itself will consist entirely of players from the Big East Conference.
While this is Cooley’s first time as head coach for Team USA, this is not his first time working with the United States Basketball Team. In the summers of 2013-2015, Cooley served as an assistant coach for the USA Basketball teams. He had won gold at the World Under-19 Championships in 2015.
Big East Commissioner Val Ackerman stated at the press conference, “I think in many ways this is a tribute to what the Big East has accomplished over the last five years. They were looking for a conference with a solid basketball resume. We see this as a great responsibility as well as a great honor.” The U.S. has not represented themselves in the Pan-Am Games in quite a while, in fact the U.S. has not won gold in basketball since 1983. That team consisted of future hall-of-famers Michael Jordan and Chris Mullin.
This year U.S. Basketball decided not to allow professional players of any sort to represent the USA. The team will consist of college players in the Big East. College players who plan to enter into the NBA draft this June are also excluded from participating.
Coach Cooley did not hesitate to take the job as head coach for the team. He stated at the press conference, “I’ve been fortunate to be an assistant coach with Billy Donovan and Sean Miller on a couple of teams but to try to do it as a head coach is an incredible honor and something I’ve always wanted to do.”
A few weeks later, it was announced that golocalprov.com named Ed Cooley as their Rhode Island Man of the Year. When giving the award to him, the website had stated, “Maybe no one epitomizes the spirit of Rhode Island better than this man.”
Throughout all the work he has done on the PC campus, Cooley has become an icon for all the students and teachers to bring a positive attitude towards everyday life.
When accepting the award, he stated how he does not want coaching to define his character, rather “being a better dad, husband, leader and mentor” are the important things that make up what he stands for and how he carries himself through life.
Coach Cooley has captured the spirit of the College, and deserves all the recognition he has been given, including the opportunity to coach Team USA and being named Rhode Island Man of the Year.