Here and There in Friartown

Not too much is known about Tyree’s game but if the PC staff wanted him that is good enough for me. Here is a highlight video of Tyree in action.

Out of Conference Schedule

On Friday Providence College officially released their 13 game non-conference schedule. This is the most difficult schedule in recent memory with away games at Kentucky and at Boston College, neutral games against Notre Dame and Florida State at the Mohegan Sun, a neutral game against Miami at the Barclay’s Center, and home games against Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

The non-conference schedule is made up of eight home games, three neutral court games, and two road games. Friar fans have a unique opportunity to create home court advantages for all three neutral court games, if they come out in full force. There is also the opportunity to have thousands of PC fans turn out for the game at Boston College. This is the type of schedule where Friar fans can really make a difference if they show up like they have in the past.

Drew Edwards

6’3 combo guard Drew Edwards from Calvert Hall in Baltimore became the third recruit to commit to the class of 2015 when he announced on Wednesday that he was going to become a Friar. Drew is a very good outside shooter who can also handle the ball and fills a need for the Friar program.  He also seems to be a a high character kid who is genuinely excited to be part of the PC program. I am very pleased with this commitment.

The 2015 class is shaping up very nicely with the commitments of Edwards, Alex Owens, and Ryan Fazekas. They may not be quite as glamorous as the 2014 class but they fit specific needs and their skills are perfect complements to the Friars that will still be with the program in 2015-2016.

Unbalanced Classes

Don’t look now but the Friar basketball team is going to be very young in both the 2015-2016 season and the 2016-2017 season. With the recent commitments of Edwards and Chambers and if the Friars add one more guard to the 2015 class, the Friars will have 10 players in the freshmen and sophomore classes in the 2015-2016 season. The only senior will be Tyler Harris and the only juniors will be Kris Dunn and Junior Lomomba. There is also a chance that this season will be Tyler’s last year, so the team could actually wind up being even younger in 2015-2016.

This is the real fallout when Josh Fortune decided to transfer. He was supposed to be the type of four year player that would provide veteran leadership heading into his junior and senior seasons.

The other problem, is that right now PC will have very few scholarships to use for the 2016 and 2017 classes. I know these things have a way of working themselves out but it probably means there will be some more transfers over the next year or two.

Bryce Cotton

The closer it gets to the start of NBA training camps, the more I get worried that Bryce Cotton may have chosen the wrong team when he signed with the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs have only one spot open and have already signed three players, including Bryce, to contracts that are not guaranteed  to compete for that one position. Now there is talk that the Spurs may be seriously going after Ray Allen who would take that last spot. A different team, with more open spots, may have been a better option for Bryce at this point.