Friar Basketball: PC Hoops For All

Kris Dunn Crosses the 2,000 point mark, New London Closes Regular Season 18-2

2012-02-19T07:49:00.000-05:00

On Friday night, Kris Dunn became only the 18th player in Connecticut high school basketball history to score 2,000 points, as New London High School won their final regular season game to finish 18-2 on the year.

Quick Hit Thoughts After a Struggle Against Georgetown

2012-02-18T23:03:00.000-05:00

Batts, PC were overmatched Saturday (AP)

1. The early portion of the Big East schedule didn't do Providence any favors. Five of their first seven conference games came against nationally ranked opponents, but after a 79-72 loss to Marquette on January 21, PC's next seven games came against unranked foes. Georgetown is the first ranked team PC had seen since Marquette came to town and they looked the part defensively on Saturday night.

That span offered the Friars several opportunities to starting picking up wins, but they dropped six of the seven, and it looks as though a loss to South Florida in which they stumbled over the game's final two minutes might have been the proverbial straw the broke the camel's back.

Providence was out of sorts offensively against Cincinnati Wednesday and again against Georgetown Saturday, as suddenly the team that scored well enough, but struggled to get the key stop is having trouble generating offense.

Credit Cincinnati for being the first of Providence's opponents of late to really challenge PC's guards beyond the three point arc. The Hoyas are simply too long on the perimeter for the Friars at this point.

For the third game in a row Providence's offense stalled. They shot 30% in a home loss to USF, salvaged a decent scoring night with a huge second half rally against Cincinnati, and had their worst offensive half of the season, going 4-28 in the first against Georgetown.

2. Not coincidentally, PC's offense has stagnated as Bryce Cotton has struggled from the field. After his explosion at Villanova, Cotton has shot 5-34 over his last three games. The sophomore has been terrific for a majority of this season, as Ed Cooley has said on more than one occasion that he believes Cotton is the most improved player in the country, but he's struggled to find open looks of late.

Against Georgetown it was more a matter of the Hoyas' length combined with the absence of slashing guard Gerard Coleman that forced Cotton into taking a number of contested shots (he put up 13 three point field goals in the game) leading to a down night, but its reasonable to question if his legs are starting to feel it after logging 39 minutes per game this season.

The six days off prior to a trip to DePaul should help, and it would be fitting if Cotton closed his season as well as he played for a majority of it. He's going to be a valuable piece in an offense featuring more slashers and shooters next season.

3. Speaking of next season, one of the biggest improvements that will come with the arrival of McDonald's All American Kris Dunn is in having a much-needed second play-maker. While Vincent Council is set to lead the Big East in assists for the second year in a row, there simply aren't any other players on the team this year who have consistently made plays for their teammates.

Cotton's 2.3 assists per game is good for second on the team, Coleman's 2.1 third, with LaDontae Henton fourth at 1.1. The rest of the roster is under one per.

4. Ron Giplaye played his best game of the season, shooting 3-4 from the field and grabbing five offensive rebounds in a spot start, and I can't imagine many thought Brice Kofane would shoot 10 free throws on the night.

Kofane hadn't taken a free throw since the Marquette loss January 21 and logged three DNP-CDs since.

Giplaye's seven rebounds and 21 minutes were both season highs.

5. Providence never led in this game. It was the second game in a row in which they never had a lead.

More on Henton's Monster Year, Assists Tallying Up for Council

2012-02-18T12:01:00.000-05:00

Henton

1. While much of Friartown has been focused on next year's freshman class, Providence has a pretty special one right now. The conference portion of the schedule is when freshmen are typically exposed in the Big East, but LaDontae Henton has seen a spike in production against better competition. Just how good has he been?

His 14.7 points (14th in the BE) and 8.1 rebounds (8th in BE) per game in conference play make him a shoe-in for the All-Rookie Team. What's more impressive is the efficiency in which he's shooting. Henton's shooting percentage has sky-rocketed in Big East play, as he's a shade under 50% from the field (.493) after hovering in the mid to low 40s through the season's first two months. From long range he's quietly shot a terrific .460, the third best mark in the conference.

A year ago at this time there weren't many in Providence who had ever heard of LaDontae Henton. Now he's a critical building block in the Friars' attempt to claw their way back to respectability.

2. Speaking of under the radar statistics, Vincent Council is far and away the top assist man in the Big East. In conference play Council has handed out 7.7 assists per game, well ahead of the next two players on the list (Jordan Theodore 6.4, Junior Cadougan 5.9).

At this rate, Council is on pace to be one of only four players to average over seven assists per game in conference play over the last decade in the Big East, and the company is excellent. Notre Dame's Chris Thomas averaged 7.6 in 2002, Marcus Williams 7.84 in '04, and Levance Fields 7.5 (all including non-conference games).

Council is on pace to be the first player to lead the Big East in assists two years in a row since Thomas in 2003. Thomas did it on a 24 win Notre Dame team featuring a pair of shooters who played in the NBA (Chris Quinn, Matt Carroll) and a former McDonald's All American in the paint (Torin Francis).

Coming Soon: The Transition to Friarbasketball.com

2012-02-17T07:30:00.002-05:00

Better days at the Dunk will require more coverage

Story highlights include:

Friarbasketball.net is transitioning to Friarbasketball.com
The introduction of Craig Belhumeur to the Friarbasketball staff
Site will have a new look and feel

I had no idea what to expect when I started this site 27 months ago - or how much I’d learn. All I knew was that I had a passion for the program and an unyielding desire to write about all aspects of it, continuing the talk of Providence College basketball when things were typically quiet and providing additional analysis while the season was at its peak.

With a variety of resources already available for Friar fans, I didn’t know how long it would take until I started to get a readership, but I had a formula that I thought would work for me: see as much basketball at all levels as possible and never make myself the story, but just someone who helped to tell it.

That’s why sharing this story feels a bit out of place for both my site and personality, but the face of Friarbasketball.net is changing, and I couldn’t think of another way to share how and why I got to this point.

Soon, Friarbasketball.net will transition to Friarbasketball.com, and I’m proud to announce that Craig Belhumeur and I are working together as the site transitions to its next phase.

* * *

I had what seemed like a decent formula for success when I started, but what I was undervaluing was the most critical component - people. Minus a detractor or two, the response from the Providence College community, the fanbase, and those who cover the team has been far more than I ever expected - and it’s what has motivated me to write articles on late nights, early mornings, and long train rides to and from work (and sadly, even on vacation).

One of the most special people I’ve come across since starting the site is Dan Petronella. Dan used to run the Recruiting Notebook for Friar Insider and was such a valuable resource of recruiting information long before Twitter and national publications covered it at such a fever pitch. A few weeks after I started the site, I reached out to Dan just telling him I used to love his recruiting reports and to see if he had any advice for me. It didn’t take long before we were in contact rather frequently and he soon became someone I rushed to bounce different ideas off of.

Last January I came to Dan with a problem that I really didn’t know how to resolve. The site was growing faster than I anticipated, and I knew I was going to need someone else if I was going to get where I wanted to go with it. I needed help, but I had no idea how to find it. I’m not sure how clear it is to readers, but I’ve poured a lot into this site over the past two years and while I needed help, I was more than content to continue running it by myself if adding someone new meant compromising the values and tenor of the site.

Soon after this conversation I began speaking with Sean Holley, initially just swapping thoughts on the program and sharing stories about past Friar teams. A while later Sean shared that he was pulling together what eventually came to be known as the Providence Fullcourt Boardroom (PFB). I loved the idea right away and offered to help in any way I could.

Fast forward a few months and I was at a PFB function where I met Craig Belhumeur, who had just graduated from PC in the spring. It was hard not to be impressed with Craig right away.

He had served as the Men’s Basketball Chair for the Friar Faithful, a student group he helped build from its infancy. He immediately went to work helping to promote the program by designing the group’s website, going door to door in each of the dorms selling season tickets, and distributing the Friar Flash newsletter at every home game. Placed on the seat of each student, The Flash previewed the two teams and shared announcements about upcoming Friar Faithful events.

When he wasn’t working with the Friar Faithful, Craig hosted a sports talk radio show on WDOM, Providence’s on-campus station. The show focused heavily on the men’s basketball program.

His passion for the program started long before he stepped foot on campus at Providence, however. Craig’s father grew up just over the Rhode Island border in Bellingham, MA and his high school basketball coach, Geoff Boyle, was a PC graduate who introduced his team to the Friars in the early 70s. Together, Craig’s father and Geoff saw many of the greats in PC history and later began taking annual trips to Madison Square Garden for the Big East Tournament - a tradition Craig joined in on years later.

The new look of Friarbasketball

From the start, Craig’s passion for the program blew me away. Our early conversations morphed from talking about different aspects of the program to various ways in which I could improve the site. Those talks eventually turned into dialogue about whether Craig would be interested in coming aboard, and I’m beyond thrilled to welcome someone with his talent, energy, and love of the program aboard.

To me, the PFB is a great example of the type of connections that can be made when you pull together a group of people who share a passion for something. I was at a loss for how to go about finding not only someone to help, but someone who shared the same energy and vision for the potential of the site that I have. Craig’s already put in hours upon hours of work behind the scene, and I’m very fortunate to be partnering with him going forward.

While the URL and face of the site will change, the mission remains the same as the day I started: to provide fair and measured analysis of all aspects of Providence College basketball.

We’ll soon transition from Friarbasketball.net to Friarbasketball.com (those who go through friarbaketball.net will be redirected to the new URL), and with Craig coming on board we’re taking a big step closer to where I knew I wanted to be a year ago. I just didn’t know how to get there.

Through some fortuitous networking and a lot of hard work, Friarbasketball.com will soon be up and running, and I’m really looking forward to getting this next phase underway.

Ledo, Sampson Highlights from NPSI

2012-02-17T00:47:00.002-05:00

Courtesy of BallasTV, highlights of Ricardo Ledo, Jakarr Sampson and more from February's National Prep School Invitational.

Paint Problems Doom PC Again

2012-02-15T23:19:00.001-05:00

Henton was the lone bright spot early (AP)

Providence headed to Cincinnati having lost seven of their last eight Big East games and sporting a 2-11 record in conference play. Yet, for as ugly as it looked on paper they seemingly hadn't played to that record.

Of the seven losses during this most recent run their only double figure defeat came at the hands of then #1 Syracuse, and that was without star guard Vincent Council. A win over Rutgers was followed by losses in which they led by 15 (West Virginia), 19 (Villanova), and most recently by five with 2:30 to play against South Florida before faltering late.

Wednesday night in Cincinnati was different, however, as the Bearcats bullied Providence early in a one-sided first half (41-25) that might have been even worse had LaDontae Henton not shot 6-8 from the field on his way to 14 points.

Unfortunately for the Friars, the rest of the team left their offense behind, shooting a combined 4-18 in the game's opening 20 minutes.

Fatigue played a factor in wearing Providence down in the second half of their recent losses, but they fell flat in this one from the start and struggled to recover.

While the Providence offense sputtered in the face of a Cincinnati defense that challenged them to score off of the dribble, the home team got easy looks early and often, shooting 53% from the field in the first with only two turnovers.

Pressuring Providence the instant they crossed halfcourt took PC completely out of their offense, and Gerard Coleman and Bryce Cotton out of the game, as the sophomore duo took only three shots in the half, missing on all three.

By the time the halftime buzzer sounded Providence was in unfamiliar territory, down 41-26 and needing a monster second half to snap their extended road Big East losing streak.

The Friars never really threatened in the second half (despite an explosion from Council and boos from the home crowd when a 24 point lead was cut to eight), which shouldn't be surprising considering how difficult it is for a team to come back on the road in the Big East, never mind one lacking any semblance of depth or interior presence.

Cincinnati started strong in the second half, as Yancy Gates overpowered PC inside and Sean Kilpatrick drained an early three pointer to kick off a 7-0 run that bumped the lead to 22 just two minutes in. While it looked as though we were headed for 18 minutes of garbage time, Council hoisted Providence on his back and didn't let them give up in a game that teetered on a blowout throughout.

With the ineffective duo of Bilal Dixon and Kadeem Batts banished to the pine for the second half, Council led a plucky, but small, group to within seven with just over five minutes to play. Yet, the size of Gates, a pair of PC turnovers under their own basket, and a critical late sequence in which Ron Giplaye missed a layup and Cotton couldn't connect on a wide open three that would have made it a five point game with 3:00 on the clock was too much to overcome.

Unlike their last three opponents, Providence didn't have enough to complete a wild comeback, as Cincinnati closed strong for an 81-66 victory.

Council finished with a career high-tying 29 points, Henton had 24, and Coleman 11, but the rest of the team combined for two points on 1-11 shooting. Giplaye deserves kudos for battling with Gates during the stretch run, but the Friars' frontcourt is woefully thin and needs a major overhaul if this team is going to compete next year.

PC never led in this one, as they were out-rebounded 39-23 and were doubled in points in the paint.

With four games left in the regular season and the eyes of Friartown starting to wander even more frequently towards a 2012-13 season with more promise, the challenge for Ed Cooley and his staff will be to squeeze whatever effort they can from a core that has fallen to 2-12 in the conference and logged monster minutes throughout this season.

Will We Get Noel vs. Adams II?

2012-02-15T07:48:00.000-05:00

In their first match-up, Steven Adams had been in the United States for just days, yet he still had 20-10 against Tilton, as Notre Dame Prep led in the final seconds. The Rams pulled out the late victory behind two key ND Prep turnovers in the final seconds and another monster game from superstar Nerlens Noel.

Fast-forward a month and Adams has continued to flourish, making the all-tournament team at the National Prep School Invitational in Providence, a tournament his teammate Myles Davis was named MVP of, yet Adams was the talk of the tourney.

Prep was a .500 team early in the season, but the addition of Adams, the terrific play of Davis, and the emergence of Sam Cassell Jr. and Adonis Filer (Clemson) suddenly makes ND Prep a team that could threaten any at the Nationals in March.

Hoop fans can only hope to get a glimpse of Adams versus Noel a second time.

BALLAsTV (who is seemingly everywhere - these guys work very hard) put highlights of Adams, a player who we had little footage of previously. Blessed with great hands, a soft shooting touch, and adept at finding teammates, Adams has high upside offensively.

Also, here are highlights of Noel from earlier this season. Both reels have clips from when they went head to head over Martin Luther King Day Weekend.

Prep National Championship Returning to New Haven March 6 and 7

2012-02-13T21:47:00.000-05:00

Gardner broke out last year

Between the prep and AAU circuit, there may not be another event I enjoy more than the Prep National Championship at Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, CT.

The event begins on the Tuesday of college basketball's conference championship week, so for Friar fans that coincides with the first day of the Big East Tournament. Last year was an ideal scenario, as Providence played late on Tuesday night, allowing Friar fans the opportunity to take in the prep action during the day in reasonably close-by New Haven, before heading down to Madison Square Garden for the Friars' game against Marquette.

With so much talent playing for such high stakes comes the ideal opportunity to learn more about some of the best players in the nation. You can get a feel for a kid's game by watching him against any competition, but you learn about his will going head to head against fellow elite talents playing at their peak.

Last season, Ricardo Ledo was as good as I've seen him in a narrow victory over Nerlens Noel and Tilton. Ledo scored 20 of his 31 points in the second half in one of the most hotly contested battles of the season.

The event can also serve as a platform for under the radar talent, like Kiwi Gardner a season ago. He was solid when Westwind Prep headed east to play in New Haven at the prep season's kickoff event in November, but solidified his status (in front of then-Fairfield coach Ed Cooley) with a 22 point effort in a win over New Hampton and then with a 29 point outburst against #1 seed Hargrave and McDonald's All American PJ Hairston (North Carolina).

Those were just some of the stories from the 2011 event, which closed with #4 St. Thomas More making a surprising run to the title behind Andre Drummond and Drexel commit Damion Lee, topping Ledo and Notre Dame Prep in the finale.

Past tournament MVPs include Drummond, Dee Bost (Hargrave-Mississippi State), Michael Beasley (Notre Dame Prep-Kansas State-NBA), and Will Barton (Brewster Academy-Memphis).

For more on the tournament, see the New England Recruiting Report, who will soon come out with the seedings.

FB.net on Friars All Access

2012-02-13T20:10:00.000-05:00

The PC Athletic Department and the good folks over at Cox Sports invited me to take part in a taping of Friars All Access last week. It was a lot of fun and a nice opportunity to talk about why I decided to start up the site and provide my perspective on the program.

It was certainly a new experience for me (as some early jitters in the video will show!), but Vin Parise was a great host and soon enough I kind of forgot the cameras were there.

Had a blast taping it and truly appreciate the opportunity.

Providence Takes Family Approach to Recruiting

2012-02-13T07:31:00.000-05:00

The view at the Carrier Dome

Nerlens Noel visited Syracuse on Saturday afternoon, looking on with over 33,000 Orange fans who roared in approval of the home team's sound beating of a Connecticut group that many had in the Final Four back in November.

With a student section jammed with kids wearing high top fades and holding up a Noel big head, the atmosphere was a far cry from what the top player in the class of 2012 saw in front of a crowd of 8,122 at the Dunkin Donuts Center on Super Bowl Sunday.

That Syracuse, Kentucky or virtually any of the finalists on Noel's list of seven can provide a superior in-game experience is no secret - and it's certainly not something lost on the Providence coaching staff. While landing Kris Dunn and Ricardo Ledo made national headlines in the late summer, and this staff's relentless pursuit of top tier talent like Noel, Brewster's Jakarr Sampson and top Junior College power forward Orlando Sanchez has fans buzzing locally today, the most encouraging aspect of it all has been the culture they are creating and selling to recruits.

Cooley's pitch takes a page from the Olive Garden: when you're here, you're family. That the head coach is repeatedly taking road trips to see the likes of Sampson helps separate the Friars, what may put them over the top is their family approach to recruiting.

Back in August, Cooley explained this approach to CBS's Gary Parish, "When I sell my background to the kids and my vision to their families, I always tell the kids that if I get the opportunity to know them and they get the opportunity to see who we are as a family and what we do as people during the recruiting process, when it comes time to make a decision on a school, they will have a brutal time telling me no. They might tell me no. But they'll have a brutal time doing it."

After seeing first-hand last weekend how Providence is approaching recruiting, what became clear is that these young men will not only have to tell Ed Cooley no, but the entire PC basketball family. Without the crowds, the recent lottery picks, or a top five ranking, Providence has to approach the Noels and Sampsons of the world differently, and their approach has been the opposite of the powerhouses in some respects.

It was different at Rhode Island College last Thursday and Friday night when not only were Cooley and his assistants there to see future Friar Ricardo Ledo, so were the coaches' wives, their children, and a handful of Ledo's soon to be teammates.

The family approach to recruiting certainly stood out to Sampson who explained to Cox Sports' Adam Finkelstein how impressive it was to have not only the entire coaching staff in attendance, but "the entire team" at his game when Brewster played at RIC earlier in the day on Thursday.

Hours after the family was at RIC to see Ledo for the second time in two days on Friday, they were all there for one of the more memorable events Providence College has hosted in a while, when Dunn and New London took on Mount Pleasant in Alumni Hall Saturday afternoon. Making the event special was not only seeing a McDonald's All American play on the campus he will soon call home, but seeing the coaches, their wives, their children, future teammates, athletic director Bob Driscoll, Ledo, and so many members of the extended PC family there to support Dunn.

The next morning Dunn returned the favor, sitting with Noel prior to and during the first half of the West Virginia game before the star center had to head out to a game of his own at RIC that afternoon.

Noel didn't see the tremendous run put on by the Friars mid-way through the first half, nor did he see a team that fought hard throughout a game that they really deserved to win. Instead, it was a painful overtime loss, a loss that seemed to sting more than any in quite some time around these parts for some reason. Maybe it was knowing they played as well and as tough as they could, but just couldn't get over the hump.

Cooley is positive the Friars will be good enough to get over that hump, and soon, but there was little time to wallow in defeat. It was time to pack up the family make it over to RIC one final time that weekend to see the second half of Noel's game at RIC.

In time, Cooley knows the raucous crowds and wild student section will come. This is the price PC is paying for their lean years, and the rewards of success. In the meantime, Cooley and his staff have a little crowd of their own, a family intent on showing these recruits what makes his staff, program, and the college he represents different than the rest.

They may say no to Cooley, but they'll have a brutal time doing so. And it won't be any easier to say it to the rest of the family.

When you're here, you're family - a tight-knit bunch on the verge of getting a heck of a lot bigger.

In Case You Missed It: Cox Sports Gives a Glimpse of Josh Fortune

2012-02-12T21:13:00.000-05:00

Cox has done a great job covering the recruiting trail over the past two years. Between Adam Finkelstein's recruiting reports and interviews with players from various tournaments, to getting footage of kids from Texas (Joseph Young), Virginia (Josh Fortune) and all across New England, their coverage has been top notch and a great resource for Friar fans. Recently, they managed to get something that we haven't seen much of in these parts with highlights of Joshua Fortune.

From Cox Sports online:

Cox Sports got a glimpse of Providence College recruit Josh Fortune courtesy of our sister station in Hampton Roads, Virginia.

Josh Fortune is a 6-foot-5-inch, 180-pound shooting guard attends Kecoughtan High School in Virginia , ranked the 34th best shooting guard in the class, according the ESPN.com and will be attending Providence College next Fall to play for Ed Cooley.

Our friends at FriarBasketball.net gathered this description of the 6’5″ swingman:

“Like many shooters, Fortune can be a streak shooter. He can knock down several in a row, or he can get into a bit of a cold stretch, but his form is perfect. Some might consider him a spot-up shooter, but he’s got a good handle and can create his own looks. He’s very good at shooting off the dribble. Fortune has long arms, so he rarely gets his shot blocked and he’s pretty good at grabbing steals, even if he isn’t the best one-on-one defender.”

“I believe Josh Fortune is an elite shooter,” says Friar Coach Cooley. “He will bring a lot to our squad and he will surprise people next season with his skill. Josh has been coached by one of the top high school coaches in the country. We are fortunate to have Josh joining our program.”

Late Surge Pushes USF to Victory

2012-02-12T00:45:00.000-05:00

Council and PC couldn't overcome cold shooting

Ed Cooley would have taken these numbers: South Florida shot a mere 38% from the field, 26% from three point range, and only placed one player in double figures - barely - as Victor Rudd led them with 11 points.

If told his Friars would have held USF to those numbers, if he knew that the Bulls would have just 41 points with 2:45 left on the clock Cooley would have taken those figures and run. Providence had scored over 74 points in their previous six games and ran up 78 on South Florida in Tampa under two weeks ago.

Instead, Providence was cold throughout and even colder when they needed it most.

As had been the case in their two previous losses, Providence was well positioned to pull out a victory late, despite poor shooting nights from Bryce Cotton (2-10 from the field, 1-9 from three) and Gerard Coleman (1-10 in 17 minutes).

Trailing 46-41 with under three minutes to play, South Florida used an unlikely weapon to shockingly, and quickly, pull ahead of the Friars in the final two minutes.

The Bulls were 2-17 from three point range when Stan Heath dusted off sniper Shaun Noriega who drilled a three ball with 2:25 left to pull them to within two at 46-44, and came through on the next possession hitting another long range shot off of a curl and suddenly USF led with 1:45 to play.

He'd played just one minute, but finished as USF's fourth leading scorer.

Providence struggled through their ugliest offensive night since a 40 point performance against Georgetown in early January, and the closing minutes were not much better. Their only field goal of the final four minutes came when LaDontae Henton squeezed home a shot at the rim with 1:19 left, but USF closed by doing what PC could not six days prior against West Virginia - hitting all eight of their free throw attempts in the game's final minute as they ripped off a 14-2 run over the game's final two and half minutes for the victory.

It was a sluggish effort from the start for Cooley's group, a team that must be discouraged after conceding leads of 15 and 19 points in their two losses prior to this one.

Leading the way for Providence was junior Vincent Council, who made key plays late in the second half en route to 16 points, but he also succumbed to poor decision making late, missing a jump shot at the top of the key with 45 seconds remaining in a one point game.

Looking up at the rest of the Big East, with five conference games remaining, how does this group close out the season? Despite their record, they've been largely competitive throughout the Big East portion of the schedule. Over their last five games they have a win, an overtime loss, a two point loss, a three point loss, and tonight's stumble down the stretch.

Three of their final five games are on the road, while their home contests come against what should be a desperate Connecticut bunch and #11 Georgetown.

PC in 7 Minutes: Providences vs. West Virginia

2012-02-11T11:23:00.000-05:00

A lot of things stood out in re-watching this game last night:

Offensive rebounds absolutely killed Providence down the stretch. I believe I counted four possessions in a row in the final four minutes in which PC got a stop, but couldn't collect the offensive rebound.
A killer sequence came at around the 5:30 mark with Providence teetering on pushing this one to double figures. The Friars had withstood West Virginia coming back from 15 down in the second half and continued to hold them off for the first 14 minutes of the second half, but Truck Bryant made two huge plays to keep it close. He up-faked and was fouled on a three point attempt with over five minutes to go to cut it to 5 at 70-65, and then came back and stripped Bilal Dixon from behind for an easy layup, 70-67. On their next possession a wild scrambled ensued with the Mountaineers finally converting at the rim to make it 70-69 - they had to have had four shots on that possession, plus a great save on the baseline under PC's basket that Kevin Jones recovered out by the three point line.
These teams traded huge shots in the overtime session. For Providence, Gerard Coleman had a pair of huge drives and LaDontae Henton canned a clutch three to put them up one with two minutes left.
Coleman was outstanding all game. He simply couldn't be contained off of the bounce.
WVU's size was a huge difference in this one.
There were plenty of opportunities for Providence to fall mentally in this one, but they continued to fight, yet lost a game that they largely controlled throughout.

PC Notes: Impact of McDonald's All Americans at PC, Cotton's 3 Point Acumen

2012-02-10T17:54:00.000-05:00

Kris Dunn

1. Kris Dunn being named to the McDonald’s All American team now gives the Friars four players selected to the prestigious event (God Shammgod in 1995, Michael Smith in 1990, and Delray Brooks who made it in ’84 and transferred from Indiana to Providence). Not coincidentally, all three that came before Dunn played on the most impactful Providence teams in the Big East era.

Brooks was a key figure in Providence’s magical run to the Final Four in 1987, Smith led a rugged frontcourt to the school’s only Big East title in ’94, while Shammgod was a missed jump shot away from his own Final Four appearance in 1997. Since the formation of the Big East, Providence is yet to win an NCAA Tournament game without a former McDonald’s All American on the roster.

With their fourth McDonald’s All American, Providence has separated themselves from Oregon State, Marquette, Colorado, South Carolina, Washington, James Madison, Rhode Island and Fresno State who all have had three. The Rams’ trio? Lamar Odom (’97), Luther Clay (’95) and Horace Owens (’79).

PC now jumps into a group including Oklahoma State, California, Seton Hall, Utah, Kansas State, and Pepperdine with four.

For a little more perspective, coming into this season Connecticut had 10, Georgetown 11, St. John’s 13, Syracuse 16, while five schools had topped the 20 mark: North Carolina (a whopping 63), Duke (52), Kentucky (36), Kansas (31), and UCLA (29). Locally, Boston College, Boston University, Massachusetts, and Dartmouth have all had one.

2. In some circles, the Jordan Brand Classic All American game is held in just as high regard, if not higher thanks to the inclusion of players who went the prep route, playing a fifth year of high school ball. A year ago, CBS’s Jeff Borzello argued that the Jordan Classic did a better job selecting players. The all star games will receive extra attention from Providence fans this year with Dunn playing in both and Ricardo Ledo featured in the Jordan game.

The Jordan Classic is April 14 in Charlotte, NC (televised on ESPN), while the McDonald’s All Americans will play in Chicago, IL on March 28 (also on ESPN).

3. Quietly, Bryce Cotton is nudging his way into the conversation for one of the best three point shooting seasons Providence has seen. At 62 three pointers made he’s a ways away from Billy Donovan’s single season record of 97, or runner-up Pop Lewis’ 95, both reached during the Final Four run of 1987. A spot in the top three is still very possible, however.

Donnie McGrath connected on 77 three pointers in 2005-06, leaving Cotton with six regular season games and at least one postseason contest to make the 16 it would take to pass McGrath’s single season high. McGrath is PC’s all time leader in three point field goals made.

If Cotton continues making them at the rate he’s been shooting at of late, he’ll easily pass McGrath. The sophomore sniper has connected on at least three 3 point field goals in each of the Friars’ last six games making 23 over that span (3.8 threes per game). He’s been efficient as well, shooting nearly 43% from three this season.

PFB Alumni Weekend Celebration

2012-02-08T21:26:00.008-05:00

The Providence Fullcourt Boardroom (PFB) will host an Alumni Weekend gathering this Saturday at Sullivan's Rhode (55 Union St, Providence RI 02903). These events have provided a great opportunity to meet with former Friar players and fellow PC fans.

The event will take place after the South Florida game at 6pm.

Blistering Hot, Frigid Late, PC Loses Second Heart-breaker in a Row

2012-02-07T23:04:00.000-05:00

Scorching early, Cotton was slowed late

How many times can the Friars pick themselves up off of the floor?

Providence had not won at Villanova since a 100-74 drubbing of the Wildcats back in 2004. That night it was Donnie McGrath who tore apart the Wildcats, scoring 20 second half points on 6-8 from three point land. McGrath, the Friars' all-time leader in three point field goals made, topped a career high with those six 3s that night, and it seemed for a long while that PC would snap their losing streak in Philly behind an even hotter half from Bryce Cotton.

The sophomore connected on 6-7 from three point range in the first half, including 4-4 from deep in the final 2:43 that turned a one point Friar lead into a 44-30 advantage heading into the locker room.

They continued to execute flawlessly on the offensive end into the second half, as PC led 60-41 with 14 minutes to play in what looked like a thorough thumping of an already shaken Villanova team. With offense coming so easily, no one would have guessed at that point that Vincent Council would be the only Friar to make a shot from the field over the final 14 minutes, as Villanova stormed back into this one behind a 19-1 run.

After Dominic Cheek tied the game with a three pointer at the 5:20 mark, PC responded with a mini 5-0 run of their own behind a layup and a pair of free throws by Council and a freebie for LaDontae Henton.

For as poorly as Providence shot the ball over the final 14 minutes of the second half, their interior defense may have been worse, as freshman JayVaughn Pinkston torched PC to the tune of 28 points and 14 rebounds, capping his night with an easy game-winning drive to the rim - similar to several uncontested takes he had throughout the game.

Pessimists may wonder if the Friars let up when they took a 19 point second half lead, but how this team's legs were holding up after four of them played at least 42 minutes just two days ago was a legitimate concern, especially after how they finished against West Virginia on Sunday.

On Sunday, Providence shot 63% in the first half, and held WVU to just 40% from the field. The numbers were very similar Tuesday night, as PC shot 60% once again in the first, while Nova struggled to 37%.

The roles reversed in the second half Sunday (PC shot 37% to WVU's 47), and once again Tuesday, as Villanova closed with a higher shooting percentage (45 vs 44%) for the game.

They lost a 19 point lead tonight, and a 15 point advantage Sunday afternoon, and have to be asking themselves how differently this stretch might have broken with even a little depth.

The musings of a rebuilding squad.

This makes for back to back devastating losses for a Providence team that was a stop or a few free throws away from a three game winning streak. Closing both would have vaulted them ahead of Villanova in the standings and pulled them even in the win column with Seton Hall, St. John's, Pittsburgh, and Rutgers in the win column. Instead, they dip below DePaul into the Big East's basement.

The effort was there against Villanova, but the legs were not.

Notable Notes:

You won't lose many games when shooting 53% from three point range. PC did on Tuesday.
It was a disappointing night for both Bilal Dixon and Kadeem Batts, who were largely ineffective on the offensive end, but more significantly failed to contain the freshman Pinkston or center Mouphtaou Yarou (17 points, 7-10 from the field). The duo combined for 45 points and 22 rebounds, as big a reason as any why Villanova was able to make their run. Batts, in particular, has really struggled on the defensive end of the floor of late.
Had to love Providence's chances when Maalik Wayns shoots 1-6 from the field for 3 points. Losing with him playing like this further highlights just how dominant the Nova frontcourt was.
PC's three Cs all played 40 minutes once again. Council made a number of plays down the stretch with his team struggling, while Cotton and Coleman - both very hot early - went without a point over the final 14:57. The duo combined for only three second half field goals.
How well was Providence executing early? They closed the first half on an 18-2 run on 5-6 shooting from the field and 4-4 at the free throw line.
Providence missed 14 shots in a row in the second half.

MaxPreps Forecasts Thursday's McDonald's All American Selections

2012-02-07T21:29:00.001-05:00

According to the rules for the game 5th year players are not eligible, but nonetheless this is more good publicity for the Friars.

From the article:

In advance of Thursday's McDonald's All-American Game announcement, we take a crack at projecting what the rosters might look like.

The 35th annual game will be played March 28 at the United Center in Chicago.

The big wild card in the selection process will be recently re-classified Nerlens Noel of Tilton School (N.H.). The 6-foot-10 shot eraser moved his college timeline ahead and some experts/scouts/analysts have already installed him as the top prospect in the Class of 2012.

Mitch McGary of Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, N.H.) and Ricardo Ledo of South Kent School (Conn.) are five-star prospects at prep schools (post-graduate programs) in the Northeast. Both were included on the list of McDonald's All-American Game nominees but the committee has a history of bypassing players in the fifth-year gray area.

Fighting Friars Fall Just Short

2012-02-05T16:35:00.000-05:00

Coleman

Everything but the win. A week ago Providence had finished an 0-2 week, lacking the energy and effort needed for this team to win games in the Big East. February had been cruel to the Friars the past two seasons, as they were an astounding 1-13 in the year's shortest month over the past two seasons.

Staring at a 1-8 record, they rebounded Wednesday by racing out early against Rutgers and making big shots late to hold on for the victory, and looked to follow a similar formula against West Virginia on Super Bowl Sunday.

Playing perhaps their best basketball in the Ed Cooley era, Providence made 16 of their first 18 shots from the field, leading by as many as 15 in the first half before the Mountaineers made their run.

West Virginia eventually cut the deficit to just three in the waning seconds of the first half before Bryce Cotton drilled a three pointer just before the buzzer to spark a 10-2 that spilled into the second half.

The Friars kept WVU at bay throughout the second half, leading 70-63 with just over five minutes to play before the Mountaineers ripped off seven straight points in a minute and a half. For the final three minutes and into overtime the two teams traded blows, with PC eventually succumbing due to their inability to keep West Virginia off of the glass (17 offensive rebounds), make critical free throws, or contain Truck Bryant, who hit a game-tying layup in the final seconds of regulation and a game-winning three pointer with three seconds left in OT in a 32 point night.

While the loss was disheartening, what Providence fans saw on Sunday afternoon, which had been utterly lacking the past two Februarys, was a team willing to compete for the full 40 minutes - and then some. A key rebound or made free throw could have possibly made the difference in the outcome of this one, but looking at the bigger picture, this is a team that has battled back from a late January swoon and continued to fight.

Notable Notes from an 87-84 loss to West Virginia:

Any reasonable follower of Providence basketball could not fault the effort of the Friars today. Playing with virtually five men, Vincent Council, Gerard Coleman, Bryce Cotton, LaDontae Henton, and Bilal Dixon battled a deeper, and far more physical West Virginia frontcourt, featuring the massive Deniz Kilicli and potential Big East Player of the Year Kevin Jones. PC did a commendable job holding Jones to 8-19 shooting, but foul trouble plagued their frontcourt, while Kilicli made shots that were difficult to stop down the stretch. Amazingly, five players played 45 minutes in this one (Council, Coleman, Cotton, Bryant and Jones), while Henton saw a career-high 42.
Yes, he missed late free throws, but when Providence's offense stalled at times in the second half Coleman aggressively took the ball to the basket on the way to a career-high 30 points on 9-15 from the field and 12-16 at the free throw line. He did much of his damage in the halfcourt set. It's unfortunate that a terrific effort will be marred by late misses at the free throw line, because the Boston native was as confident and aggressive as he has been in a PC uniform, as Bob Huggins threw a variety of defenders at him, including the 6'9, 260 pound Jones. Coleman made two of the Friars three field goals in the overtime session (a clutch Henton three pointer with 2:00 left being the third) and scored five of their eight points. Perhaps as significant as his point total, Coleman appears to be defending better the past two games, with a block of Bryant standing out.
Henton has the makings of a big shot maker for the Friars, as his late three in overtime suggests. The knock on him as a small forward at the Big East level was the range on his jump shot, but he's quickly dispelling that thought. He made five of the six three pointers he attempted today and six of his eight field goals total.
PC shot 63% in the first half and held West Virginia to 40%. Amazing that they were a late three pointer away from being in a one possession game at the half.
Providence protected the ball well for the second game in a row, turning it over only eight times.
PC led for 38 of the 40 minutes in regulation.
Going up against a monstrous front line, Dixon was up for the challenge, grabbing 10 rebounds for the second game in a row. Unfortunately for Providence, Dixon's rise has coincided with a drop in play from Kadeem Batts who has averaged four points per game over the last five. He's shot 8-26 during that span.

NERR Report: Kris Dunn a McDonald's All American

2012-02-05T09:31:00.000-05:00

The premiere New England recruiting website reported this morning that Kris Dunn will be announced as a McDonald's All American later this week.

Here is an interview from yesterday with highlights of his game against Mount Pleasant.

Dunn Takes Over Alumni, More on NPSI

2012-02-04T23:06:00.000-05:00

Dunn recorded a triple double Saturday

Saturday afternoon at Alumni Hall was part high school basketball game, part celebration of the future of Providence College basketball.

Somewhat buried by the news of Nerlens Noel's reclassification to the class of 2012 and the excitement Friar fans felt to see Providence make his list of seven was the fact that two commits already in the fold, Kris Dunn and Ricardo Ledo, were named to the Jordan Brand Classic All American game this week.

The natural inclination of any fan following this rebuilding project is to look towards the next player who could join a top 10 recruiting class nationally and hasten what looked like was going to be a long-term rebuilding job when Ed Cooley took over just ten months ago.

For those watching Dunn slice through the defense off the bounce, carve apart Mount Pleasant with his passing ability and cover a ridiculous amount of ground defensively, Saturday afternoon was an opportunity to stop asking "who's next?" for a moment and appreciate what Providence has in the fold already.

They have an All American point guard coming, one named to the Jordan Brand game and an almost certainty to play in the McDonald's All American game as well.

Watching Dunn was a fellow All American in Ricardo Ledo, a probable Big East all-freshman team member in LaDontae Henton, a majority of the PC athletic department, and the coaching staff that made this day a possibility.

The moment had to have hit every supporter of Providence College basketball at some point on Saturday. It was a moment no one could have ever imagined at this point a year ago. The best point guard in the class of 2012 was playing in Alumni Hall, a gym he will officially call home in a few short months.

The rebuilding plan is well underway with Dunn at the center of it all.

He didn't disappoint. Playing against a hard-charging Mouth Pleasant squad, it was the defense of New London that eventually wore down the locals. Mount Pleasant attacked the offense glass well enough to keep it relatively close at the half, 41-27, but an early second half surge set the tone for a lopsided close, as the Whalers eventually cruised to an 82-55 victory.

At the heart of it all was Dunn, who was strong in all phases in a 27 point, 11 rebound, 10 assist afternoon. He knocked down a pair of three pointers and threw a number of slick passes for layups, but where he impressed the most was on the defensive end and with his strength and body control in taking it to the rim.

Nearly impossible to keep out of the paint when he crosses over, and equally adept at flashing a devastating spin move that he's now perfected near the rim, Dunn is a force off of the dribble. What makes him so difficult to stop is how strong he is with the basketball in traffic combined with the ability to contort his body and gather his balance in time to finish.

They are skills that will be on full display at the Dunkin Donuts Center later this year. Saturday afternoon provided a sneak preview to what lies ahead for the Friars - a team potentially loaded at the one, two and three spots thanks to a developing core and an infusion of talent on the way.

How they fill out the frontcourt over the next two months will play a large role in determining just how quickly Providence can transition from Big East also-ran to a top tier team (and judging by how they attacked the National Prep School Invitational this weekend, they are set on making more waves this spring).

Saturday afternoon at Alumni wasn't about who might come to Providence, but what the program has already - a potentially program-changing roster next season and a coach who has quickly turned a fractured program into a family once again.

Notes from Three Days of the National Prep School Invitational:

The folks at the NPSI do a great job hosting an event with so much talent. What jumped out on Thursday night and throughout Friday was that the level of competitiveness seemed down from season's past. There were a ton of lopsided games, making it more difficult to get a read on a lot of these prospects. I've always maintained that you learn most about these kids when the stakes are highest.
On Saturday afternoon and night the competitiveness returned as Markus Crider and Bridgton edged Northfield Mount Hermon by three and New Hampton and Canarias Academy battled into overtime. I was pleasantly surprised by the performance of Crider, who was the best player on the floor in the second half. Coming off of a solid night on Friday, he did a little bit of everything in the come-from-behind win, scoring from beyond the arc, throwing down from well above the rim, finishing through fouls, and igniting fast breaks with his defense. He was interviewed by Cox after the game and I have to think he really helped himself this weekend.
It was a quiet weekend for Jared Terrell, and while Noah Vonleh had his moments as well, but New Hampton is run through Olivier Hanlan and the improved Zach Auguste. Auguste is playing a far more aggressive brand of basketball now and is good for a few really loud blocks and dunks a game. Where's he's improved has been in initiating contact and finishing. Hanlan just plays with a maturity that few kids have at this level. He picks defenses apart, finds his own offense, and could prove to be the perfect point guard for Steve Donahue and his outside attack at Boston College.
Steven Adams is just so good and suddenly Notre Dame Prep is a contender for Nationals in March after playing like a .500 team before January. They were dominant in all three games they played this weekend, with Adams the headliner. He was the talk of the weekend.
With South Kent going up against two inferior opponents it was difficult to learn anything about Ricardo Ledo that we didn't already know.
No team executed better than St. Thomas More from what I saw. Jere Quinn's teams are never an easy out, no matter the talent or size of their opponent.
La Jolla Prep's Darnell Harris (Cleveland State) is a big man who scored in a variety of ways versus ND Prep. He really caught fire in the second half, leaving me wondering if he's a sleeper or if we just caught him on a very good night.
New Hope's 6'8 William Howard is a shooter who told Cox Sports that he is being recruited by Providence.

Live Blog Day 2: NPSI

2012-02-03T09:16:00.017-05:00

Jared Terrell

The live blog will continue today during a busy day at the National Prep School Invitational. I'm planning on getting there around 11:30.

9:15 - This figures to be a star-filled afternoon in Providence. Scheduled for noon, a pair of terrific 2014 prospects in Noah Vonleh and Jared Terrell make their NPSI debuts, along with 6'9 2015 prospect Jeremy Miller. Ed Cooley and the Friars were the first school to offer Miller a scholarship, which Cooley did after the New Hampton/Brewster game in early January. Miller is a Milton, MA native. Cooley spent a year at New Hampton after high school.

Following that will be Notre Dame Prep, fresh off of a dominant victory over Wilbraham & Monson taking on Canarias Academy. ND Prep features one of my favorite players in the prep ranks in Myles Davis (Xavier), star center Steven Adams (Pitt), and Sam Cassell Jr. who is seeing attention from all sorts of high majors.

Ricardo Ledo and South Kent are up at 3 o'clock, taking on NIA Prep out of New Jersey.

4:30 (or so) will bring Jere Quinn and the defending Prep National Champions, St. Thomas More, who play a Mont Clare Academy team that impressed against Vermont Academy in the undercard of the Tilton/South Kent game in early November. Davon Hayes was solid for Mont Clare that weekend.

Rene Castro and Worcester Academy play the Phelps School at 6, with Vermont and Winchendon Academy following that.

Vermont Academy features a trio of high major talents in Daquein McNeil, Providence target Jamel Artis (a versatile 6'6 small forward), and the monster in the middle Dominic Woodson. Woodson is getting a lot of attention from the highest of high majors.

Closing the night is Brighton Academy, featuring one-time PC commit Markus Crider and Darrick Wood, the former St. John's verbal who has reportedly seen interested from Providence, taking on New Hope out of Maryland. Bridgton head man Whit Lesure coached Cooley at New Hampton and is one of the best high school or prep coaches in the country.

12:04 - New Hampton out to a 9-1 lead off of a trio of three pointers. 6'9 freshman Jeremy Miller (PC recruit) canned their second. The first came off of Vonleh drive and dish. Check that, 8-1. They called the last one a two.

12:33 - Pace is picking up in what has been a slow, poor shooting on both sides, as St. John's leads 25-23. Vonleh's only basket has come on a put-back, while Terrell's have all come at the free throw line.

12:48 - Notre Dame product Zach Auguste asserting himself early in the second. In the first three and a half minutes he's scored on a put-back, a tough fadeaway, went to the line twice in a row and then scored again in the paint. A quick eight points as New Hampton leads 34-29. He's looking for more assertive than he did here a year ago.

1:01 - A close, but not particularly exciting game, New Hampton is not having a typical shooting night, yet leads 38-36 with 9:41 left. Towson commit Barrington Alston is a big kid with pretty good athleticism - like him. Vonleh has battled foul trouble throughout and picked up his fourth with around 11 minutes to play.

1:24 - New Hampton looks to be on the verge of winning this one (57-53 with 19.5 seconds left) despite quiet games from both Vonleh and Terrell. Auguste is a far more aggressive player, at least on this day, than what he showed a season ago. He's had a few loud blocks, and is taking the ball inside with far more aggression than in season's past. Impressive stuff.

Boston College commit Olivier Hanlan is the key to this team, seemingly making all the key plays for them offensively when they need them. He'll be a very solid piece for Steve Donahue at the Heights.

A late technical on St. John's Military and this game is now over.

2:22 - Notre Dame Prep leads Canarias 44-37 at the half behind early hot shooting from Myles Davis (hit his first three 3 point field goals) and the impressive Steven Adams. Adams hands are terrific, as his is touch. Well worth the billing.

Canarias closed on a 7-0 run, but I'd be expected to see them keep it close in the second half.

This Prep team could be tough to beat come Nationals. They gave Tilton all they could handle after welcoming Adams just days prior and have a lot of scoring options with Davis, Adams, Sam Cassell Jr and Adonis Filer.

2:55 - As expected, ND Prep pulled away in the second half of this one and leads 87-68 with 2:45 left. Adams just threw down a vicious two handed dunk on traffic that is sure to make the highlight reels.

Up next, Ricardo Ledo gets his second shot at this event, as South Kent takes on NIA Prep.

7'3 Canarias center Boris Bojanovsky is pretty coordinated for a young kid at that size. He has offers from NC State, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, Mississippi State and others.

3:19 - Ledo is hot to start, draining his first two shots - very deep 3s early. 10-7 South Kent with 15:33 to play. He's 2-2.

3:24 - Ed Cooley, Brian Blaney and Andre Lafleur are in the house.

3:31 - Ledo now 3-4 after a deep 3 pointer. 9 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists at the 7:50 mark of the first half. All four field goal attempts have been from deep.

3:44 - Ledo with 13 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists in a solid first half, as South Kent leads 36-24 at the half. 5-8 shooting from Ledo.

3:56 - NIA opens the second half on a quick 11-2 run and suddenly it's 38-35 with 16:02 left in the second half.

4:05 - This has been a surprisingly close game, as South Kent leads 48-43 with 11:20 remaining. Ledo has 18 points on 7-14 shooting from the field. His two makes this half - a two with a toe on the three point line and another three.

4:18 - Wow, this one has turned ugly. We haven't seen a point from either team in over three and a half minutes. South Kent leads 53-47 with 3:23 to play. Ledo has struggled through a 2-9 half and is now 7-18 on the game for 18 points, 8 boards, 4 assists. Also has two steals and a block.

Ledo going to the line now.

4:21 - A Ledo free throw and break-away dunk make it 56-47 with 2:45 to play.

4:26 - Ledo finishes the night (unofficially) with 20 points on 8-20 shooting, with eight rebounds and four assists. After a scorching start shooting from the field he cooled in the second half, as South Kent played with a general malaise throughout a game they controlled.

I'm five games in and have yet to see a real competitive one yet. Here's hoping St. Thomas More and Mont Clare (PA) deliver.

"PC in 7" Providence Tops Rutgers

2012-02-03T00:24:00.000-05:00

PC in 7 minutes versus Rutgers.

Upon further review of the tape, a few things stood out:

Bilal Dixon got this team out and running, especially early in the second half, by clearing the boards and throwing long outlet passes. His ability to clean the glass and trigger the break was a huge reason why Providence was able to go into attack mode so frequently.
For as outstanding as Vincent Council was in the first half, he was sloppy with the ball in the second. Could fatigue have been a factor?
Gerard Coleman had a huge three play stretch at the six minute mark in the second half. After Rutgers had cut a 16 point deficit to four (58-54), Coleman ignited a stagnant Friar offense with a reverse layup, forced a steal and got to the line off of the break on the other end, and on the next possession he found Dixon underneath for two. It was his best game in quite some time.

Cox Sports Catching up with Ricardo Ledo

2012-02-02T23:58:00.000-05:00

An interesting tidbit about his relationship with Sidiki Johnson and a plea to Nerlens Noel.

Cox Sports Interview with Sampson (commentary on Cooley included)

2012-02-02T22:15:00.003-05:00

Jakarr Sampson certainly seems impressed with the effort of Ed Cooley and his staff.

National Prep School Invitational Live Blog

2012-02-02T18:47:00.007-05:00

Ledo

I'm going to periodically live blog from the National Prep School Invitational over the next few days.

6:45 - It's halftime of the South Kent and La Jolla Prep game, with South Kent leading 34-26. It's been a somewhat quiet half for Ricardo Ledo who is 4-9 from the field for eight points. He's scored on three break-away dunks and then put back his own miss in the paint, while getting fouled, for his fourth field goal.

Ed Cooley is front and center for this one, while assistant coach Brian Blaney was spotted earlier with Kwi Gardner and who I believed to be Sidiki Johnson (if my eyes weren't failing me from across the gym).

Earlier in the day, Jakarr Sampson led Brewster with 22 points and nine rebounds.

6:55 - Game maybe be slipping away from La Jolla, as South Kent has opened on a 10-4 run. It's 44-30 now. Ledo is looking to be more facilitator in this one. He drained a deep two and then missed his next two looks - a three pointer that rimmed out and a leaner. He's 5-12.

7:00 - It's turning into garbage time, as Ledo dumps one off for an easy South Kent dunk to make it 51-32. He's 5-14 on the night, but seemingly playing at half speed against an inferior opponent. Shot just hasn't been there tonight, but it really hasn't had to have been. Let's see if La Jolla can make a run - doesn't look like it.

7:07 - 59-36 South Kent. Enough said. Been garbage time for quite some time now. 7:09 left.

7:12 - Ledo heads to the bench, probably for the night. He went 5-15 from the field (10 points) and couldn't really find his shot, thanks in part to the rather lethargic pace this one was played at. La Jolla hung around for a half, but it's now 63-38 with 4:30 to play.

This one turned ugly early in the second half and never looked back.

7:28 - This place cleared out after the South Kent game. I'm going to stick around to get a look at Kaleb Joseph and Cushing as they take on the Phelps School from Pennsylvania. The live blog might be quiet for the rest of the night, but tomorrow will be a busy one, as starting at noon we'll see New Hampton, Notre Dame Prep, South Kent, St. Thomas More, Worcester Academy, Vermont Academy, Winchendon, Bridgton and more.

Should be a fun day in Providence. I'll have the live blog up and running assuming I can stay online.