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LOCATION: Providence, RI
CONFERENCE: Big East
LAST SEASON: 16-14 (.466)
CONFERENCE RECORD: 9-9 (t-6)
STARTERS LOST/RETURNING: 3/2
NICKNAME: Friars
COLORS: Black &White
HOMECOURT: Providence Coliseum (12,993)
COACH: Tim Welsh (Potsdam State '84)
record at school 16-14 (1 year)
career record 86-36 (3 years)
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ASSISTANTS: Steve DeMeo (SUNY-Buffalo, '87)
King Rice (North Carolina, '91)
Bob Walsh (Hamilton, '94).
RPI (last 5 years) 64-43-31-76-91
TEAM WINS: (last 5 years) 17-17-24-13-16
RPI (last 5 years) Lost in NIT first round.
1998-99 FINISH: And now for the obligatory step back. Not a big one, mind you, but Providence will lose a little ground in the Big East this season, the better to move ahead in the immediate future.
ESPN.com Clubhouse
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Call it a reorganization. A regrouping. With eight newcomers and some substantial talent losses, it's hard to think the Friars will linger on the NCAA bubble into February, as they did during 1998-99, Tim Welsh's maiden journey in Rhode Island's capital. This won't be a popular sentiment with the Friar crowd. Welsh was hired to play in NCAA Tournaments, not have a sophomore slump. But whenever a coach is called upon to change some things, there is bound to be a period of adjustment. Because last year's team had a star Jamel Thomas around which it could orbit, the Friars put off their minor correction, to use the parlance of Wall Street. This year, unless all the fresh faces are able to blend seamlessly with the holdovers, Providence will struggle to keep up with the Big East's attack pack of Villanova, Georgetown, Rutgers and Seton Hall. "Any time you take over a program, it takes time to put your stamp on it," Welsh said. "We've been fortunate to have the scholarships available to get kids that fit into our system." The Friars sure did do some shopping during the recruiting period. Arriving are four freshmen, three JUCO newcomers and Florida State transfer Karim Shabazz, a class Hoop Scoop rated as eighth best in the country. Big East Briefs was a little less enthusiastic, giving the Friars the sixth spot in what is a strong league-wide crop. Whatever the preseason rating, there is little doubt Providence will have a much different personality this season. Thomas and his 22.0 ppg are gone. So, too, is guard Sean Connolly (11.0 ppg, 3.2 rpg), last year's second-leading scorer, who left town for Ohio State without so much as a word of warning to Welsh. In their place is a collection of prospects and suspects, exclamation points and question marks. And there will be at least two more fresh faces come next season. Talk about your turnovers. Welsh means business. Leading the way among the holdovers is 6-6 junior Erron Maxey (9.9 ppg, 5.9 rpg), who was the team's second-leading board man and third on the scoring list last year. A solid finisher close to the basket and a good defender, Maxey had to play out of place last year, thanks to the Friars' lack of interior players. He should move to the wing this season, although that means he must improve his shooting range.
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Blue Ribbon Analysis |
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BACKCOURT C+ BENCH/DEPTH B
FRONTCOURT B- INTANGIBLES B
If everything goes right, the Friars could be a first division Big East club. But this isn't a perfect world, so some growing pains can be expected. There are several keys to this year's team. It starts in the middle, where Karim Shabazz and David Murray must transform the Friars from a team that was outrebounded last year and allowed rivals to make a startling .473 percent of their field-goal tries to one that can lock down the paint. There must also be an emergence of a first-rate offensive weapon. With Jamel Thomas and Sean Connolly gone, there is no go-to guy. If Providence doesn't find one, it will be in big trouble down the stretch of tight league games. Coach Tim Welsh has done a good job bringing in players who fit his up-tempo system. Now, he must blend them into a team that can do more than just run. He needs some perimeter pop and interior muscle. Providence will show signs of that this year, but the real payoff comes in a year or two. |
He will find competition there from two freshmen, 6-7 Romeo Augustine (Rayen HS/Youngstown, Ohio/Montreal, Quebec) and Marcus Jefferson (Notre Dame, Mass., Prep/East Chicago, Ind.). Augustine is a first-team all-state selection who led Rayen to the state final and averaged 23.0 ppg and 11.0 rpg as a senior. A nimble sort who can shoot the three, handle it well and get out on the floor, Augustine fits in well with Welsh's up-tempo system. Jefferson, meanwhile, has an inside/outside game and some court presence that should earn him minutes. He averaged 18.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg and 3.0 apg as a senior at Notre Dame. Welsh should plug Shabazz and 6-9 JUCO import David Murray into the power spots. Shabazz is a 7-2 pivot who has beefed up to about 235 pounds, making him look quite different than the rail who patrolled the middle for the Seminoles. He will be eligible after the first semester and will give Providence much-needed shot blocking skills down low. During his last full season at FSU (1997-98), Shabazz averaged 5.1 ppg, 3.8 rpg and 1.2 bpg. Before transferring to Providence, he scored 9.2 ppg, pulled down 8.0 rpg and blocked 3.3 shots a game in a semester of action. He has potential, but can't be considered a dominating pivot. "Really, the only weakness he has is that he gets bumped around in the lane," Welsh said. "He has good skills, good hands, good feet and a good feel for the game." Murray (Mesa, Ariz., CC/All Hallows HS/New York, N.Y.) is something of a smaller version of Shabazz, although he is a little huskier at 6-9, 225. Murray didn't play last season, thanks to an academic portfolio in need of serious attention, but he can be an imposing defender who can run the floor and block shots. "He's a face-up guy who's athletic and can get out and play people on the perimeter," Welsh said. "He's untapped, but he has a lot of potential. He and Shabazz are a good duo that will make sure we don't get wiped out on the front line, like last year." Rounding out the frontcourt is 6-7 senior Llewellyn Cole (4.0 ppg, 2.3 rpg, .592% FG), who should see about 10 minutes a game. Junior point guard John Linehan (4.4 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 3.8 apg, 3.1 spg, .797% FT) may not be the biggest (5-9, 165) guy around, and his shot is pretty wayward (.319% FG), but there isn't a tougher player in the league or perhaps the nation. He had teeth knocked out on two different occasions last year. He also refused to let team doctors X-ray his wrist during the last six weeks of the season because he knew it was broken and didn't want to come out of the lineup. A superior defender, quick penetrator and good passer, Linehan needs improve his shot or he will risk losing time to 6-3 freshman Abdul Mills (Milford, Conn., Academy/Brooklyn, N.Y.), who averaged 17.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg and 7.5 apg last season. "He has broad shoulders and long arms," Welsh said. "I loved him as a player three years ago. He's a push point who can play in the open court and get by people." There are plenty of candidates for the two spot, beginning with 6-4 junior Jamaal Camah (4.6 ppg, 2.0 rpg), who demonstrated a consistent ability to score last year, but didn't begin to play defense until the last half of the season. Although Welsh wants to get the ball upcourt quickly and ring the scoring bell, he also needs people who can create turnovers that lead to open-court opportunities. Unless Camah can do that, he will come off the bench. The man he will most likely play behind is 6-2 junior Donta Wade, who scored more than 1,200 points during his two-year JUCO career at Southeastern Illinois CC. Wade, who grew up in Huntington, W.Va., averaged 18.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 3.7 apg and 2.2 spg last year. He can hit the three, make the pass and take people off the dribble. "He's a real scorer who loves to go to the rim," Welsh said. "He weighs 220 pounds and is strong." Also in the two spot mix is 6-4 junior Chris Rogers (Bossier Parish, La., CC/Shreveport, La.), whom Welsh considers a "utility man," capable of playing either guard spot. He averaged 10.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg and 5.0 apg last year and shot .400 on his three-point attempts. Providence hopes to have 6-5 swingman Mark Jarrel-Wright (St. Benedict's HS/Newark, N.J.) at full strength by the time play begins for real. Jarrel-Wright tore his ACL early last season, but was given clearance to play fullcourt ball back in July and is expected to be ready when practice starts. The big question is whether he will regain the burst that made him such a great wing man. The final piece of the backcourt puzzle is 6-0 sophomore walk-on Kareem Hayletts (0.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg, 1 appearance).
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