Here and There in Friartown

By Craig Leighton
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Updated: April 6, 2015

News, notes, and opinions on Friar basketball (and other topics) while waiting for the start of the Frozen Four this week.

Tyler Harris going to UConn? Hey, why not. A high major player who has averaged in double figures for an NCAA Tournament team for the last two years is going to draw a lot of attention. He just has to decide if he wants to be a complementary player again or if he wants to be the main guy at a lower level. Based on his latest list of 10 schools which includes Arizona, Oklahoma State and Tennessee it seems like he is definitely not interested in playing down a level.
Once again it seems to be open season on the Big East after their performance in the NCAA Tournament. It is funny how on the first day of the tournament everyone was proclaiming the Big East was back after all of the Big East teams won games they were supposed to win. The only team that really underperformed in the tournament was Villanova and they can hopefully rectify that next year. The Big East finished with four teams in the top 32 according to the NCAA Tournament and that is right about where they should be: four of the top 32 teams in the country.
The NCAA allocating only 600 tickets to each of the four schools in the Frozen Four is absolutely ridiculous. The student bodies and fan bases of these schools are what supports NCAA hockey in the first place and they should be rewarded when their teams do well. Hopefully some tickets will open up for Friar fans if they reach the championship game.
I don’t understand how coaches like Steve Lavin and Rick Barnes can be let go right after making the NCAA Tournament. It seems if you make the tournament you should at least get another year. I also don’t feel you should fire a coach’s assistants unless they committed some sort of violation. They are part of the coach’s program and he should decide who his assistant coaches are. It was great to see Barnes land on his feet at Tennessee.
That being said I like the hire of Chris Mullin at St. Johns. I think he is exactly the type of guy that can overcome having no head coaching experience and succeed at the college level. He has hit the ground running and has already offered several local and national players.
The transfer epidemic is getting even worse in college basketball. There are currently over 300 players looking to transfer in Division 1 and that number will only increase. One of the worst things about the current transfer rules is that 5th year seniors who are on track to graduate can transfer to another school without having to sit out a year. One of the consequences of this provision is that student athletes who have already transferred once are able to transfer again without the penalty of having to sit out. Players are doing this in abundance. I would propose that this 5th year provision only be open to players who have not already transferred.
I would also recommend that if a school takes in a transfer they have to guarantee that the player will retain his scholarship until he exhausts his eligibility (as long as that player remains in good standing with the school). Too many of these transfers are getting recruited over after they play one or two years at their new school forcing them to go to a third school.
Was there anyone rooting for a Kentucky-Duke final? I for one am very happy Wisconsin took care of Kentucky and hope they do the same against Duke tonight. It is refreshing to see a team that is not composed entirely of McDonald’s All Americans reach the final game.
Billy Donovan to the NBA? I would not be the least bit surprised. He has nothing else to prove at Florida and is obviously intrigued by coaching in the NBA. He just needs to get the right fit. Too many college coaches who make the jump to the NBA wind up in situations where it is almost impossible to succeed.
Don’t forget that the Nate Leaman radio show will be broadcasting live from Shula’s 347 in downtown Providence tonight at 7:00. All PC fans are encouraged to attend. Old friend Chuck Wilson will be hosting the show and many of the players will be there.