Friar Basketball
Home / Game Recaps / Rapid Reaction: Friars Top RIC, 97-65

Rapid Reaction: Friars Top RIC, 97-65

RIC-Article

Rapid Reaction to Providence’s 97-65 win over Rhode Island College.

1. Clearly, the headline story was sophomore point guard Kris Dunn leaving the game with a shoulder injury. A program that just can’t catch a break health-wise (Dunn was shelved for six months after shoulder surgery in the summer of 2012, Vincent Council injured his hamstring in the opener and took much of the season to return to form, and Bryce Cotton missed multiple games with a knee injury last season) took another hit before the season has even begun.

Ed Cooley told the press after the game that Dunn is “day to day” before sharing that he’s concerned about Dunn’s injury because it is to the shoulder he had surgery on last year. Not only is Dunn the team’s best perimeter defender, he is the only true point guard on this roster, so Friartown will spend the weekend fretting about the severity of Dunn’s shoulder once again.

Cooley said more will be known on Monday.

2. Depth showing up. It is awfully difficult to glean much out of a single preseason game, but a comparison to how the Friars fared against RIC last November offers a glimpse into what a different place Providence is in heading into the 2013-14 season.

Depth is at the forefront. Down Bryce Cotton and Kris Dunn last year, Ed Cooley was forced into playing his starters huge minutes. Vincent Council went the full 40, Josh Fortune 39 (scoring a team high 22), LaDontae Henton went 38, while Lee Goldsbrough played 32.

The only two players to give PC minutes off of the bench last year? Ted Bancroft with 18 and Kadeem Batts’ 12.

A year later, despite the sudden loss of Dunn, no Friar played more than 27 minutes, and nine Friars played at least 12.

3. Despite the point disparity, Cooley wasn’t pleased with his team’s effort. “Compared to the scrimmage we played the other night (against Harvard), I don’t think we played as hard. I don’t think we were focused; I don’t think we played well today at all.”

He continued, “We took a step backwards. I don’t know if it was because we subbed so much, but our rhythm was off. It’s a long journey, but overall it was just an okay outing.

4. Harris, Desrosiers provide a lift. Tyler Harris has been getting a lot of ink in this space, and he was excellent offensively, scoring 19 points in 25 minutes off of the bench. The sophomore forward made 7-10 field goals (all three misses were from 3) and shot a perfect 4-4 at the free throw line. Harris finished in transition, made a corner three, and saved his best basket for late, when he spun near the baseline and hit a 10 footer while getting fouled.

Desrosiers had 8 points and 4 rebounds in the first half, finishing the game with 10 points, 6 rebounds and a pair of blocks in 15 minutes. He made a nifty drop off pass to Brice Kofane in the paint in the second half as well.

5. Quiet night for Austin. While the stat line certainly doesn’t indicate it (13 points, 5 rebounds), Brandon Austin was out of sorts in his first game at the Dunkin Donuts Center – a reminder that expectations should be tempered for any freshman this early in his career. Cooley questioned if it may have been freshman jitters playing under the lights of the Dunk, as he hadn’t seem him struggle in practice. He called it a learning experience for Austin and noted that he played better against Harvard earlier in the week.

6. An assertive Fortune.  While Josh Fortune may have had a better shooting night against RIC last season (scoring on six straight possessions last year), the sophomore was noticeably more assertive in kicking off his second season. He took 10 shots, making four, and connected on 3-8 from deep. Perhaps more telling, he came up with four steals and dished out five assists.

“We’re making him more aggressive,” Cooley said in response to whether Fortune seemed to assert himself more. “He’s a really good shooter; I think he’s gotten better since last year. His body has changed, he’s gotten more confident, and I think you guys see that. We want him to take more shots, we think when he shoots it’s going in.”

7. RIC duo shines. It’s worth highlighting again what a terrific job former PC assistant Bob Walsh is doing at RIC. He got very good showings from Nyheem Sanders (a competitive 14 points) and Austin Cilley, who showed what life could be like if Providence leaves BC shooters open next week, making 5-7 from three point range.

Cilley is a freshman who broke Westerly’s long-standing scoring record. He shot the ball extremely well in his first college game.

Player of the Game: Harris. What an added dimension the 6’9 forward can bring to this offense. When LaDontae Henton wasn’t scoring last year, Providence got barely any scoring from their forwards, but Harris is one of those scorers who has 12-14 points before anyone realizes he’s taken more than a shot or two. He’s just a natural scorer and will have a big impact this year.

Stock up: Fortune. There were times when he was a bit wild with the basketball, but that’s a tradeoff this coaching staff will gladly take if they can get a more aggressive Josh Fortune this season. Providence will need a secondary three point shooter alongside Cotton, and Fortune looks to be the leader for that role.

Keep an eye on: Cotton’s knee. He was a DNP against Harvard, and appeared to be favoring it at times on Saturday night.

What’s next: Providence opens their season on Friday night against Boston College. The Eagles are led by sophomore guard Olivier Hanlan – a player the Friars would seemingly hand to a healthy Dunn on the defensive end. Dunn’s health will be the key story in Providence in the coming days.

Tickets are still available for what should be a terrific game. Go to http://www.friars.com/tickets/ if you don’t have yours yet.

You must be logged in to post a comment Login