Friar Basketball Newsletter: Catching up with Bob Driscoll on NIL, David Duke finds his summer role, Ryan Gomes' love of PC, and more
Although we are in the midst of the offseason, we are beginning the transition to our weekly newsletter and content release — which will take place every Monday. I’m excited about the content we have coming up.
Last week Billy Ricci (of The Friar Podcast) and I completed our final interview for the upcoming podcast series on the 2003-04 Friars. That interview was a special one, as we spent a lot of time with Providence’s all-time leading scorer Ryan Gomes. Ryan’s level of recall about not only each individual game, but sequences of plays, all of these years later is astounding. What became more evident than anything, however, is just how deeply Ryan cares about this program and the people who helped him develop as a person and player at Providence.
The podcast will also feature Donnie McGrath, Marcus Douthit, Sheiku Kabba, and PC assistant Bob Walsh. Each brought a unique perspective to the pod and we look forward to telling their stories. We are in the midst of editing hours of content and really look forward to introducing this series.
Late last week, I caught up with Providence Athletic Director Bob Driscoll to learn more about PC’s approach to the name, image, and likeness (NIL) changes, as well as the ever-changing state of college athletics. Bob has always been accessible and candid, and last week was no different.
I was so excited to see Craig Leighton make his return to Friar Basketball after some time away. His latest Here and There article touches on a variety of topics from NIL, immediate transfers, the NBA Summer League, and more. Craig also provided a weekly recap Starting Five.
David Duke has earned praise for embracing his role with the Brooklyn Nets this summer. Read more about Duke’s strong summer (and see highlights of his early play) here.
Throughout the season we will ask Friar fans their opinions on a variety of topics. This week we ask you which Friar great should have their number retired next? Please chime in!
Remember how great Kris Dunn was at PC? These highlights are a fun look back during the offseason.
Thank you again for reading and for your support of Friar Basketball.