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A First Glimpse at the Friar Newcomers

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Anxious Friar fans finally got their first glimpse of the 2013-2014 Providence College basketball team last night, as PC defeated RIC 97-65 in an exhibition contest. The game also marked the debut of four new Friars: Brandon Austin, Tyler Harris, Carson Desrosiers, and Rodney Bullock. Below are some initial impressions of the newcomers.

Brandon Austin
Austin had a shaky outing and appeared to have some “big stage” jitters. He was particularly shaky handling the ball, and several times tried to create something when nothing was there. Cooley commented that this was the first time he has seen him like this, and that this is what exhibition games are for, to work through the jitters.

By the end of the game Austin seemed more at ease and he did wind up with 13 points on 4-8 shooting. The talent is obviously there and he is going to be a special player. There just needs to be a little patience from both the fans and from Austin himself.

Carson Desrosiers
Desrosiers had a very solid game, scoring 10 points, grabbing six rebounds, and blocking two shots in just 15 minutes of action. It is hard to get a true gauge, as RIC had no one to match up against his 7’0 frame, but he is going to be a solid contributor. Desrosiers had a couple of nice moves down low, and is a very good passer from the post and the top of the key. On defense he is going to be a better rim protector than anyone PC has had in the past few years. Those fans who have had their doubts about Derosiers are going to be pleasantly surprised this year.

Tyler Harris
Harris was the player of the game last night, scoring 19 points on 7-10 shooting and grabbing five rebounds in 25 minutes of action. It will not be the last time he leads the team in scoring this year.

One word to describe him is smooth. He seems to score effortlessly and can put up points in bunches. During his first eight minutes of action, Harris scored 10 points on 3-3 shooting. He is able to score in transition, from the outside, driving to the basket, and from medium range. He is just a matchup nightmare for opponents, as at 6-9 he is either too tall for opponents, or he is too quick for them. After the game Coach Cooley commented that “Tyler is a very versatile player who can play multiple positions. He is a big kid who is getting much better around the basket.”

Rodney Bullock
“Rajay” played a very solid game in his debut after some early jitters. He finished with six points and five rebounds in fifteen minutes of action. It is obvious that he has a nose for the ball and is going to wind up being a great rebounder. Think LaDontae Henton with two more inches. Don’t be surprised if Rajay winds up being a regular part of the rotation for the 2013-2014 Friars.

Tickets are still available for Friday night’s opener against Boston College. Go to http://www.friars.com/tickets/ if you don’t have yours yet.

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