NIT 2013 Quarterfinal – Baylor 79 – Providence 68

-Well, it was a matter of time before the surprisingly successful 2012-2013 Providence College Friars were no longer able to make a magical comeback and keep playing basketball.  The Baylor Bears, led by Pierre Jackson, were stoic down the stretch, unfazed by the Friars continuous attempts at a comeback, and making all of the plays necessary to move onto the 2013 NIT Semifinals as Madison Square Garden.

-Coach Cooley deserves an exceptional amount of credit for what he was able to do with this Friars team.  He had to work with more player combinations than possibly any other team in the country.  The Friars brought 6 scholarship players to the Puerto Rice Tip-Off at the start of the season.  Then, Cooley had to work Vincent Council, Kris Dunn, and Sidiki Johnson back into the lineup.  Then, the Friars lost Johnson and had to adapt again.  Then, they dealt with an injury to Bryce Cotton, a few stomach bugs for Kris Dunn, some disciplinary issues with Council, and a countless amount of other variables that led to Cooley receiving this praise from me.  Stand up Coach, you deserve a ton of recognition and appreciation!

-Pierre Jackson is ruthless.  He is the example of what I wish Vincent Council developed into.  Never fazed, always under control, and always making the best decision.

-With that being said, Council had a hell of a game (21 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists).  Vince, you will be remembered and I will miss your consistency through the years.  Your stats force you to be considered one of the greatest Friars of all time.  Had it not been for your injured hamstring to start the season, you’d be getting much more national respect.  You should get a shot in the league…

-Classic Henton: 0 points, 8 rebounds, 0-5 from the field, 0-2 from the free throw line, 4 personal fouls, and 2 shots that were blocked

-Classic Dunn: 4 points (2-4 from the field), 2 rebounds, 6 assists

-LaDontae Henton needs to become more consistent, or he’ll be coming off of the bench in the 2013-2014 season.

-Kadeem Batts finished the season just as he started it, putting up numbers and controlling the paint.  Batts amassed 20 points (9-17 shooting), grabbed 8 boards, and had 2 assists.  Kadeem Batts turned into a better player than I ever imagined he would become.  Cooley’s staff needs to be recognized for his development, but Kadeem deserves a lot of that credit too.  If Batts gets better heading into the 2013-2014 season, he will be drafted.

-Bryce Cotton led the Friars with 23 points, however he went dead cold in the last 10 minutes of the 2nd half (when they needed him the most).  As the NTCF faithful may know, my affinity for Bryce Cotton has decreased as of late and I’ve begun to criticize him for some selfish play and poor decision making.  I hope that Bryce continues to improve, but I think that the Friars will have more talented options next season.  Cotton will most likely get drafted (thanks Q), but Batts will be a better pro.

-Josh Fortune needs to improve defensively, offensively, with decision making, and his overall basketball IQ or his playing time will quickly diminish with guys like Brandon Austin and Ricky Ledo competing for playing time.

-You have to commend the Baylor Bears.  They played a hell of a game.  Jefferson was a beast down low and Jackson was a true conductor on the floor.

-However, I can’t complain.  The Friars were able to play 3 more games than anticipated and have some momentum to build on this offseason.

-Stay tuned to NTCF for my 2012-2013 season review and 2013-2014 season preview post.

NIT 2013 Round 2: Providence 77 – Robert Morris 68

-I need to start by saying that what I watched on Monday night was one of the most poorly officiated games that I have ever seen. And it wasn’t that all bad calls were against Providence.  Bad calls were going in both directions.  I’m not sure which conference the officiating crew was from, but they should be fired.

-After the completion of the game last night, Ed Cooley grabbed the mic and addressed the crowd.  Man, I love Cooley.  Here was Cooley’s statement in a post-game interview about his address, “I thought about taking that microphone all day. I wanted to thank our crowd. We have had some really good crowds. I’d like to see every seat filled, but part of building your program is building your fan base back up.  I think this is a really tough place to play when the energy is like that. I think the last three and a half minutes of this game – that was actually fun. That was a lot of fun to hear the building shake like that. The players all feed off of that. And you know what? A team will crumble under those circumstances, and I thought that happened today.”

-From what Scottie told me (because I wasn’t at the game), Cooley said that if the crowd is loud every game, that will play a huge part in PC winning a National Championship.  After that statement, the crowd and the Friars went nuts!  Love the vision that Cooley has, he is developing a championship attitude with this team, and bringing in the talent to compete on a national level.

-Before this game, Cooley went on record saying that Kris Dunn had his best week of practice.  Sadly for the Friars, Dunn was battling a stomach bug on Monday and he looked somewhat sluggish.  With a healthy Dunn, his defensive energy would have gone a long way in limiting Robert Morris’ offensive effectiveness.  However, Dunn still found ways to produce (6 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists).

-LaDontae Henton played arguably his best game of the season, utilizing consistent mismatches to his advantage.  Henton tallied up 21 points and 6 rebounds on 6-7 shooting and 8-8 from the free throw line.

-Council’s offense was nowhere to be found, but 12 points and 10 assists were enough to get the Friars through to the next round.

-Lee Goldsbrough stepped up on a night where the Friars’ bigs were battling foul trouble.  Lee logged 21 minutes, grabbed 9 rebounds and 6 points.  Lee made a huge bucket as the game was winding down on a nice dish from Council.  Goldsbrough has inproved dramatically this season and I’m interested to see how much time he will get next season.

-Kadeem needs to be a more consistent focal point of the Friars offense.  Their tendency to feed Kadeem the ball is scarce, and when they do get him the ball down low it is often off of the block and he gets double teamed.  Every time Cotton gets the ball outside, Kadeem is in a great spot underneath (because offensive attention has switched to Cotton).  Cotton needs to become more alert and get Batts the ball more often.

-Kris Dunn makes some of the prettiest passes that I’ve seen in a long time.  On a fast break, Dunn threw a no-look bounce pass to Batts (who fumbled the pass) through two defenders.  That pass was awesome!

-Next up for the Friars are the Baylor Bears.  The Bears’ offense has been on fire thus far in the NIT, scoring 112 points in their 1st game (vs. Long Beach St.) and 89 points in their 2nd game (vs. Arizona St.).  The Bears average 74 points per game for the season (31st in the NCAA).  Their best player is senior point guard Pierre Jackson who averages 19 points per game on the season (and had 26 points and 16 assists against Arizona St.).  This should be an offensive showdown!

-NEXT GAME: Wednesday, March 27th @ Baylor, 9pm (ESPN2)

NIT 2013 Round 1: Providence 75 – Charlotte 66

-Kris Dunn, stand up!  Thank you.  Thank you for making the right play at the right time.  Thank you for hustling every single minute that you are on the floor.  Thank you for making a clutch steal when we needed it the most.  Thank you for attacking when you should attack.  Thank you for knowing when to slow it down and start the offense over.  Damn man, you’re getting better by the day!

-Classic Dunn stat line: 14 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals

-And it doesn’t hurt that Coach Cooley said Dunn played his best game in a Friar uniform.

-Bryce Cotton finally remembered that he can shoot and made a few three pointers.  Cotton still disrupts offensive flow because of his constant desire to shoot (as all shooters have) and his inability to react quickly and find the open man.  With that being said, Bryce scored 25 points against Charlotte and shot 4/8 from three.  If he keeps that up over the next few games, PC will be a tough out.

-For the second consecutive game Kadeem Batts was pounded on the block and couldn’t get into any sort of offensive rhythm.  Batts only managed to score 5 points and grab 5 boards.  Granted, the Friars didn’t need him much against Charlotte and he was battling foul trouble for much of the game.  With that being said, in order to make it deep into this tournament the Friars need the Kadeem Batts that we have become accustomed to seeing this season (i.e. the 15 points, 8 boards Kadeem).

-Vincent Council looked like a senior point guard that has never reached postseason play before and didn’t want to get bounced in the 1st round.  Council played one of his better games of the season, showing a little more offensive aggression than he has much of this season.  Council pulled his best Kris Dunn impression by filling up the stat line: 16 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks.

-The most important stat of the game: Providence turnovers = 5

-Ted Bancroft makes more meaningful plays in his 3 minutes of play than LaDontae Henton does in his 30 minutes of play.  Cooley knows what to expect when he puts Bancroft in the game (effort, heart, guts, and defense).  Last night, when Bancroft sailed over the top of Charlotte’s big man to grab a board and draw a foul, Cooley was 15 feet onto the court yelling in support of Bancroft.  Gotta love the walk on leaving it on the floor.  Gotta love Cooley’s love for the walk on.

-NEXT GAME: Monday, March 25th vs. Robert Morris, 7pm

Big East Tournament Round 2: Cincinnati 61 – Providence 44

-That was a disappointing end to what turned out to be a surprisingly successful season (although the season really isn’t over).  Providence played very lackadaisically, lacked enthusiasm, and simply didn’t show up for their first Big East Tournament game against Cincinnati.

-Although I love what the new Big East is all about and why it was formed, it pains me to see the current Big East break up.  No matter the status of the Friars, every season all PC fans look at the schedule and circle the games against Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Louisville, etc.  I don’t like the fact that we won’t be facing those top 10 teams every couple of weeks…but the new Big East will be there soon.

-The story of the Cincinnati game: Inability to convert.

-1/16 from 3 (6%)

-18/64 from the floor (28%)

-You aren’t going to win any games in the Big East, or the A-10 for that matter, shooting that poorly from the floor.  Kadeem Batts was getting pounded on the block (and no fouls were being called), Bryce Cotton couldn’t hit water if he fell out of a boat (for the 6th consecutive game), LaDontae Henton looked over matched all game, and Josh Fortune was being his classic Charlie Burch-like self.

-Bryce Cotton kills the flow of the Friars offense, and if he doesn’t fix it they won’t make it far in the NIT.

-Kadeem Batts needs to demand the ball.  Batts constantly fights for position on the low post, but guys like Cotton on the outside aren’t feeding the big man and rewarding him for his hard work.  The only guys that constantly feed Batts are Council and Dunn.  That needs to change.

-Classic Dunn: 4 points, 7 boards, 3 assists.

-I’m not making excuses, but that was one of the most poorly officiated games I’ve seen in a long time.  I don’t watch a ton of college basketball outside of the Big East, but from what I have watched, the level of officiating in the Big East is inferior in comparison to other power conferences.  If the goal is to create the best basketball conference in the country, the new Big East needs to step it up.

-Cincinnati’s jerseys were the ugliest jerseys that I had ever seen.  Then, I turned on the Notre Dame game…

-Providence has drawn a #4 seed in the 2013 NIT.  They will be matched up against Charlotte in the first round.  The other teams in Providence’s part of the bracket are: 1) Kentucky 2) Baylor 3) Arizona St. 6) Detroit 7) Long Beach St. 8) Robert Morris.  If Providence is able to get passed Charlotte in the first round, they will be matched up against the defending NCAA Champs in Kentucky.

-NEXT GAME: Wednesday, March 20th vs. Charlotte, 7:15pm (ESPN3)

 

Big East Game 18: Connecticut 63 – Providence 59

-Exceptionally tough way to end the 2013 Big East season.  After being on such an amazing run, Providence looked like they were so excited about the start of the Big East Tournament, that they forgot about playing UConn on Saturday.

-The Friars inability to put the Huskies away, after several opportunities, eventually led to an overtime loss against a depleted Connecticut squad.

-The Friars committed 14 turnovers in the game.  14 isn’t a terribly high number for this PC squad, but it seemed like every turnover PC made was very untimely and led to UConn buckets.  Conversely, PC only forced 8 UConn turnovers even with a banged up Napier playing 44 of 45 potential minutes.

-Kadeem Batts didn’t get enough touches in the low post.  Batts shot a poor 5-13 from the field, but his role in the offense led him to shoot many mid-range jumpers rather than taking the ball strong to the rack.  Batts still put up 14 points and 12 boards, but he could have had a much bigger game, considering UConn’s front line was depleted.

-Bryce Cotton was 1-8 from 3 point land, and 4-13 from the floor.  Cotton has been off over the last several games.  The offense is being forced to Cotton, and he isn’t making the best basketball decisions.  I’ll give you an example: In the middle of the second half, Cooley ran a play for Cotton who caught the ball at the 3 point line near the left hash mark.  Cotton’s man was draped all over him, but Batts had secured good position down low against a smaller defender.  Instead of finding Batts, Cotton used the dribble to try and get open, and then decided to kick the ball back out to Council.  Maybe I’m looking into this too much, but is Bryce Cotton becoming a selfish basketball player?

-Kris Dunn will be the best point guard in the country if he stays at Providence for 4 years.  Here is your usual Dunn stat line: 11 points, 1 rebound, 4 assists, 2 steals.

-To echo what Scottie said to me on Saturday, I hate Ryan Boatright.  Not sure why, he just rubs me the wrong way.

-With PC’s loss to UConn, their bubble is essentially popped.  If Providence has any hope of making it to the NCAA tournament, they need to win at least 2, maybe 3 games in the Big East Tournament.  Providence earned an 8 seed in the BET, but that is pretty much a nightmare situation.  PC will face the 9 seed Cincinnati on Wednesday.  A Cincinnati team that is looking to make a run in the BET to secure an NCAA Tournament spot.  If they happen to win that game, they’ll find themselves facing a potential #1 seed in the NCAA tournament in Georgetown. Awesome…

-NEXT GAME: Wednesday, March 13th vs. Cincinnati, 12pm (ESPN)

Big East Game 17 – Providence 76 – Seton Hall 66

-That makes 7 of 8, continuing perfection in the month of March.  The Friars are undefeated at the Dunk since their January 31st loss against UConn in overtime.

-Unlike previous PC teams, the Friars are beating teams that they SHOULD beat.  Seton Hall, USF, Rutgers, etc. are teams that simply don’t have the talent or coaching that the Friars have.  Aside from the Depaul loss early in the season, the Friars have not lost a game where they have been favored in Big East play.  That is encouraging.

-Not to toss aside the 2012-2013 season so soon, but I was reading an article on ESPN.com regarding 6 teams to watch for next season, and Providence was on the list.

-Sadly, Vincent Council won’t be around to partake in the success that he has helped build.

-But he should be in the NBA making a solid paycheck.

-And Kadeem should follow him in 2014.

-Providence ended up beating the Pirates by 10 at the Dunk last night, however the game was never really that close.  Aside from the first 7 minutes of the game, where PC couldn’t stop the mammoth of a human being known as Eugene Teague, Providence out-hustled, out-defended, and outscored Seton Hall the rest of the way.  A few late 3′s by the Pirates made the game look closer than it really was.

-I’ll save you all time by limiting my gloating about Kris Dunn in this recap.  Dunn did what Dunn does: 2 points, 7 boards, 7 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks, and 100% effort all game.

-I am terribly disappointed in the PC student body.  Vincent Council has left his heart on the court for 4 years.  You show him appreciation by NOT SHOWING UP on his senior night!  Are you kidding me?  I get it, it was spring break.  How many Friar Faithfuls live outside of Rhode Island? 50% tops?  SHOW UP!  It was the kids senior night.  Truly disgraceful.

-Speaking of Vincent Council, it looks like his shot might be coming back a bit.  Vince hasn’t been right offensively all season (even though he really hasn’t been needed), but last night he made a couple classic Council step-back shots.  If he could catch fire for the tournament, this team could do some damage.

-PC was 5-19 from 3.  That isn’t good enough to get it done against UConn, or any team they’ll likely face in the Big East Tournament.  I have a great solution: Henton (0-4 from 3) should stop shooting 3′s!

-Scottie’s text after one of Henton’s airballs last night: “Henton has killed many puppies tonight.”  I couldn’t agree more Scottie!

-But, I’ll take 15 and 10 from LaDontae if he just gets off the damn three point line.  He has become more consistent finishing in the paint over the last several games, and creates a good combination with Batts.  Henton in the post gives Batts an opportunity to work his mid-range game and Henton can then battle for boards with smaller defenders.

-Kadeem, stand up!  27 points, 12 boards, and 2 blocks last night.  You’re the reason the Friars won last night Kadeem.  Good work, keep it up we will need you over the next couple of weeks.

-Sidebar: Scottie and I were discussing next year’s starting lineup during halftime last night.  What’s it look like?  Dunn, Cotton, Henton, Batts, Desrosiers; Ledo, Austin, Fortune, Harris off bench?  Dunn, Cotton, Ledo, Batts, Desrosiers; Henton, Austin, Fortune, Harris off bench?  What’s the verdict?

-Huge game on Saturday for the Friars against UConn.  As of this morning, PC was on Joe Lunardi’s “Next Four Out” list, as the 8th team out of the tournament.  In my opinion, the Friars need a win at UConn and 1 BET win.  Scottie thinks they need a win at UConn and 2 BET wins.  Either way, they Friars need to continue bringing the intensity every night and keep their momentum rolling.  Let’s GO!!!

-NEXT GAME: Saturday, March 9th @ UConn, 12pm (ESPNU)

Big East Game 16: Providence 62 – St. John’s 59

-In front of a nearly sold out Dunkin Donuts Center, the Providence College Friars were able to pull off a huge win against SJU on a night when they just weren’t at their best.

-Bryce “Ice” Cotton was ice cold in the first half against the Red Storm, but have no fear…Kris Dunn was there!

-Kris is the 5th scoring option on the court at nearly all times, but as I’ve said time and time again this season, he finds other ways to contribute.  Dunn ripped down 10 boards in the 1st half alone, and kept the Friars in the game by allowing several second and third chance buckets to go down.  Dunn shows flashes of brilliance when he handles the ball.  One play that specifically comes to mind is when he was leading a fast break down the court, encountered a defender just above the Friars’ 3-point line, so he palmed the ball, wrapped it around the defenders back, and dished it out to Cotton for a 3.  This kid is going to be a stud.

-Dunn’s stat line: 5 points, 12 boards, 5 assists, 1 steal, 1 block.  Dunn would have probably racked up another 3 assists if Kadeem could finish a fast break in the 1st half.

-Is Josh Fortune the next Charlie Burch?  He very well might be.  A combination of stupid fouls, untimely shots, poor ball control, and downright stupid play are moving Fortune more and more into Charlie Burch territory.

-For those of you who don’t know Charlie Burch…he was terrible.

-Kadeem battled his way through another tough Big East game.  This was the most physical game I’ve seen Kadeem play all season.  His shot wasn’t necessarily falling as it has been, but he found ways to score and grab boards.  Obekpa is a shot-blocking menace and Sampson can jump out of the building, but Batts was throwing his weight around and fighting for everything underneath.  Kadeem Batts is blossoming into an eventual NBA Draft pick right before our eyes.

-Man, Jakarr Sampson is good.  Granted, I certainly didn’t like seeing him throw it down over the top of Kris Dunn and having NO ONE do anything about it (I’ve talked about this previously).  But, the kid can jump out of the building and is a force on the floor.

-How nice would it be to see Obekpa and Sampson in PC uniforms…

-That’s ok, we have Kris Dunn!

-You have to love Coach Cooley’s enthusiasm throughout the game on Saturday night.  He was trying to urge on the crown, pump up his guys, and infuse his team with energy nearly the entire second half against St. John’s.  After the game, he looked completed elated that his team was able to pull out a win on a night where they were far from their best.  Gotta love Coach Cooley!

-Providence has won 6 of their last 7 games, and is working their way towards NCAA bubble talk.  I think it will take 3 more wins to get them in the dance.  That would give them 19 wins on the season, at least 1 win in the Big East tourney, and possibly a top 8 finish in the Big East.  However, there is no time to let up.  The Friars need to bring energy to the Dunk on Tuesday night against Seton Hall.

-NEXT GAME: Tuesday, March 5th vs. Seton Hall, 9pm (ESPN3)

Big East Game 15: Providence 76 – Rutgers 72

-Contrary to the old PC Friars that we have all come to know and love (sometimes), on Saturday night against Rutgers a slow start didn’t doom PC in the end.  In fact, PC finished the first half better than they have any game this season.  It took a little time for the Friars to realize Rutgers was handing it to them, but once they did, they stepped it up big time.

-Vincent Council is the best point guard in the Big East, hands down.  His offensive numbers haven’t necessarily been there this season, but his vision is extraordinary.  Council nearly always makes the best decision, takes shots when necessary, constantly finds the open man, and runs Cooley’s offensive like Ed was on the court himself.

-Another slow night for Cotton.  Yes, Bryce put in 22 points, but at only 3/9 from the three point line and 7/18 from the floor, there is cause for concern.  Maybe I’m blowing his play a bit out of the water, but over the last three games Bryce has been off.  I’m not giving defenses credit because they’ve known about Cotton for 2 years.  I think it boils down to shot selection and offensive rhythm.  It seems to me like PC starts almost every game trying to force Cotton the ball, who is usually blanketed, and as the game progresses Bryce feels the pressure to get shots up, which leads to poor shot selection.

-Contrary to Bryce, LaDontae is catching fire.  I’ve been very tough on Henton all season (and I’m not letting up now), but LaDontae is finding his rhythm offensively and finally draining some shots from three.  LaDontae also grabbed 10 boards.  Granted, he is still the most blocked player in the NCAA, but LaDontae is getting hot at just the right time.

-Classic Dunn: 4 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals.  Love this kid.

-Kadeem didn’t have his best night from the floor (4/11 from the field) but the kid just keeps grinding.  Batts has transformed himself into one of the best big men in the league and an eventual NBA prospect.  Cooley’s staff certainly plays a role in that, but I’m giving Kadeem the most credit.

-PC’s win against Rutgers sets up a huge matchup against St. John’s this Saturday.  St. John’s currently stands at 9th in the Big East with a 8-7 conference record.  PC currently stands 11th in the Big East with a 7-8 conference record.  With a win against St. John’s, Providence could begin the assent up the Big East standings, looking for a bye in the 1st round of the Big East tournament.

-NEXT GAME: Saturday, March 2nd vs. St John’s, 8pm (ESPN3)

Big East Game 14: #8 Syracuse 84 – Providence 59

-Coach Cooley’s comments following the blowout loss to Syracuse, “That’s as bad as we’ve played all year. When we played bad before, we were in the game. We were listless today. We looked sluggish.”  I can’t agree more coach.

-On a night where Vincent Council became the all-time assists leader in Big East play, the Friars got exposed for their lack of depth, lack of size, and inferior talent in comparison to Syracuse.

-Syracuse goes, 6’6″, 6’4″, 6’8″, 6’8″, 6’9″ and 6’8″ with Southerland off of the bench.  Providence goes 6’2″, 6’0″, 6’3″, 6’6″, 6’8″ and 6’5″ with Fortune off of the bench.  When Syracuse is on point, both offensively and defensively, PC simply doesn’t have the size to compete.  There were several instances when 6’8″ CJ Fair was posting 6’2″ Vincent Council up on the post.  That is the mismatch of a lifetime.  Batts was bothered by their size, Henton was bothered by their size, Cotton was as well.

-I thought that last night was one of Kris Dunn’s worst games over the past several.  He picked up a quick foul early on in the first half when trying to crowd Michael Carter-Williams, and he didn’t seem the same after that.  His offense continues to be lacking, as Kris seems to be a little tentative to shoot and unable to find rhythm.  Dunn didn’t fill the stat line like he normally does.

-Bryce Cotton was off, and when Bryce is off PC has little chance of winning.

-Vincent Council played arguably his best game of the season.  He was pushing that basketball, finding the open lanes, penetrating the defense, and working to get everyone else the best shots possible.  Sadly for Vince, many of his great passes went unrewarded as his teammates weren’t able to convert on a consistent basis.  Council still managed to rack up 7 assists, however he probably should have had more like 11 or 12.  Vin tried to will the Friars to a win, he just couldn’t do it alone.

-LaDontae battled, he was just overmatched.  That is the most aggressive I’ve seen Henton in a long time, which was nice to see.  Sadly, LaDontae just couldn’t compete with Syracuse’s size down low.

-Kadeem battled, he also was overmatched.  Several times he settled for fade-away jumpers from the free-throw line.  That’s not Kadeems game.  He is a good mid-range shooter…when left open.  Kadeem tried to drive the ball to the rim a few times, usually leading to a blocked or wild shot and quick Syracuse buckets.

-Seeing Michael Carter-Williams slice through the Friars defense like a hot knife through butter makes you cringe at previous PC coaching staffs.  He is the exact reason why PC can’t let local talent get away.  Carter-Williams is a St. Andrews product.  I know, we can’t get all of the local talent (i.e. Nerlens Noel), but I think developing consistency in terms of being in the running for all of the local talent, and signing a percentage of them, is a necessity.  Joey Mazzulla, Carter-Williams, Noel, Erik Murphy…the list goes on and on with local guys that PC missed and had success elsewhere.

-I’ve begun to hate James Southerland over the last 12 hours.  Showboating up and down the court.  Talking shit to Council every time down the floor.  Smiling in Henton’s face every time PC was on offense.  I know, maybe I’m being a bit sensitive because my team just got smoked.  I’m just not a huge fan of guys boasting and looking for attention when they are blowing someone out of the water.  You’re a member of the #8 team in the country.  You’re playing Providence College, 11th place in the Big East.  You’re supposed to win this game, and probably by a lot.  Act like you’ve been there before.  Southerland, you suck.

-In my opinion, one problem with the Friars is that no one on the court identifies that this stuff happens and acts on it.  I remember the days when Jon Kale and Geoff McDermott roamed the middle.  If shit like Southerland pulled went down, Kale is letting him know that it’s not going to fly as long as he’s in the paint.  We need some of that enforcer-like mentality.  Come on Kadeem, you’re 250 pounds.  Throw that weight around a bit.  Get a little chip on your shoulder.  Get mean!

-The Friars are now 6-8 in Big East play (14-12 overall) with 4 games remaining (@ Rutgers, vs. SJU, vs. Seton Hall, @ UConn).  In hopes of going .500 in Big East play, PC needs to go 3-1 over those next 4 games.  Coach Cooley and his staff need to get this team to erase the Syracuse game from their mind, get some swagger back, and work towards making a run at post-season play.

-NEXT GAME: Saturday, February 23rd @ Rutgers, 9pm (ESPN U)

Big East Game 13: Providence 71 – #21 Notre Dame 54

-The Providence College Friars are the hottest team in the Big East right now.  That is a phrase I never thought I would write during the 2012-2013 season.

-PC has won 4 straight games in the Big East for the first time since the greatest Friar of all time was roaming the paint (Ryan Gomes of course, 2004).

-PC beat Notre Dame for the first time since that same season, 2004.

-Coach Cooley was clearly emotional after the game when he did a sit-down interview with the ESPN broadcast team.  He kept reiterating how proud he was of his team.  I think that gives us a good sense of how much time, energy, and emotion that Coach Cooley, his staff, and his team have put into this season.  With everything they have been through, having success like they have over the last 4 games must be exceptionally gratifying for everyone in that locker room.

-Congratulations ro Vincent Council.  He passed Ernie D on PC’s all-time assists list, and is now the leader in school history.  Comparing Council to Ernie D simply isn’t fair, but Vin’s consistency and vision have been constants over the last 4 years and he now has his name in the record books to prove it.

-Kadeem Batts is playing like a man possessed.  If Batts keeps performing at this level, he’ll be a great pickup for an NBA team in the 2014 draft.  A 6’9″ big man that can bang underneath, hit the mid-range jumper, and consistently hit his free-throws must make some NBA teams salivate.

-Kris Dunn, stand up.  Scottie constantly hounds me for my man crush on Kris Dunn.  I don’t care what anyone says, it’s warranted.  As I’ve said countless times, Kris is having a tough time finding his shot this season, but he is finding so many other ways to contribute.  The kid defends like a fifth year senior.  He crashes the boards hard, gives you constant energy on both defense and offense, has exceptional vision for an 18 year old kid, and forces the other team into turnovers time and time again.  Kris Dunn is the spark that makes Providence go.  Is it ironic that in the past 2 games, when he has checked in for the first time in the 2nd half PC goes on a huge run and busts the game wide open?  I think not.  Keep doing your thing Kris, the offense will come in time, defense makes you millions (ask Bruce Bowen).

-Is Lee Goldsbrough the next Ray Hall in terms of fan fare?  Is Lee Goldsbrough the next Brian Scalabrine in terms of white-man effort?  Is Lee Goldsbrough the next Tony Allen in terms of defensive shutdown-ness?  Maybe the last is a stretch, but Lee Goldsbrough needs to stand up!  This kid is laying it on the line for Coach Cooley and the Friars.  He is diving on the floor, playing exceptional help defense, closing passing lanes, and finally making a difference in games.  Lee might be the catalyst for the Friars for the remainder of the season.  Without any big-man depth, consistent play from Lee will help this team immensely.

-Scottie forced me into mentioning Henton in this one.  LaDontae showed glimpses of his old self against Notre Dame.  He was playing with a little bit of swagger down on the low post (thank God!) and actually made a three point shot!  Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here, Henton still got rejected by Jack Cooley, the whitest of white men.  LaDontae needs to keep playing with some swagger to give Kadeem some relief down low.

-Bryce, keep doing your thing man.

-Fortune, keep doing your thing man.

-That might honestly be the best all-around game I have ever seen the Friars play.  It was awesome!

-Vincent Council was 3 points shy of a triple double.  The dude was all over the place.  He found the open guy on every play.  He got every rebound off of a missed free throw.  He shot when he needed to shoot, passed when he needed to pass.  Vincent Council is the best pure point guard in the Big East, no questions asked.

-PC held Notre Dame to 7% shooting from the thee-point line.  This is the same Notre Dame team that leads the league in three-point FG %.  PC forced Notre Dame into 11 turnovers.  This is the same Notre Dame team that commits the fewest turnovers per game in the league.  It’s exceptionally gratifying when after years and years of being forced to play other teams’ styles, we are finally forcing teams to play our style.

-Time to show ‘Cuse why they picked a good time to leave the Big East as the PC reign is set to begin!

-NEXT GAME: Wednesday, February 20th @ #6 Syracuse, 7pm (ESPN 2)