Tag: PCI
Providence College Investigates
by The Cowl Editor on September 12, 2019
Sports
School Prepares Athletes off the Court
By Sullivan Burgess ’20
Sports Staff
High school basketball players who are highly ranked and have the potential to become part of the NBA are given the choice to take their talents overseas to be paid to play, or to simply go to college. Ultimately, the best option for these players is to remain in the United States and go to college after their high school careers.
While for some players, the one-and-done option is appealing so they can simply go straight to the professional league, there are still plenty that consider the advantages of what a college experience can give to a player.
First and foremost is an education. A college program in the United States can give these athletes the proper tools they need to further their lives beyond the game of basketball. An education can provide the players with benfits far beyond those that any athlete can receive. These include the presence of professors at certain top tier schools, the ability to access the latest technology, and even the access to on-campus academic reasources.
Second, players can become associated with the booster clubs of the schools and develop connections where they meet agents and financial advisors who will help them have financial security during and after their careers.
When looking at some of the best players in the NBA, one notices the trend of All-Stars entering the league straight out of the NCAA, whereas some of the players who are coming from overseas often do not have the talent to stay on an NBA roster. These players include Brandon Jennings as well as Emmanuel Mudiay. On the other hand, players from college develop professional skills in the NCAA, which allows for a smooth transition into the NBA. Since much of the top-tier talent in college goes onto the NBA, college basketball is a much better indicator for who will succeed at the next level.
Last but certainly not least, nothing beats the school spirit the players embrace on campus, especially at schools such as Providence College, where everyone knows everyone, and students develop personal connections to the players. Players who choose to go overseas rather than to college miss out on the education and personal relationships NCAA players receive.
Providence College Investigates
by The Cowl Editor on September 12, 2019
Sports
Going Overseas Compensates The Players
By Thomas Zinzarella ’21
Sports Staff
Top high school basketball players are caught in limbo in the fall and winter months of the year as they decide where they want to spend their college career and play basketball. But athletes looking to be paid for playing have another option—playing overseas.
For years, players could choose to come out of high school and go straight into the NBA or spend four years in college and play basketball. This changed in the 2005 NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement after a group of players from 1995-2005 headed straight from walking around their high school to making millions in the NBA Draft. The likes of Kevin Garnett, Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, and others all followed this route.
In 2005, the one-and-done rule was created in which players only had to play one year in college before entering the draft. The rule was created to deter players from going straight to the NBA after high school. The minimum age to enter the NBA was also increased to 20 years old.
Playing overseas is far better than playing in the NCAA for many reasons. Players want to be compensated for their efforts rather than feel cheated from the system that is the NCAA.
Many college basketball players come from poor urban areas and want to make money playing professional basketball. For many players, the biggest problem is that the NCAA makes an estimated $700 million every time March Madness rolls around. Forty percent of these profits are kept by the NCAA and the rest is given to the schools who participated. Just for making the NCAA tournament, a school receives a check of $1.67 million. A Sweet 16 run gives a school a $5 million dollar bonus. A Final Four run yields the most: $8.3 million.
After all the celebration is done, a handful of players come away with a championship and some memories made (along) the way, but their wallets are still empty, while their school profits on their talents.
According to the NCAA’s website, an athlete is not eligible to participate in a sport if they have “taken pay, or the promise of pay, for competing in that sport. [Bylaw 12.1.2] or agreed (orally or in writing) to compete in professional athletics in that sport.”
Rules such as these have prevented many athletes from playing. Some players have taken matter into their own hands and gone into professional leagues in hopes of jumping to the NBA.
Mitchell Robinson, a McDonald’s All-American in high school, played a few months with Western Kentucky University before dropping out and preparing for the NBA Draft. Robinson averaged 7.3 points per game and 6.4 rebounds per game this year for the New York Knicks in his rookie campaign.
Anfernee Simons chose to play five years in high school and was drafted in first round by Portland Trail Blazers. There have been a number of stories in the last four to five years of players skipping college in favor of going professional right away in other countries.
Which Fall Sports Team Will Have The Best Season?
by The Cowl Editor on August 29, 2019
Sports
Field Hockey
By Meaghan Cahill ’20
Sports Co-Editor
A week before their season kicks off, the Providence College Field Hockey Team is already proving that they are a force to be reckoned with.
In the Big East Preseason Coaches’ Poll, the team was picked to finish third overall in the Big East. On top of that, players Corinne Kenney ’19RS and Mary O’Reilly ’20 were selected to be a part of the 14-player Preseason All-Big East Team, a team put together by the eight league coaches which features standout players from each of the Big East teams.
Kenney, who started as a defender in all 19 games of the Friars’ 11-8 2018 season, finished out her senior year with a career high of five assists. She was also named to the All-Big East First Team and National Field Hockey Coaches Association Divisions I All-Northeast Region First Team and earned a spot in the Victory Sports Tours/NFHCA Senior Game.
Alongside Kenney, O’Reilly also started in all 19 games. The mid-fielder registered a career best of 10 points last season and was voted to join the roster of the Big East Field Hockey All-Tournament Team, the All-Big East, and NFHCA Division I All-Northeast Region Second Teams.
On top of having Kenney and O’Reilly returning to their roster, the field hockey team will be able to rely on many of their veteran players this upcoming season, with 14 returning players on the roster. Five players were recognized as All-Big East First or Second Team members, something that Allyson Parker ’20 claims is “crucial” to the team’s predicted success this season.
However, while a veteran roster will definitely help lead the team to a strong, standout season, Parker believes that the players’ overall determination will be the one thing that will set them apart from others in the Big East.
The Friars are using last season’s Big East semifinal knockout by Liberty University to fuel their desire to have a winning season this year. The Friars have not surpassed the semifinals in Big East Tournament play the past two seasons and did not even make the tournament during their 2016 run.
“We are sick of getting to the same place every year. We want to win the ring this year,” said Parker, who led the team in goals and game-winning goals last season.
With both a highly accomplished veteran roster and the determination to make it past the semifinal round of Big East play, the Providence College Field Hockey Team is poised to complete the best fall season on campus this year.
Which Fall Sports Team Will Have The Best Season?
by The Cowl Editor on August 29, 2019
Sports
Women’s Soccer
By Thomas Zinzarella ’21
Sports Staff
Under the helm of sixth year head coach Sam Lopes, the Providence College Women’s Soccer Team has enjoyed profound success, which is why they will document the best record this fall season.
The Friars finished last season with an 11-6-3 overall record and a 4-3-2 mark in Big East play. They started the year with a 3-0 record for the first time since the 2015 season and did not allow a single goal the opening 310 minutes of play.
The Friars have reached Big East postseason play every single season since Lopes has taken over the program. It is this consistency that will work in the team’s favor down the road. With plenty of players with postseason experience returning to the field, the Friars will be poised to make a deep playoff run.
The Friars bring back a lot of talent, including 88 percent of their scoring from last year. This includes Hannah McNulty ’21 who was tied for third in the Big East with 10 goals last season, and Amber Birchwell ’21, who scored six goals of her own.
Shelby Hogan’21RS returns in net for the Friars looking to follow up a record season where she tied the program record with ten shutouts and was the 12th in the country. She was awarded All-Big East First Team, Big East All-Tournament Team, and United Soccer Coaches All-East Region Third Team.
The Big East is never easy to win in any sport, but this is especially true for women’s soccer. With the likes of the Georgetown University Hoyas, who are projected to win the Big East once again, and the Butler University Bulldogs leading the charge, the Friars are projected for a third place finish according to the Big East coaches’ poll.
The Friars have already begun their regular season schedule with a 2-1 victory over rival University of Connecticut Huskies before falling to the University of Massachusetts-Amherst Minuteman 1-0. The Friars are back in action on Thursday, Aug. 29 as they take on the University of Hartford.
Editors
by The Cowl Editor on May 2, 2019
Sports
Men’s Soccer Upsets #8 Southern Methodist
By Thomas Zinzarella ’21
Sports Staff
One of the best moments in Providence College Athletics this year came before many students stepped foot onto campus. In their first game of the season, the Providence College Men’s Soccer Team went on the road and knocked off the 8th-ranked Southern Methodist University Mustangs 2-1 in double-overtime. The Friars were coming off a 5-8-5 season in 2017 where they made a big splash to open the 2018 season.
In the previous season, SMU had a lot of success on the field. The Mustangs captured the American Athletic Conference regular season and conference title. The Mustangs would also go on to reach the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. They had compiled a 17-3-1 in 2017, including a perfect 13-0-0 record on their home turf.
The Mustangs returned one of the best players in the AAC, Garrett McLaughlin, who lead the conference in scoring with 14 goals and 31 points.
After a scoreless opening forty-five minutes, the Friars began the scoring in the 52nd minute when Tiago Mendonca ’20RS netted the Friars first goal of the season. Brendan Constantine ’19 came close to doubling their lead with a chance in the 55th minute. With just over ten minutes to go in game, SMU would tie the game up.
It would remain a deadlock at one until the 104th minute in double-overtime when Alex DaCosta ’20 scored the game winner. DaCosta would be named to the All-Tournament team.
A key factor in the Friars’ victory was netminder Colin Miller ’19, who recorded eight saves for the Friars, including a couple down the stretch of regulation. Even though SMU outshot the Friars 24-8, SMU only had nine on target.
The Friars opened the 2018 season in a big way that would help set up their success for the rest of the season. The Friars would go on to finish 10-7-2 on the year, including a 6-2-1 record in conference.
Although many of the teams in Friartown had knocked off nationally ranked opponents, I believe this men’s soccer victory over SMU at the start of the season was by far one of the biggest moments in PC sports this year.
What Was the Top PC Sports Moment of the Year?
by The Cowl Editor on May 2, 2019
Sports
Men’s Hockey Frozen Four Run
By Sullivan Burgess ’20
Sports Staff
On March 31 at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence, the Providence College Men’s Ice Hockey Team defeated Cornell University 4-0, punching their ticket into the NCAA’s Men’s Ice Hockey Frozen Four Tournament.
This would be the team’s second time in the Frozen Four in the last four years, and second appearance for Coach Nate Leaman and his Friars. This has also been the team’s sixth appearance in the tournament.
This moment not only brought excitement into the locker room, but also created buzz among students on campus ranging from freshmen to seniors. A moment such as this does not happen very often in the PC community and every student wanted to make sure they would be part of history in the making.
The season resulted in a 22-11-6 record for the Friars and put them in the fourth seed in the East Regional section of the tournament against Minnesota State, Northeastern University, and Cornell University.
The Friars’ first game took them against Minnesota State at the Dunk, where students, alumni, and fans from around the country gathered to support their Providence Friars. The crowd was electric and helped Providence secure the win with a 6-3 victory and move onto the next round against Cornell University.
The Friars then won 4-0 against Cornell University and the Dunk could not have been any crazier.
The Friars then found themselves preparing for the tournament in Buffalo to play the University of Minnesota-Duluth. Though the Friars hustled every period, they lost 4-1, ending the Cinderella story.
No one had expected PC would make it this far let alone be in the Frozen Four tournament, so defying the odds brought nothing but joy and excitement to the students. It is safe to say that even if some students were not the biggest hockey fans, they definitely enjoyed rooting for and supporting the accomplishments of the team.
While it may not have been the outcome we hoped for, the history behind it and the accomplishments the team achieved will never be forgotten.
PCI: Who Will Win The NCAA Frozen Four?
by The Cowl Editor on April 4, 2019
Sports
Providence College
By Sam Scanlon ’19
Sports Staff
After patiently waiting to see if they had squeaked into the NCAA Tournament field, the Providence College Friars are headed back to the Frozen Four. The adversity that they have had to overcome this season, especially throughout the playoffs, is a large reason why no one is going to be able to take them down. They have gone through too much, they have an incredible amount of momentum, and soon they will have another championship trophy.
The explosive 10-goal regional weekend was led by the dynamic top line of Josh Wilkins ’20, Kasper Björkqvist ’20, and Jack Dugan ’22. With three important goals in the two regional contests, Wilkins was named Most Outstanding Player and continues to stay hot at the perfect time. He now has 10 goals and six assists in his last nine games entering the Frozen Four in Buffalo, New York. Not a bad time to be scoring at this rate. His offensive spark is going to be pivotal in putting the Friars past University of Minnesota Duluth and University of Massachusetts Amherst/University of Denver.
The offensive depth that the Friars provided this weekend is a great step toward a National Championship as well. Every line produced goals throughout the regional tournament, including the entire second line of Tyce Thompson ’22, Scott Conway ’19, and Brandon Duhaime ’20. Greg Printz ’21 and Vimal Sukumaran ’20, third and fourth liners, respectively, also joined in on the scoring parade. With every line producing at this point in the year, the Friars are becoming increasingly dangerous to opponents as they continue finding the back of the net and winning games.
However, everyone knows defense wins championships and it starts with goaltending. The Friars may have the best goalie remaining in the tournament in Hayden Hawkey ’19, who now leads the country in shutouts. He has not let in a goal since the first period against Minnesota State University in the opening round matchup. A solid goaltender who has recently found his rhythm will prove to be a key factor to the Friars’ championship run.
Lastly, the experience of the players and coaching staff will lead the charge to hoisting another trophy. Nate Leaman brought his team to glory in 2015, and each player on the current roster has played in the NCAA tournament. The senior class has been to four straight tournaments, so they and the coaching staff know what it takes to get the job done, and they will. The National Championship will come back to Friartown.
PCI: Who Will Win The NCAA Frozen Four?
by The Cowl Editor on April 4, 2019
Sports
University of Massachusetts-Amherst
By Eileen Flynn ’20
Sports Staff
This particular season of hockey has been very competitive; however, there is one team that has had a difficult season and has proven their talents. I believe the University of Massachusetts-Amherst hockey team will win this year’s NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament. With a very tough schedule, UMass gained respect and attention throughout the season as they beat out teams like Providence College, Boston University, and the University of Maine. They have an impressive 30-9 record this season, making them a top four team in the nation all year. Maybe even more impressive is their 18-1 home record at the Mullins Center. The Minutemen came up short in the Hockey East semifinals against Boston College, and I believe this is exactly what they needed to push them harder in the weeks leading up to the NCAA tournament. This acted as a wake-up call to the Minutemen and helped them realize what needed to change before they took on stronger and more talented teams at the national level.
They have a star studded roster, with solid depth behind them that is ready to go the distance in the NCAA. The defensive end is held down by Hobey Baker Finalist and generational talent, Cale Makar. The sophomore captain was the fourth overall pick in the 2017 NHL draft and has led the team with 48 points in 39 games so far this season. On the front end, the trio of Jacob Pritchard, Mitchell Chaffee, and John Leonard have put up a staggering 125 points combined this season. This is all tied together with the second-ranked keeper in the nation, Filip Lindberg, who has a remarkable save percentage of .939.
The team demonstrated their ambition to prove they are the best team in the nation when they dominated Notre Dame University in the West Regional game. UMass came out fast and furious, determined to get the first goal of the game. After one came another, and then the rest was history. Once UMass starts rolling, it is very hard for any team to stop them. In the games versus both Harvard and Notre Dame, UMass led in scoring opportunities and completely controlled the game. They outscored their opponents by a total of 8-0, while also outshooting them by a large margin of 70-30.
UMass is headed to face the University of Denver next. If UMass continues to play like they have been this entire year, they should secure a spot in the National Championship game. The tough schedule UMass faced throughout the season has prepared them to take on a strong team like Denver.
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.