What to Watch for in the Mal Brown Scrimmage
The Mal Brown scrimmage returns on October 15 at 4pm at the Amica Mutual Pavilion. Here are a few storylines to watch for.
There will be a lot of enthusiasm in the building when the Mal Brown Scrimmage returns on Saturday to the newly-renamed Amica Mutual Pavilion.
While the coaching staff may not put much credence into anything coming out of a single intra-squad exhibition, there were a few signs of things to come when the Friars held a scrimmage in Alumni Hall a year ago.
We saw the competitiveness of the 2021-22 Friars, as the game went into double overtime before Al Durham made a pair of free throws late to win it. There was a trimmed down Ed Croswell holding his own against Nate Watson, Noah Horchler hitting a big jumper late in regulation, and Jared Bynum shooting with renewed confidence (22 points on 4-8 from deep).
At this time last year, Bynum and Croswell had few advocates outside of the program after struggling through the previous season. A year later, times have certainly changed. The veteran duo is not only tasked with producing on the floor, but ensuring the winning culture that was taken to another level a season ago remains in place. They are also widely revered in Providence.
Ed Cooley has stressed that aside from Bynum, Croswell, and junior guard Alyn Breed, Providence is incorporating eight newcomers who have never played a minute for the Friars.
It may only be a single scrimmage, but this is a chance for a group of talented players to compete and try to separate themselves and carve out regular minutes. And even if the game is downplayed by the staff, there is something to be gleaned from seeing who shines while playing in front of a crowd for the first time.
Here’s what to watch for: