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15 in 40: #7 The Best of the 1st Semester Opponents

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Providence’s most anticipated season in a decade will feature the best season opener (Nov. 8 at home versus Boston College) and most hyped out of conference game (Dec. 1 against #1 Kentucky in Brooklyn) in recent memory.

Four things to watch during the out of conference portion of the schedule:

1. Number one is #1. The opponent, the venue and the opportunity have had PC fans buzzing about December’s challenge against Kentucky for months. Two years removed from a National Championship, and eight months after a disappointing loss in the NIT, John Calipari not only brings in the greatest recruiting class in college basketball history (an almost unfair 6 McDonald’s All Americans), but the Cats also return a pair of veterans who could have been first round picks last June.

How good is this group expected to be? ESPN has had two articles in the past week asking if they can go undefeated (then again, ESPN had their own Kentucky reality show last season). It may not be out of the question considering they finished 38-2 two seasons ago, and this group is better on paper, but there will be challenges along the way. Those include a November battle with #2 Michigan State, a trip to Chapel Hill, #25 Baylor, #3 Louisville, and of course, the Friars.

Who should you watch for? It will probably depend on the night. 6’9, 250 pound freshman Julius Randle is the headliner on a team of them. He’s a surefire top 3 pick in the 2014 NBA Draft and could well unseat Andrew Wiggins for the top spot with a big season. The left hander is frighteningly talented – physical, athletic, skilled and confident. Randle versus Kadeem Batts will be a terrific individual battle, and offers Batts a gigantic stage to show just how far he’s come.

Scarier than the recruiting rankings is the sheer size of this bunch. In addition to Randle, 7’0, 265 pound Dakari Johnson is another fab freshman and they return sophomore Willie Cauley-Stein, an athletic seven footer who could have gone in the top half of the Draft in ’13.

It’s telling that we’re three players in and haven’t gotten to the Harrison twins. 6’5 Andrew is the top rated point guard in the country from the class of 2013, and Aaron may be the best shooting guard. Then there’s small forward James Young, who led the team in scoring in their Blue-White kickoff scrimmage and was ranked 9th in the country by ESPN.

Sophomore Alex Poythress returns and is another matchup nightmare – an explosive leaper at 6’8, 240 pounds.

For all of the talk of PC’s added length this year, Calipari welcomes a team that could be massive at every position. The challenge will be massive for the Friars on December 1.

2. Old rivals kick it off. Providence will have to be ready from the start. It’s been quite a while since PC/BC meant more than bragging rights (which BC got last year in a 71-68 win in Chestnut Hill), but both the Friars and Eagles appear to be on the rise.

Offensively, BC has the potential to be very good. Point guard Olivier Hanlan was the ACC’s Freshman of the Year last season, exploding in the ACC Tournament against Georgia Tech with 41 points. Hanlan and power forward Ryan Anderson are as good a duo as PC will see in November. Anderson was a 15 and 8 sophomore last season that Providence simply had no answer for.

The duo is flanked by a viable big body in Dennis Clifford (a 7’0 center who battled injuries a season ago) and shooters in Joe Rahon, Lonnie Jackson and Patrick Heckman.

This could turn into a will versus skill opener. Providence looks to be the more physical, defensively-inclined team, while the Eagles will try to spread the floor with shooters and let Hanlan pick teams apart.

3. Kings of Rhode Island. The conversation surrounding last year’s PC/Rhode Island game was more about what the teams could be in the future. The Friars won convincingly last season (72-57) at the Dunk, and Ed Cooley will look to start his PC career 3-0 against the Rams when the teams meet in December.

URI finished 3-13 a season ago, but Dan Hurley’s 2013-14 Rams have much more talent, beginning with Rutgers transfer Gil Biruta (who gave PC fits), top 100 guard EC Mathews and another freshman in Hassan Martin. Xavier Munford is back after scoring over 17 a game last season, while 6’10 pogo stick Jordan Hare, a promising sophomore, has taken a leave of absence from the team and may not return.

The Friars had never won in the Ryan Center prior to Cooley’s first season, and a second straight win on URI’s court would be a nice statement for Cooley and the Friars.

4. Paradise Jam. If Providence wants the respect many in Friartown feel they’re not currently getting, they have an opportunity to make a statement at the Paradise Jam in late-November. The field is good, but not overwhelming.

Providence opens with a Vanderbilt team that is traditionally strong, but may be facing a down season, while LaSalle  is fresh off of a Sweet 16 run last season and feature former PC recruit Tyreek Duren – a very good scoring point guard. Like URI’s Munford, Duren should vie for 1st Team All A-10 honors this year.

Maryland looks to be the early favorite. The Terps lost Alex Len, but have a deep core returning with Dez Wells, Jake Layman, Nick Faust and Shaq Cleare coming back. Michigan transfer Evan Smotrycz visited the Friars before deciding on Maryland, while freshman Roddy Peters could get the ball at the 1 from the start.

An underrated favorite of this site is Loyola-Marymount’s Anthony Ireland, a sub-6 foot point guard out of Waterbury, CT who was stellar at Winchendon four years ago. He’s among the most productive (20.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists per game) and exciting guards in the country.

 

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