Providence Friars
Last Year:
15-17 overall, 4-14 Big East (14th)
Coach:
Ed Cooley (1st season, 92-69 at Fairfield Univ.)
Projected starting five:
G: Vincent Council, Jr.
G: Gerald Coleman, So.
F: LaDontae Henton, Fr.
F: Kadeem Batts, So.
C: Bilal Dixon, Jr.
Important departures:
Marshon Brooks 24.6 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 36.5 mpg
Duke Mondy 7.7 ppg, 3.3 rpg
Inside the numbers:
56 percent scoring returning
60 percent rebounding returning
Additions:
F: LaDontae Henton, 6’6”, 215 – ESPNU Pos. #47
G: Kiwi Gardner, 5’8”, 155 – ESPNU #55
Schedule:
Toughest nonconference game: 12/1 at South Carolina
Toughest in-conference stretch: 1/10 – 1/25 vs. (8) Louisville, at (5) Syracuse, vs. (21) Marquette, at (11) Pittsburgh
Prediction:
16th in BE; 10+ wins
What to expect:
The Friars are coming off an underachieving season that saw standout Marshon Brooks head to the NBA and coach Keno Davis chased out of town. Bilal Dixon and Vincent Council remain as the elder statesmen who plan to take Providence into the Ed Cooley era.
Council will be the leading scoring threat for the Friars this season, but Gerald Coleman should start in the backcourt and give him some offensive help. Down low, Dixon will pair with Kadeem Batts and either LaDontae Henton or Bryce Cotton.
Providence had no problem scoring last season, but their inability to stop a thing is what brought in Cooley and his defensive mindset. It may take some time for Cooley to get his run-and-gun team to buy into the defense-first philosophy, so don’t expect too much from the Friars this year.
Good stuff…just wanted to point out that Bryce Cotton is a guard (who will actually get some serious PT and put up some good scoring numbers). Brice Kofane is the forward (freshman redshirt) who isn’t really developed offensively but should help out on the defensive end.