2021-22 Providence College Hoops: The Boys Are (Mostly) Back in Town

pdaj

Fantasy Maven
SoSH Member
Dec 15, 2002
3,385
From Springfield to Providence
This time is unreal. Debating cashing in a babysitting card to make the trip to Chicago next weekend. Gotta make the call tomorrow.

There’s a part of me that says save it incase this team keeps winning.

Wish this season lasted another 3 months!
I had thoughts about going to Chicago for the KU game — but we’re leaving the following day for our wedding anniversary trip to SF/Napa.

I’m still having thoughts. . . .
If you can make it work, strongly consider that those who passed it up in 1997 had a 25 year wait before the next sweet 16 trip.
I thought about it ...

And just couldn't pass it up!

Ticket/flight/hotel booked.

Go, Friars!
 

Mloaf71

Well-Known Member
Gold Supporter
SoSH Member
Jul 13, 2005
644
Turns out the in-laws can only watch the kids Friday night so I’d have to fly back Saturday.

Still very tempted to pull the trigger. This team certainly deserves the crowd.
 

CouchsideSteve

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 16, 2013
438
Norwalk, CT
I went to Buffalo as mentioned upthread, and thought I was going to be too tired to swing another trip. But if you can afford it and make it work, these kids deserve the support — so I’m going and I guess will catch up on sleep Sunday.

Figure I’m taking a seat from a likely Jayhawks fan.
 

HomeRunBaker

bet squelcher
SoSH Member
Jan 15, 2004
30,096
Seeing the ISU and Miami scores roll in were the first time it really hit me that “oh, this team has a *real* path to the Final Four now.”
Imagine if Creighton was able to hang on and beat Kansas? That dream a poster had earlier of making the Final Four by beating all double digit seeds could have come to fruition.
 

Mloaf71

Well-Known Member
Gold Supporter
SoSH Member
Jul 13, 2005
644
I thought about it ...

And just couldn't pass it up!

Ticket/flight/hotel booked.

Go, Friars!
Ok you got me. Flight and Hotel booked, still working on tickets, debating if secondary market will come down, but we will be there.
 

pdaj

Fantasy Maven
SoSH Member
Dec 15, 2002
3,385
From Springfield to Providence
Ok you got me. Flight and Hotel booked, still working on tickets, debating if secondary market will come down, but we will be there.
Awesome! Hold tight; I bet you find a deal. I pounced on the very best ticket I could find because … well, I don’t have kids.

I also have a quick turn-around (flying back Saturday) because I’m consulting on Sunday. Still couldn’t pass up seeing the Friars win a Sweet 16 matchup.

Who knows how many more 25-year intervals either of us have.

Haha, have fun, and go, Friars!
 

Mloaf71

Well-Known Member
Gold Supporter
SoSH Member
Jul 13, 2005
644
Good stuff. In case you haven’t seen a bunch of fans have put together some pregame festivities for Friday. Info below:

Team hotel send off at 3:30 at the Hilton Chicago on South Michigan ave. From there there is an event at a bar called the Ogden near the United Center at 4.
 

Deathofthebambino

Drive Carefully
SoSH Member
Apr 12, 2005
41,947
I plan to be Armenian Drinking Game Thread hammered by kick off of this one.

I'm apologizing in advance for anything that happens late night around here, especially if they win.
 

NickEsasky

Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em
Silver Supporter
SoSH Member
Jul 24, 2001
9,190
Friars fought hard and played great defense overall but the shots just wouldn’t fall. Fun season but it sucks to fall short because they missed so many shots.
 

Mloaf71

Well-Known Member
Gold Supporter
SoSH Member
Jul 13, 2005
644
Damn. I love those guys.

would have paid a lot to watch another 3 or 4 games.

they deserve all the credit in the world for this year.
 
Last edited:

Mloaf71

Well-Known Member
Gold Supporter
SoSH Member
Jul 13, 2005
644
Cooley rapidly rebuilding the roster over the last week or so. The S16 run, COY, and media attention seems to be paying off:

1. Devin Carter - SG/Wing SEC All Freshman team last year from South Carolina, next year will be his true Sophomore year
2. Clifton Moore - Grad transfer. Big who played at Indiana before transferring to La Salle averaged over 2.5 blocks/game and has a jumper to step out a bit
3. Noah Locke - Grad transfer. SG from Florida/Lville who Cooley recruited out of HS. 3 point shooter to replace AJ

Keep an eye on Bryce Hopkins (true sophomore next year) from Kentucky and Corey Floyd Jr (RS Frosh I believe) from UConn with the last two scholarships.

Add those 5 to Bynum, Croswell, Castro, Pierre, and Breed and this team is as deep and talented as it has even been with good balance between the classes.

Can coach work his magic again and get everyone to bond?
 

Humphrey

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 3, 2010
3,163
Hopkins is from Illinois but has relatives in Mass., I'd say PC has a decent chance to get him. In fact, his uncle may have played at Stonehill with Cooley or at least knows him.
 

Mloaf71

Well-Known Member
Gold Supporter
SoSH Member
Jul 13, 2005
644
Came here to post the same thing. This is the deepest and most highly rated assembly of talent I’ve seen on a Friars roster. Can Cooley get this many new guys to mesh, get me to October!

It still feels like Hopkins happens which will be something else:

View: https://twitter.com/FriarsCapital/status/1518370311279976448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1518370311279976448%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2F247sports.com%2Fcollege%2Fprovidence%2Fboard%2F102629%2FContents%2Fhopkins-185984518%2F%3Fpage%3D9
 

HomeRunBaker

bet squelcher
SoSH Member
Jan 15, 2004
30,096



Big time addition. Bringing in Hopkins, as well, would just be unreal.

I nabbed season tickets just in time.
You know time is flying by and you’re getting old when you realize it’s been 30 years since his Dad played here for Rick Barnes. Jesus.
 

CouchsideSteve

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 16, 2013
438
Norwalk, CT
I haven’t posted since the Sweet 16 game, just because I haven’t been ready to say goodbye to the season. But my word, the talent infusion in Apr is unlike anything we’ve seen.

Andy Katz says we’re now top 20 for next season.
 

HomeRunBaker

bet squelcher
SoSH Member
Jan 15, 2004
30,096
What a huge get right there! I can’t recall a Friar frontcourt recruit with more NBA size/skill since Eric Williams. Hopefully he gets in shape and last years pudge was from him not used to sitting on the bench.

Safe to say that the transfer protocol is going to elevate Cooley to that upper echelon of coaches behind Bill Self now that Kaye and Wright (and Roy depending how you feel about him) are no longer ahead of him on the totem pole.
 

CouchsideSteve

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 16, 2013
438
Norwalk, CT
The excitement of the transfer portal made it feel like the 2021-22 season never ended -- it simply rolled over to the now-much-anticipated 2022-23 vintage. Everyone goes off to enjoy their summer, then we resume the march in the fall (no pun intended). Why look back, when every solitary indicator of program health is pointing up? Coming off the best season in two decades, the team has leveled-up its talent baseline, the school has sold an unheard of (for Providence) 10k+ season tickets, and long-time archrival Villanova has said goodbye to its Hall of Fame coach. Expectations are high.

But I'd be remiss not to reflect on just how enjoyable this past season was. Sitting in the United Center, where PC staged a spirited comeback against the eventual national champion Kansas Jayhawks, I had goosebumps at multiple points: The team introductions; Cooley firing up the Friars section behind his bench as they fought back from a double-digit deficit; and taking the lead with just 5min left to play. PC was a few bounces from winning that game, and then who knows? I truly believe we cheered on one of the ten best teams in college basketball last season at Providence College. Pretty incredible.

Nate Watson and Noah Horchler put off overseas professional careers by a year to take another run at it. AJ Reeves stayed the course, despite multiple injury setbacks giving him doubts. Al Durham and Justin Minaya transferred into the program and exceeded our wildest expectations. Jared Bynum spent an offseason locked in the gym, improving from question mark to 2nd team all-conference. Ed Croswell did the same, completley changing his physique -- and in turn, his upside. Walk-on Drew Fonts came back for a fifth year, and if you ask me, the Friars don't complete the 19-point comeback against Butler without him draining a 3 at the end of the first half (and if they didn't do that, they probably don't win the Big East title). Champions, every last one of them.

Providence is an underdog city, and the Friars are an underdog team. The stretches of brilliance have been few and far between, which is what makes it so great to savor the moments. After blowing out Richmond in the second round of the tournament, a bunch of the players climbed through the stands to grab food. They were on cloud nine, soaking it all in as the fans applauded. Later, as we were leaving the arena, my wife snapped this picture of Noah and Nate -- we didn't stop, just waved and clapped as they chatted up some fans. The look on Noah's face captures what the season felt like.


51979