Back in January what they had in common then was popping up in recruiting. In the spring in which they took over both men had to convince a promising high school senior to come to Providence (Sean Connolly in '98, Bilal Dixon in '08) and had to fill "mega-classes" in their first year on campus.
Here is what I wrote at the time:
Shockingly in hindsight, one of the most credible recruiting sources at the time, Hoop Scoop, ranked this class the 8th best in the country.
The results were less than stellar on the court and even worse off of it. Failing to meet expectations, Wade and Murray did not contribute in year 1 and were gone after pummeling a classmate over a bar room (if you can call Prime Time a bar room) disagreement. Jefferson showed flashes but transferred, Jarrell-Wright did the same, and the four hold overs (Mills, Augustin, Shabazz and Rogers) helped salvage the class by all playing critical roles on the 2001 NCAA Tournament team.
Little did I know at the time just how similar things would get for Providence a decade later.
Fast forward six months and the similarities continue to pile up. The final records are nearly identical (12-19 for Keno, 11-19 for Welsh), the top-rated recruit for each was ranked 2nd in New England (Marcus Douthit then, Gerard Coleman now), each had to leave the US to bring in multiple players to fill out the roster (Chris Anrin and Maris Laksa then, Brice Kofane and Lee Goldsbrough today) after off-court incidents hit the news, both struck out with Junior College transfers, and each entered their third season with a roster stuffed with question marks.
Yet, Welsh recovered the next season with a tournament bid. How?
For starters, the addition of Douthit, combined with 7'2 senior Karim Shabazz, gave Providence length rarely seen at the school. Laksa scored 9 points per game off of the bench and combined with Anrin, they stretched the floor in a way the previous edition of the Friars couldn't have dreamed. Abdul Mills and Rome Augustin emerged as sophomores, Erron Maxey provided senior leadership and grit in the paint, and most importantly Providence benefitted from the return of John Linehan who had played only six games the previous year due to injury.
The identity of the team changed as Linehan battled with Shane Battier for national defensive player of the year honors, while Douthit and Shabazz protected the rim. Suddenly, the Friars were a defensive juggernaut.
A team that couldn't shoot straight the year prior suddenly had four players that shot over 40% from 3 in Big East play.
It was also a down year for the Big East as both Providence and Boston College, cellar dwellars the season prior, shot their way to the top of the standings a year later, while traditional powers like Connecticut suffered through a down season.
Much can be learned from that group, but duplicating their feat will be difficult. While Providence would clearly benefit from upping the defensive intensity next year, and outside shooting was and looks to be a problem this year as well, they do not have two seven footers and the nation's best on-ball defender at their disposal. They are also facing a bigger and deeper Big East.
If Linehan's defense made him the most talented returnee in 2000, then Greedy Peterson's offense might have made him the most talented of this bunch. A previously offensively inept Linehan transformed himself into a 40% plus 3 point shooter by the time his junior season rolled around, and it would have been interesting to see if Peterson could have done the same on defense. You could make the case that Welsh returned his most talented player, while Davis is losing his.
The 2000-01 season was a perfect storm for Welsh, and the result changed the perception of him and the program to many at the time, but it may be even more challenging for Davis in his third season.
Notes:
- Got an email last week noting that Ryan Boatright and Mike Chandler (both top 75 type talents) could potentially be on their way for a visit to PC soon. It was under the radar at the time, but word seems to be spreading about a potential visit for each. Can't say I know much about either having never seen them play, but I was told they are friends. A package deal is a long shot (Chandler is #27 nationally per ESPN), but it's worth noting that they are supposedly very tight.
- Nerlens Noel has officially exploded this summer. Some think he's better than Khem Birch.
- Not sure what to expect out of Lee Goldsbrough, but the combination of him coming this late and being European has PC fans skeptical. Davidson coach Bob McKillop has had success overseas and was quoted yesterday on how European big men are developing.
