Next Friar win must be on the court

Is it safe to write this column yet? It’s the one where we put a wrap on an ugly spring in Providence with the decommitments of two players who were supposed to help rebuild a program that hasn’t won an NCAA tournament game in 13 years.

On Wednesday the top point guard in New England reopened his recruitment and on Thursday an All American who already signed on the dotted line asked for his release.

This has been a shocking and painful tease of a spring for Providence fans. A tease because just over two months ago Friartown was buzzing with talk of Keno Davis sending a message in landing his latest recruiting jewel in Naadir Tharpe. Davis and his staff sent a loud notice to the rest of the Big East and among recruiting circles in New England: Providence was on the rise and ready to build around perhaps the top two guards in New England’s 2010 and 2011 classes. It was a message Friar fans had longed to hear. Many of those fans were quick to forget a 19 loss season upon hearing the news of Tharpe’s commitment. The buzz was back in Friartown. It is amazing how quickly the mood of a fanbase can change.

The pain comes from being so close to turning that long-awaited corner. With visions of Tharpe learning under all-freshman guard Vincent Council, the Friars looked to have the depth in the backcourt they had been lacking for over a decade. Council was a proven commodity, forcing his way into the starting lineup early in year one and at times looking like the best player on the roster.

Surrounding Council with Scout’s 35th ranked player nationally (Coleman) and ESPN and Parade All American Joseph Young, 2010-11 would be the first step in establishing a new era in Providence College basketball. Adding the ultra-talented Tharpe to the mix was going to push this group to the next level, one in which they wouldn’t be entering games against the likes of Louisville, Connecticut, or Villanova in a personnel-mismatch. Say what you will about Keno Davis’ first two seasons in Providence, but rarely did he coach the team with the most talent on the floor once the conference schedule began. Soon enough this team wouldn’t be overwhelmed by the talent in the Big East.

The shock comes from how rapidly the bad news came. Johnnie Lacy and James Still embarrassed the college and not long after Greedy Peterson was sent packing as well. Just a few weeks later, recruiting ace Pat Skerry was off to Pittsburgh, and seemingly within hours Tharpe and Young jumped ship as well.

It is amazing how quickly the mood of a fanbase can change indeed.

There are huge sales jobs to be done in the upcoming weeks for Coach Davis. He has to sell this program to a top recruiter, to recruits, and perhaps most importantly, to the fanbase. While no one can blame Skerry for taking the Pitt job or Tharpe for opening up his recruitment, this recent string of events has not only been a blow to the fortunes of Providence, but the pride of its fanbase. It looked like that pride was on the verge of being restored with all of the talent on the way and now it is being hit harder than ever.

Keno Davis is facing the biggest challenge of his coaching career and there is little that can happen this summer that will erase the fallout of this spring, which is ironic because Providence seemed to be getting its most impressive victories on the recruiting trail of late. The program that looked like it would be able to compete with top tier Big East level teams from a talent standpoint must win next year by outcoaching and playing with greater effort than their opponents.

This is why this staff’s next big statement has to come on the court. It is hard to fathom what could happen between now and November that could negate the impact of this spring, but a surprisingly successful 2010-11 season will go a long way towards erasing the memory of it.

Davis faces a significant challenge with a young team, one that may have just lost what looked to be a key contributor for next year. At this point it is difficult to imagine anything happening between now and November that will turn the tide off the court, but as a competitor he must be dying for the 2010-11 season to begin to start reshaping the face of Providence basketball on it. Next season is more than your typical rebuilding year for Providence, it is an opportunity to rebuild the image of the program.

November is a long way away, but it can’t get here fast enough for Keno Davis. It has been a long offseason which will be followed by a fascinating regular season.