How Providence became not Last Chance U, but Second Chance U
Before I begin, if anyone out there reading this has any evidence that Baylor Scheierman isn’t a member of the original “Cobra Kai” from Karate Kid – I’ll review, but will still remain skeptical…
After being KO’d down the stretch by the Creighton Bluejays on Saturday for their first Big East loss of the season, I sat in deep thought at Joe’s on Newbury Street in Boston on the topic of how much transfers have changed the game of college basketball. How players like Scheierman and PC’s own Bryce Hopkins can switch zip codes and bump four-year players out of contention from the All Big East honors they hope for. Transfers have further signified an era of power to the players — between immediate transferring and NIL — but for our Friars, transfers have been a part of our DNA since Ed Cooley took over in 2011-12.
As highlighted in our 2014 Pod Series (the third episode is dropping this week!) Tyler Harris (NC State) and Carson Desrosiers (Wake Forest) really set the tone early on Providence’s ability to land transfers from power conferences. Carson said it himself — Providence, although attractive, was missing something during his recruitment in high school. The AMP certainly wasn’t “AMP’d Up” back then, and the culture under Keno Davis was, dare I say, a bit lackadaisical at times. Carson was something we hadn’t seen since Marcus Douthit, an elite shot blocker with a knack for timing and standing tall in the back of the zone. Harris, on the other hand, didn’t have New England ties like Carson, but was looking for the same expanded role, or his version of a second chance.
Looking back, Harris was as unique a player (even with the inconsistencies) we have seen in recent years suit up for the Friars. A 6’9 lefty who could put the ball on the deck and stretch the floor. His commitment foreshadowed a next level to come for Friar transfers, with NBA ties or those who came from prominent sports families like Justin Minaya, or more recently, Devin Carter. Providence simply does not win a Big East Tournament Championship without the multiple five block games Desrosiers had, nor the multiple 20 point performances from Tyler Harris in 2013-2014.
We can’t discuss Friar transfers without mentioning the ultimate glue guy, Junior Lomomba (Cleveland State). Lomomba surprisingly only had one full season starting for the Friars, but his ability to take on the opposition’s best scorer on any night, and make heady plays after not looking to score for the majority of the game, was special. There was a quiet confidence in him that helped lead to the success in 2015-2016, but even more apparent than that was how Lomomba became really close with his teammates and became one of Cooley’s guys – which isn’t always the case for transfers in college basketball.
Emmitt Holt (Indiana & Indian Hills Community College). His name still brings some deep emotion out of me every time I come across it. After a rocky start to his collegiate career at Indiana that landed him in junior college, Holt found the ultimate second chance at Providence. Many Friar fans (myself included) were concerned with how PC would replace Ben Bentil’s scoring output and inside-out presence in 2016-17, but man, did Emmitt Holt come in and produce at a high clip right away. #15 was good for 15 points and 50% from the field on any given night, and I’ll never forget the clip of him jawing with a Xavier player saying “This is My House.” Then came his health scare, which he valiantly fought through, and he was able to still achieve his dream of becoming a pro over in Finland. Friartown will always pull for Emmitt Holt.
Then there was #44Blessed Isaiah Jackson (George Mason) and the former Friar destroyer turned ally, Luwane Pipkins (UMASS). Both had their ups and downs in Friartown, but continued a consistent trend of no matter where you came from, or what class year you were, Providence was the place to find your second chance.
What some Friar Fans probably don’t remember at first is that Jared Bynum was indeed a transfer from St. Joes. He and Noah Horchler were the last of the Friar transfers to have to sit out a year. Bynum chatted with me during his episode of the Friar Podcast about Ed Cooley and Providence having a great pedigree for smaller guards. It’s hard for me personally not to think of Sharaud Curry every time I see JB take the floor, coincidence they shared the same number? I think not.
This leads us to the new age of immediately-eligible transfers and, boy, has it changed the whole scope of the program, and many others across the country. Providence obviously does not go on a Sweet 16 run without Al Durham and Minaya. When I caught up with Al before he received his Big East Regular Season and Sweet 16 ring, there was a sense of pride in his voice when he talked about him and Minaya leading the way for upperclassmen like themselves to come in immediately and grab that second chance by the horns. It still feels like both of them had played for the Friars all four years.
All five of PC’s starters (when healthy) are transfers this year. Some on the roster have even transferred multiple times (Locke and Moore) and somehow it feels completely normal. Because at the end of the day, when kids coming out of high school are being recruited coaches will do just about anything to land those top 50 or top 100 recruits. And there stands Ed Cooley, after the playing time guaranteed didn’t pan out, or a coach leaves for another job or gets fired, or the bigger brand a player chose over the Friars didn’t have the success they had hoped for… there stands Ed Cooley, waiting to provide that second chance at a place transfers keep coming back to, even after their college playing days are over.