The 2014-15 PC Friars/ Big East Basketball Thread: Bigger, Deeper ... Better (?)
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Does anyone know if Dunn went back to school last week after the Big East tournament? Be curious if he does this week. I remember Shamgod never came back to school after the conference tourney and the Elite 8 run that year. If Dunn doesn't come back, we'll have our answer. Same with any of the other players, but in the case of guys like Tyler Harris, who cares.
Yes he is going to return to school and an excellent student and will return at least for the remainder of this semester as he is a kid who wants (and his father wants) his degree. He is the anti-Shammgod in that respect. Remember he choose Providence not only over Louisville but over Stanford as well.
Tremendous behind-the-scenes look at PC as they prepared for their 2nd round game vs. Dayton:
http://grantland.com/features/providence-friars-dayton-flyers-ncaa-tournament-upset-ed-cooley-kris-dunn-god-shammgod/
http://grantland.com/features/providence-friars-dayton-flyers-ncaa-tournament-upset-ed-cooley-kris-dunn-god-shammgod/
As expected Tyler Harris will not play his final season of eligibility at Providence. As he graduates this spring he'll be eligible to play at another school immediately next season. I believe the rule forbids him to play at another Big East school.
He hated the way he was used this year, his father told anyone who would listen the same, and his effort vs Dayton was embarrassing. This is two programs that didn't mind him leaving due to effort, attitude, and defensive indifference. Sayonara.
He hated the way he was used this year, his father told anyone who would listen the same, and his effort vs Dayton was embarrassing. This is two programs that didn't mind him leaving due to effort, attitude, and defensive indifference. Sayonara.
Thanks for posting that Grantland piece. There were a bunch of interesting things in there. A couple that stood out:
I couldn't be happier to hear about Shamgod. I didn't realize he ended up in China all these years, and had no idea he came back to PC to help with the team and finish his degree. If you had told me when we were in school together and he left after that Elite 8 run that he'd end up anywhere but in jail, I would have bet a lot of money against it. This was a kid that got arrested for joyriding a car during one of his recruiting trips, and was in trouble and/or arrested a number of times while he was there. How he was able to remain on the team and eligible is a mystery to, well, nobody. It's awesome to hear he has turned things around, if you can believe what's written there.
The stuff about the game preparation is just amazing when you go and watch how that preparation actually unfolded. The biggest one that I noticed was the plan to get Carson the ball at the foul line where he could then turn and look to pass and if nobody was open, knock down the 15 footer all day. Not only did they not get him the ball at the foul line, I don't remember them really even trying. He finished with ZERO shot attempts from the field. The size advantage him and Chukwu had on every player on Dayton was literally moot for the entire game. And they were right to think they were the better team. They had the better players. Dunn and Henton should have been the best players on the floor that night, but they weren't. Not even close. Ultimately, they deserved to lose. And I'm glad Cooley didn't shy away from telling them as much after the game. That's the kind of guy I'm glad is coaching at my alma mater.
I think the circumstances all really did create the perfect storm for the Friars. Like the piece says, the Friars aren't a system team. They don't have a set offense they run every night, or defense for that matter. They scout and study the hell out of their opponents to find matchups they like, and with only two days (not really even 2 full days) to prepare once they knew they would play Dayton, that really worked against them. Putting aside the home court advantage again because that's been beaten to death, but drawing the last game of the first round not only helped Dayton, but I think it hurt PC too. Reading about Henton seemingly getting ready to jump out of his skin before the game, which got delayed an hour on top of it being the last game, may have really had an affect on him. Anatomy of an upset is right. It all just seemed destined to go against them as it played out.
The one thing I despise, the one sentence, was the praise for Cartwright during his time on the floor subbing in for Dunn when Dunn got into foul trouble (I'm surprised they didn't talk much about that and Dunn's flagrant early on, but again, it wouldn't be covering any new ground so I was kind of glad he didn't). He was AWFUL. Other than that, I thought it was really well done.
I couldn't be happier to hear about Shamgod. I didn't realize he ended up in China all these years, and had no idea he came back to PC to help with the team and finish his degree. If you had told me when we were in school together and he left after that Elite 8 run that he'd end up anywhere but in jail, I would have bet a lot of money against it. This was a kid that got arrested for joyriding a car during one of his recruiting trips, and was in trouble and/or arrested a number of times while he was there. How he was able to remain on the team and eligible is a mystery to, well, nobody. It's awesome to hear he has turned things around, if you can believe what's written there.
The stuff about the game preparation is just amazing when you go and watch how that preparation actually unfolded. The biggest one that I noticed was the plan to get Carson the ball at the foul line where he could then turn and look to pass and if nobody was open, knock down the 15 footer all day. Not only did they not get him the ball at the foul line, I don't remember them really even trying. He finished with ZERO shot attempts from the field. The size advantage him and Chukwu had on every player on Dayton was literally moot for the entire game. And they were right to think they were the better team. They had the better players. Dunn and Henton should have been the best players on the floor that night, but they weren't. Not even close. Ultimately, they deserved to lose. And I'm glad Cooley didn't shy away from telling them as much after the game. That's the kind of guy I'm glad is coaching at my alma mater.
I think the circumstances all really did create the perfect storm for the Friars. Like the piece says, the Friars aren't a system team. They don't have a set offense they run every night, or defense for that matter. They scout and study the hell out of their opponents to find matchups they like, and with only two days (not really even 2 full days) to prepare once they knew they would play Dayton, that really worked against them. Putting aside the home court advantage again because that's been beaten to death, but drawing the last game of the first round not only helped Dayton, but I think it hurt PC too. Reading about Henton seemingly getting ready to jump out of his skin before the game, which got delayed an hour on top of it being the last game, may have really had an affect on him. Anatomy of an upset is right. It all just seemed destined to go against them as it played out.
The one thing I despise, the one sentence, was the praise for Cartwright during his time on the floor subbing in for Dunn when Dunn got into foul trouble (I'm surprised they didn't talk much about that and Dunn's flagrant early on, but again, it wouldn't be covering any new ground so I was kind of glad he didn't). He was AWFUL. Other than that, I thought it was really well done.
Ricky Ledo's first chance at expanded playing time last night in a 30+ point loss. 12 pts on 5-14 shooting in 26 minutes with SEVEN turnovers. He is going to need to show something to convince somebody that he's worthy of a 1-year deal this summer besides the size, length, and athleticism they all know he possesses.
It's some nice info about a former (somewhat) Friar that helped to but PC back in the news.richgedman'sghost said:
A couple inside tidbits:
- Very good chance Dunn is returning. He loves it here and wants to be a lottery pick. Right now he could go anywhere from mid-teens to late-twenties.
- Rodney Bullock looks great in workouts which will be a much needed boost if he can be an impact guy.
- Cooley is working on a big-time national game to showcase Dunn while they are out west for Wooden Classic in late Nov. Or this could just be spin to convince him to stay and that he's going out of his way to put the spotlight on him.
As it stands Kris should be a 1st Team Pre-Season All American so this has the makings of a fun year if he stays healthy and gets enough help.
- Very good chance Dunn is returning. He loves it here and wants to be a lottery pick. Right now he could go anywhere from mid-teens to late-twenties.
- Rodney Bullock looks great in workouts which will be a much needed boost if he can be an impact guy.
- Cooley is working on a big-time national game to showcase Dunn while they are out west for Wooden Classic in late Nov. Or this could just be spin to convince him to stay and that he's going out of his way to put the spotlight on him.
As it stands Kris should be a 1st Team Pre-Season All American so this has the makings of a fun year if he stays healthy and gets enough help.
HomeRunBaker said:
Couple this with the recruits they've got coming in and I think this team might be even better next year, even with losing Derosiers, Henton and Harris. They'll have more scoring options coming in (Fazekas, Council, Edwards) while adding some size in Owens (6'8", 240lbs) in the upcoming class.I expect Bentil and especially Lindsey to continue to develop as scorers with Chukwu clogging the middle. Bullock will add more scoring and some size as well at the SF position. I still think they might have one more spot for maybe a fifth year senior since Harris left and are currently courting Eric Paschall from Fordham, who was the A-10 Rookie of the Year this season. The glue to all of this is Dunn though. If he doesn't comeback, the program is going to struggle to find their number one guy. If he does, the guys around him will develop faster with him at PG and we're looking at another top 25-ish team.
Asst. coach Bob Simon hitting the road to join Avery Johnson's staff at Alabama. A loss for sure as he was an excellent recruiter.
https://twitter.com/WojYahooNBA/status/590956357207121920
Woj reporting that Dunn is coming back for his Junior season. The school has come out and said no official decision has been made, but it would be highly uncharacteristic of Woj to get something like this wrong.
I think it's a win-win for all parties: Expert mocks have Dunn falling anywhere from the cusp of the lottery to the end of the first round. If the NBA consensus is closer to the latter than the former, he's precariously close to missing out on any guaranteed money. Come back to PC (insurance policy in-hand) as a pre-season All American, build on this season's success, and he can leave with his draft status solidified... not to mention a degree.
Should be a fun team in 2015-16.
Woj reporting that Dunn is coming back for his Junior season. The school has come out and said no official decision has been made, but it would be highly uncharacteristic of Woj to get something like this wrong.
I think it's a win-win for all parties: Expert mocks have Dunn falling anywhere from the cusp of the lottery to the end of the first round. If the NBA consensus is closer to the latter than the former, he's precariously close to missing out on any guaranteed money. Come back to PC (insurance policy in-hand) as a pre-season All American, build on this season's success, and he can leave with his draft status solidified... not to mention a degree.
Should be a fun team in 2015-16.
- Simon was more than just a loss. Simon was THE recruiter for Cooley at both Fairfield and Providence. I don't know how he's easily replaced as his contacts stretched throughout the country. If we are relying on a dog like Andre LaFleur we are going to feel it big time! We need Blaney to step up and/or Cooley to lure a big time recruiter here. It would be nice to get Shammgod on a paid job to retain him as he can really help get top tier PG's to Providence......he already was instrumental in Dunn staying.god loves the sox said:
- Cooley did get a deal done for an Illinois game in mid-November in the Gaviit game. When I heard he was looking for a big pre-season game I was hoping something like Arizona but those games are just so hard to make for a team in our position.
- Found out a few days ago Dunn was definitely staying but wasn't on here (sorry). It makes a ton of sense for him and confirmed reasons were......getting degree next June (Cooley's stance on education was a HUGE part of Dunn being here to begin with, Kris loves it at PC and loves working with Shammgod, no guarantee of anything in the draft......some feedback had him from 25-35 if certain teams went with another PG, he always wanted to be a lottery pick and All-American.....Kris Dunn will be a Pre-Season All American with the spotlight right on him and the Friars! Good times on Admiral Street!!
Dunn coming back is HUGE. Gives us a bonafide star for one more year while the recruits we have develop and Cooley can continue to recruit.HomeRunBaker said:
Post-season banquet was held at the Omni last night. Here are the awards:
Bandwagon jumper? Guilty as charged. But I think 2015-16 is going to be a really exciting season, and I'm thrilled for the chance to see it all live.
- Co-MVPs: Dunn & Henton
- Coaches Award: Desrosiers
- Promising Prospect: Chukwu
- Defensive POY: Dunn
- Hustle: Bentil
- Academics: Planek
Bandwagon jumper? Guilty as charged. But I think 2015-16 is going to be a really exciting season, and I'm thrilled for the chance to see it all live.
And Cooley nails it!!! Jeff Battle replaces Simon and this is a great get! Living 30 minutes from Wake Forest when Battle was first hired, seeing him not only survive 3 head coaches (unheard of for an asst) who want to bring in their own guys, and then producing some of the nations beat recruiting classes while facing obstacles of being the little fish in the big pond down there.HomeRunBaker said:
I'm not talking only about Chris Paul who wanted to remain in his backyard but Battle was the main recruiter to lure Aminu, Teague, Ish Smith, and James Johnson. He wasn't the main guy in '03 but was on the staff that secured Josh Howard and Darius Songaila. Having someone who has worked with Paul and Teague can only help Dunn as well. I wonder how much, if at all, this affects Shammgod receiving a full paying assistant gig. I'll try and find out more on this.
Wake has always shared similar challenges as PC over the years between demographics and being a private liberal arts school with <5k students competing with the basketball powers so this isn't new grounds for Battle.
http://hoopdirt.com/cooley-adds-battle-to-friars-staff-2/
Agreed, the Chukwu news is a pretty big gut punch this late in the off-season. Completely unexpected.
Two open scholarships, so hopefully Cooley can lure a graduate transfer with some size... but damn, it's painful to lose two front-court contributors to transfer (even if Harris was expected).
Two open scholarships, so hopefully Cooley can lure a graduate transfer with some size... but damn, it's painful to lose two front-court contributors to transfer (even if Harris was expected).
Kris Dunn and Ben Simmons putting on a show at the Nike Academy. This could really be as special a season we haven't seen from an individual player since 1972.
Andrew Slater @ASlater247
Several college players will be drafted next year, but two standouts today were Kris Dunn (PC) & Ben Simmons (LSU) #NikeBasketballAcademy
6:08 PM - 27 Jun 2015
Rob Dauster @RobDauster
They've got Kris Dunn and Ben Simmons on the same team here and it's not fair. They're putting on a ball-screen clinic right now.
5:17 PM - 27 Jun 2015
http://friarbasketball.com/2015/06/27/kris-dunn-at-nike-basketball-academy/
Andrew Slater @ASlater247
Several college players will be drafted next year, but two standouts today were Kris Dunn (PC) & Ben Simmons (LSU) #NikeBasketballAcademy
6:08 PM - 27 Jun 2015
Rob Dauster @RobDauster
They've got Kris Dunn and Ben Simmons on the same team here and it's not fair. They're putting on a ball-screen clinic right now.
5:17 PM - 27 Jun 2015
http://friarbasketball.com/2015/06/27/kris-dunn-at-nike-basketball-academy/
Where my Friars at??? Home opener vs Harvard tonight at The Dunk.
* Friars win 76-64
* Dunn with 32/6/5/9 (steals)
* Rodney Bullock dropped 20
* Almost zero production from players 5-8 which is a big concern on this team.
Great start for Kris in his Wooden Award quest. Had slow start missing 13 of his first 17 FGA with many listed as "lay ups" in the line. Looks like he completely took over game offensively in the 2nd half making his final 5 shots.
* Friars win 76-64
* Dunn with 32/6/5/9 (steals)
* Rodney Bullock dropped 20
* Almost zero production from players 5-8 which is a big concern on this team.
Great start for Kris in his Wooden Award quest. Had slow start missing 13 of his first 17 FGA with many listed as "lay ups" in the line. Looks like he completely took over game offensively in the 2nd half making his final 5 shots.
I thought Fazekas looked good after he hit his first shot. Lindsay was suspended so hard to judge depth with a starter not playing.
This team will go as far as Dunn, Bullock, and to a lesser extent Bentil take them. Outside shooting from Fazekas and Lindsay makes their jobs much easier. Dunn is capable of a quadruple double against a lesser team, watching him last night he looks much more confident and in control than last year.