The 1994 Providence College Friars

By Craig Leighton
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Updated: January 10, 2015

On Saturday PC is honoring the 1994 Big East Champion PC basketball team at the Dunkin Donuts Center during the Georgetown game which starts at 12:00 pm. The first 2000 fans at the game will receive commemorative pennants, and members of the 1994 Big East Champion Friars will be available for autographs after the game.

When the question comes up as to which Friar team had the most talent many people point to the 1973 team that went to the Final Four. Others point to the 1997 Elite Eight team. Older fans will say that Jimmy Walker’s 1965 team had the most talent. One team that needs to be included in this conversation is the 1994 Providence College group that won PC’s first Big East championship.

Just how much talent was on this team? The Friars frontcourt in 1994 had four players (Michael Smith, Dickey Simpkins, Eric Williams, and Austin Croshere) who would later move on to have substantial careers in the NBA. The frontcourt had so much talent that a fifth front court player, Troy Brown, redshirted in 1994 and wound up being a second round NBA draft pick the next year.

The heart and soul of the 1994 Friars was senior power forward Michael ‘The Animal’ Smith. Smith led the Big East in rebounding for three straight years and finished with 1034 career rebounds at PC in only three seasons. If I had to describe Smith’s game in one word it would be warrior. He was an absolutely relentless rebounder and was an intimidating presence to opposing teams. In my opinion he was easily the second best rebounder in PC history behind only Marvin Barnes.

The man in the middle for the Friars was 6’9 center Dickey Simpkins. Dickey was a smooth post player who had nice inside moves on offense and was an intimidator in the post on defense. After the season Simpkins was the 21st player selected in the 1994 NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls.

Four years earlier, Smith and Simpkins along with New York City guard Rob Phelps, formed the nucleus of one of Providence College’s most highly ranked recruiting classes. On the 1994 Friar team Phelps provided instant offense off the bench and his explosive outside shooting during the Big East tournament was the biggest reason why the Friars emerged as champions.

Dickie Simpkins, Michael Smith, and Rob Phelps at last summers PC Elite Camp along with prominent PC alums Sean Holley and Jerry Castellucci

The other big star on the team was 6’7 small forward Eric Williams. Williams was a scoring machine with smooth inside moves a great mid-range game. The backcourt was ably manned by point guard Abdul Abdullah, a Providence native and former Central High School star who transferred in from CCRI and shooting guard Michael Brown.

Entering the Big East tournament the 1994 Friars, much like last year’s Friar team, were very much on the NCAA bubble and needed a good showing at Madison Square Garden to ensure an NCAA bid. After disposing of #2 Connecticut in the semifinals the Friars took care of business against Georgetown in the championship game and became the first Friar team to win the Big East Championship.

For those of you who have never seen the 1994 PC Friars play here is a full game replay of the Big East Championship game vs Georgetown.

Unfortunately, the Friars lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament to Alabama 76-70 in a dreaded 8 vs. 9 matchup, but they gave us one heck of a special ride at Madison Square Garden during the Big East Championships.

The thing I will remember the most about this special Friar team was their toughness and intimidation. They were playing right in the middle of the era when the Big East was gaining their reputation as the toughest and most physical conference in the country and the one team that the other Big East teams were intimidated by were the Friars.

It is going to be great to see the 1994 Friars back at the Dunk. Hopefully many of you will make it out to the game to see PC play Georgetown at 12:00 and to celebrate one of the great Friar teams in PC history: the 1994 Big East Champion Providence College Friars.

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21 Comments

Jeremy Nunes

January 10, 2015 at 1:29 pm

What a fun year that was, they deserved better than an 8 seed. Michael Smith was a beast, maybe he can teach our current group on how to rebound.
Ronnie Coelho

January 10, 2015 at 1:49 pm

Ht or pregame ceremony?
Mario Teixeira

January 10, 2015 at 2:03 pm

Halftime Ronnie Coelho and postgame autographs/meet the players
Lucie Fontanella Morse

January 10, 2015 at 2:09 pm

Yeah boys!
Derec Lamendola

January 10, 2015 at 2:15 pm

LETS GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO WhOS PUMT PUMT PUMT Becuass IM AM Going Get LaDoante Henton Birthday Card And Who’s Redey Becuase How Meey People Coming IN @ DUNK And WeNeed ALOT AlOT AlOT AlOT People We DO And Who’s Redey Becuase IM BONE Redey IM SHOR MY Gril Friend Redey PUMT PUMT PUMT Merzade And We Are Togther BIG East Champoinship 1994 And Who’s PUMT PUMT WROK Work Work Work Work Work Work Work HARD HARD HARD HARD GET IN IT
Eric Bennett

January 10, 2015 at 2:19 pm

It was great to celebrate at MSG that year, I was there !!!
Kelly Rossi

January 10, 2015 at 2:26 pm

Morgan Rossi & Anthony W. Gasbarro !!
David Johnson

January 10, 2015 at 2:39 pm

Yeah class of 94! Karen Pedlow O’Hara Stephanie Rapp Ross Murray Megan Hines Peck John McDonough
Michael Caldwell

January 10, 2015 at 2:44 pm

You don’t mention the key to the championship Abdul Abdullah
Jim Namorato

January 10, 2015 at 2:57 pm

’93-’97 was a great stretch to be at PC. Let’s go FRIARS!!
Donnie Nerone

January 10, 2015 at 2:58 pm

Ronnie, I’ll meet you on the court after the game so we can get autographs!
Paula Page

January 10, 2015 at 3:16 pm

What time is the game today
Chris Buco

January 10, 2015 at 3:21 pm

What a day it was taking the train with my dad and a friend and his dad from providence to msg and getting tixs off Pitt fans and seeing them win their first ever championship! I remember listening to the selection show on the radio with everyone on the train back to providence! What a memory!
Jeffrey Campbell

January 10, 2015 at 3:24 pm

Robert Doyle
Robert Doyle

January 10, 2015 at 3:28 pm

What an AWESOME team that was
Neil Primeau

January 10, 2015 at 3:38 pm

Eric Williams had the coolest low post moves.
James Adams

January 10, 2015 at 3:41 pm

Ab was the best point in the league that year!
Charlie Woods

January 10, 2015 at 6:23 pm

Love the old pics of Austin and my boy E (Eric Williams). Great memories at PC 93-97
GO FRIARS!!!
Paul DiMaio

January 10, 2015 at 7:55 pm

Paul A DiMaio
Felicia Rodriguez Walsh

January 10, 2015 at 8:03 pm

I was at the game !!
Ross Murray

January 13, 2015 at 7:23 pm

Rob Phelps after three years came alive.