Big East Preview: #15 Providence Friars

Previewing all 15 teams in the Big East from #15 to #1

By:  Shane McCarthy

The optimism was at a sky high level back in the springtime as the Friars were ready to welcome the 6^th ranked recruiting class (by ESPN) to go along with talented pieces already in place.  This optimism was quickly torched by injuries and ineligibility issues.  

Who’s Back:

Vincent Council –G– Senior – 38.7 Min, 15.9 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 7.5 apg

Bryce Cotton –G– Junior – 38.6 Min, 14.3 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 2.3 apg

LaDontae Henton –F– Soph – 37.2 Min, 14.3 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 1.1 apg

Kadeem Batts –F– Junior – 19.7 Min, 6.2 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 0.4 apg

Brice Kofane –F– Soph – 15 Min, 2.7 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 0.2 apg

Lee Goldsbrough –F– Junior – 7.8 Min, 0.8 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 0.2 apg

Incoming Recruits:

Kris Dunn – [Point Guard] – 6 foot 3, 180

ESPN’s 23^rd ranked player and 2^nd ranked Point Guard

Rivals.com’s 16^th ranked player and 1^st ranked Point Guard

McDonald’s All-American

Dunn had shoulder surgery in July and is expected to be out ~5 months.  The Friars are hopeful they will get him in the lineup in the middle of the season.

Josh Fortune – [Shooting Guard] – 6 foot 5, 180

Ricardo Ledo – [Shooting Guard] – 6 foot 6, 180

ESPN’s 21^st ranked player and 6^th ranked Shooting Guard

Rivals.com’s 6^th ranked player and 2^nd ranked Shooting Guard

Ledo has been ruled academically ineligible to play this season, but can practice with the team.

Ian Baker – [Point Guard] – 6 foot 2, 180

ESPN’s 42^nd ranked Point Guard

Unfortunately Ian tore his ACL over the summer and will miss the upcoming season

Incoming Transfers:

Sidiki Johnson – [Power Forward] – 6 foot 10, 240

In the class of 2011, Sidiki was ESPN’s 94^th ranked player and 71^st on Rivals.  He is not eligible to play until the second semester, but when he does get on the floor he will provide the athletic big body that the Friars desperately need. 

Who’s Out:  Gerald Coleman, Bilal Dixon, Ron Giplaye

The Outlook:

I was really looking forward to the Friars this season.  And who wasn’t?  They retained their core in Council, Cotton and Henton to go along with the talented incomers of Dunn, Ledo and Johnson. 

But now Ledo is ineligible for the year, Dunn is recovering from shoulder surgery and Johnson isn’t eligible until the second semester.

When Dunn and Johnson do get on the court, it will be right as Big East play is starting.  Will they be ready for the gauntlet that Big East conference play is?

And up until these two get on the floor, the Friars have a very short bench (potentially only 7 players) and lack any sort of down low presence.  Johnson is hopefully the solution to the latter, but the depth will remain an issue.  Loads of minutes are nothing new for the vets as Council, Cotton and Henton practically played every available minute last year.  So the new comers should be prepared to get their money’s worth.     

This team has talent and experience, but they lack big bodies and depth.  A talented back court, such that Providence has, can take you a long way in college basketball, but not so much in the Big East.  Don’t get me wrong, there will be plenty of nights that Council and Cotton singlehandedly will this team to victory and the occasional upset,   but it’s not something that should be expected on a regular basis to make this team a contender. 

Coach Cooley has his team on the right track in his second year, and six months ago I thought this team was going to be in the upper half of the Big East.  But it looks as if we are going to have to wait another year for the revival of the Providence Friars.   

But I hope I’m wrong, and the arrival of Dunn and Johnson at mid-season changes the identity of this team and turns them into a dynamic force that can do damage in conference play.  

Twitter:  @shane_t_mac