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15 in 40: It’s Kris Dunn’s Turn

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In the latest “15 in 40″ article Craig Leighton takes a look at sophomore point guard Kris Dunn who will be counted on to become the elite floor general everyone was expecting when the former McDonald’s All American became Ed Cooley’s first signature recruit at PC. 

A little over three years ago Kris Dunn committed to Providence and became Ed Cooley’s first signature recruit at PC. The former ESPN five star player chose the Friars over Louisville, UConn, and a host of other schools.

More than just a high profile recruit, Dunn was a signal that times were changing at Providence — that the Friars could indeed compete with the blue bloods for the top talent in the country. Dunn was the first top 100 player to buy into Cooley’s vision and others soon followed his lead.

Dunn went on to have a stellar senior senior at New London High School after committing to PC, and was named Player of the Year in Connecticut. He also earned spots on the McDonald’s All American and Jordan Brand Classic teams. ESPN ranked him as the number one point guard prospect in the country.

With Dunn playing in nearby New London and in Rhode Island at CCRI and in Alumni Hall in February 2012, Friar fans were more familiar with Dunn than any recruit in recent memory.

Dunn, along with Providence native Ricky Ledo wound up being the cornerstones of one of the best recruiting classes in PC history. ESPN had Providence’s recruiting class ranked sixth in the country, and that did not include highly regarded transfers Tyler Harris and Carson Desrosiers. Anticipation among Friar fans was at an all time high heading into the following season.

Unfortunately, after his senior season in high school Dunn injured his shoulder while trying out for the USA Under 18 team and required surgery. As a result he wound up missing all of preseason and his first seven games of his freshman season.

Upon returning in late December he was still far behind everyone else after missing all of the offseason workouts and preseason practices. He still managed to start several games and wound up averaging 5.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game.

At the start of the 2012-2013 season Dunn looked primed for a breakout season. He was finally healthy, drawing rave reviews in practice, and was reportedly the best player on the court during the Friars’ preseason scrimmage against Harvard.

Then the unthinkable happened again. Dunn suffered another fluke injury to the same shoulder during the final preseason scrimmage against Rhode Island College and eventually was lost for the season after briefly trying to play through the injury for four games in November.

Now, heading into the start of the 2014-2015 season, it is finally Kris Dunn’s turn. It is his turn to show why he was so highly regarded coming out of high school two years ago. It is his turn to show why ESPN saw him as the top point guard in his class.

What can Friar fans expect out of Dunn? First, he is a completely different player than than the man he is replacing, Bryce Cotton. He does not have Cotton’s outside shot or ability to create offense for himself late in the shot clock.

What Dunn is, however, is a world class athlete. Cooley has said Dunn may be the best athlete in college basketball. He will cause fits by finishing at the rim or dishing it off to a teammate for an easy assist. He is more of a natural point guard than Cotton and should be able to create more scoring opportunities for his teammates.

Defense is also one of Dunn’s calling cards. The 6’3 lead guard will give opposing guards nightmares and could be one of the leaders in the country in steals.

How ready is Dunn for the start of the season? “I’m really excited,” Dunn said. “I bring a lot of energy to practice. It is a blessing to be back out on the court.”

Most national writers are overlooking Dunn when previewing this Friar group. When mentioned nationally the talk is of his injury history, not his potential — a trend Dunn will look to change in Year 3 at PC.

email Craig at Craig.Leighton@friarbasketball.com

follow Craig on twitter: @CraigL78

2 Comments

  1. Anthony Razza

    November 15, 2014 at 3:43 am

    Kris Dunn will soon be known as Kris “Isnever” Dunn! Go Friars!!

  2. Barbra-Jean Marcille

    November 15, 2014 at 4:55 am

    Kris is the MAN and he will show his talent

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