Friar Basketball Newsletter: A Conversation with LaDontae Henton, How the Student Section Has Lit up the Dunk This Year, Delving into Jared Bynum's Amazing Stretch of Games, and so much more
Jared Bynum has completely taken his game to another level this season for Providence. He came off of the bench on Saturday night to lead the Friars in points (25), rebounds (7), and assists (6) to lead the Friars past a DePaul team that came ready for a fight. Ed Cooley was effusive in his praise of Bynum following the game, noting, “I’m proud of Jared because he’s making a believer out of himself, first and foremost – and he’s making a lot of people look dumb.”
In this feature on Bynum we take a look into how his numbers have exploded over the past month, but also examine how Bynum had more than his share of skeptics and managed to prove so many of them wrong.
Providence is now 21-2 on the season and 11-1 in Big East play. While the players on the floor deserve all of the credit, PC’s student section has proven to be quite the sixth man this season, with administrators and journalists calling it the best they have seen in the past 20-30 years. Here’s a look at just how impactful the students have been this season and why they have made the Dunkin Donuts Center so special.
In regard to on-court analysis, we dug into Providence’s improved offensive efficiency numbers this year, and how that could benefit them when the calendar turns to March. Providence has a chance to crack the top 50 nationally in both offensive and defensive efficiency this year – a rare feat at PC. Why is that so important? The article explains.
We have you covered if you missed anything from the DePaul victory. Craig Leighton wrote a Friar Starting Five that includes recaps, video, and a lengthy list of reactions from Twitter. Fans can also see the game condensed to 10 minutes.
This week’s News and Notes column takes a peek around the Big East, including UConn’s Dan Hurley getting reprimanded by the Big East, Aaron Wheeler breaking out for St. John’s, Providence’s improved 3-point efficiency, and more.
Subscribers can see exclusive highlights of Jayden Pierre taking on a top 20 team nationally in Roselle Catholic.
Finally, we really hope you check out our conversation with LaDontae Henton that is hosted on Billy Ricci’s Friar Podcast. Billy and I spoke with LaDontae for about half an hour on his decision to return to Providence as a coach, his relationship with Ed Cooley, how impressed he has been with the work ethic of this current team, and a few other topics. He truly personifies what it means to be an Ed Cooley player, and it was great getting his perspective.
Who’s ready for Villanova on Tuesday night? We’ll see you there!