Friar Basketball Newsletter: Beating #4 UConn? Winning 9 in a row and starting 6-0 in Big East play? Landing a top 100 recruit in the class of 2024? Yep, it was a great week in Friartown.
There are a lot of places we could start this week, so maybe we’ll just go in chronological order.
Providence made one heck of a statement by taking down #4 UConn, 73-61, on Wednesday night. Bryce Hopkins was once again a force for Providence with 27 points, and PC played stifling defense in holding Connecticut to 36% shooting from the field and limiting the Huskies to 5-22 from three.
Ed Croswell finished with a 13 point, 13 rebound double double, Noah Locke had 17 points and put the game away with a late 3-pointer, while Devin Carter was everywhere on the defensive end.
After the game I wrote about how Ed Cooley, his staff, and the administration continue to redefine the “new normal” at Providence.
From the article:
During Cooley’s tenure, he and his staff first reestablished the Friar brand, and over the past year and a half they have constantly created a “new normal” in Friartown.
This was a team that six weeks ago we were all questioning, and rightfully so. Yet, perhaps no team in the country has improved in-season more than the Providence Friars have this year…
A decade ago, when we last saw UConn in the AMP/Dunkin Donuts Center, I wasn’t sure if we’d ever see what we are witnessing in Providence again.
The bar was raised over Cooley’s first seven years here, and we’ve spent the better part of the past twelve months talking about “the first time since” or “the first time in program history” more than I could have imagined.
It’s the new normal in Providence… and it seems to be elevating by the week.
Our “12 Things” from the win over UConn details critical plays, and includes quotes from Cooley, as well as advanced numbers and shot charts.
Friar fans can also watch the game condensed to seven minutes.
Providence followed up the UConn victory with a hard-fought win over St. John’s on Saturday, without the services of point guard Jared Bynum. Noah Locke was critical once again, knocking down 5-8 from beyond the arc and scoring 20 points in the 83-80 win.
The win over the Johnnies gave PC its longest winning streak (nine games) since kicking off the 1988-89 season at 13-0. The Friars are also 6-0 in Big East play for the first time in program history.
Carter was once again big on Saturday, finishing with 19 points, five rebounds, and five assists. Entering Saturday, he was averaging 16.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 3.2 steals, and 1.6 blocks in league play — all while shooting just shy of 44% from deep. He also knocked down a pair of free throws with five seconds left with the Friars ahead by just a point.
Subscribers can read our News and Notes column which looks into the brewing rivalry between UConn’s Adama Sanogo and Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner. Both centers have been pretty vocal about how they feel about the other.
This article also looks into how Providence won playing at drastically different paces against UConn and St. John’s, how the Friar offense is excelling this year, and much more.
Providence capped the week off with outstanding news when 2024 Worcester Academy guard Kayvaun Mulready announced he had committed to the Friars. The 6’4 Mulready is a big-time competitor and is considered among the top 75-85 players in the country, according to the major recruiting services. Mulready had been considering PC, UConn, Marquette, and Maryland, but chose Providence after visiting for the Friars’ game against Connecticut last week. The Friar staff has been on fire on the recruiting trail since reaching last year’s Sweet 16.
This was truly an outstanding week in Friartown. Providence will not return to the court until Saturday, 1/14, when they travel to Creighton.
Thanks, as always, for reading!