Still Seeking An Identity, Friars Take Care of Merrimack, 71-57
“I thought we were a little lackluster today. Obviously, very happy with the win, coming off of losing two tough games...We didn’t have a lot of energy out there today, which I was disappointed with."
One of the biggest questions heading into the 2022-23 campaign for Providence was how all of Ed Cooley’s talented new pieces would fit together.
The Friar coaching staff parlayed their outstanding 2021-22 season into one of the best transfer portal hauls in the nation last year, yet one of the questions regarding the makeup of this roster is how Cooley and Co. would find playing time for a team that had players with similar profiles.
We’re beyond looking back to last season at this point, but comparisons will be drawn simply because of the nature with which that team came out of the gate versus this season. Obviously, the leadership and playing experience of that team was vastly different, but also, the pieces just seemed to complement each other ideally. Chemistry comes early with teams that understand their role, play it willingly, and then perform well in it.
This season’s team has players with similar games (four combo guards and a pair of lean shot blockers off the bench), and (as Cooley noted after Wednesday’s 71-57 win over shorthanded Merrimack), “It’s just very difficult to play a ten-person rotation.”
That was an expected November challenge for this coaching staff.
What was more difficult to foresee was a seeming lack of energy and spirit six games into the season. When you find yourself peeking over the bench after every made basket to see who is engaged, it’s a sign of a team that is struggling to adjust to its new roles.
Even with those question marks looming, Providence figured to be talented enough, and experienced enough in key positions, to overcome the rotation sorting process.
On Wednesday night, we saw a solid performance from Ed Croswell (17 points, 7 rebounds on 7-10 shooting) against a Merrimack team playing without interior anchor Jordan Minor.
We also saw Jared Bynum take just three shots in 25 minutes on the floor. He finished with five points and six assists.
Following the victory, Cooley spoke of the adjustment Bynum has had to make this year — from the perks he enjoyed last year of coming in against worn down starters, to teammates that knew his game, and being atop other team’s scouting reports this season.
When asked specifically about this team’s leadership, Cooley shared, “Some people thrive with leadership, (but) some people are paralyzed by leadership. In today’s culture of kids, understand this, no one wants to be the bad guy. Everybody’s a good guy. ‘It’s okay having nine turnovers. It’s okay that he just scored 30 on you, don’t worry about it.’ Leadership is about leading the right way, even when you have to be the bad guy. That’s why leadership is lonely.”
Cooley’s tone after a win was less agitated than in Connecticut over the weekend. Now, he just seems like a coach who is looking to see which players will be his energy-givers, who will provide some leadership, and why his team felt lifeless coming out of a challenging weekend.
“I thought we were a little lackluster today. Obviously, very happy with the win, coming off of losing two tough games,” Cooley said. “We didn’t have a lot of energy out there today, which I was disappointed with.”
Merrimack did all they could to take the home crowd out of the game. After seeing PC struggle with a zone against St. Louis, the Warriors played zone on 66 of 69 defensive possessions on Wednesday night.
And let’s be clear — it wasn’t all bad for the Friars on Wednesday.
They went on an early 10-0 run (to go ahead 10-3) in which all five starters scored. They followed that up with a 12-3 spurt late in the first half that could have stretched to 14-3, but Alyn Breed had a turnover that led to a layup the other way on what should have been the final possession of the first half. It was a first half in which Providence led, 37-26, heading into the locker room.
The Friars saw Noah Locke come alive via his midrange game in the second half (14 points on 6-12 shooting from the field, 2-6 from deep), and Devin Carter play with the type of energy over the final 20 minutes that Cooley is looking for (eight of his ten rebounds came after halftime). Carter finished with 12 points, ten rebounds, and seven turnovers.
“Devin Carter’s defensive intangibles can change any game, regardless of level,” Cooley noted.
Providence also saw Jayden Pierre dish out four assists and come up with two steals in 14 minutes. If there is one player consistently showing energy off the bench, it is the freshman out of New Jersey.
PC dominated in the paint, outscoring Merrimack, 50-18, and had a 14-3 advantage on the offensive glass. The Friars’ sheer size differential was the difference in this one.
The Friars are struggling to find their shooting range, going 3-11 from beyond the arc, and taking next to no mid-range shots this season. Here is last night’s shot chart:
“The Friars will be practicing tomorrow at 10:30,” Cooley kicked off his press conference by saying.
While the question heading into the season was in regard to how the pieces fit on this roster, we aren’t far away from asking if it is the personalities that aren’t a fit.
That’s not an indictment on anyone as a teammate, rather an observation of a team that simply seems quieter and less energetic than a typical Ed Cooley group.
“It wasn’t what I thought. I’m really happy with the win, (but) we’ve just got a long way to go to be the team that we want to become,” Cooley said.
Cooley is always sure to point out that he’s happy with any win, but called this game “a subpar effort.”
“Trying to change with this landscape of just having so many new people, do they understand the culture of our organization – with energy and gratitude and an appreciation for the moment? We’ve just got to continue to get better and work at it.”