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Here and There in Friartown

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News, notes, and opinions on Friar basketball while wondering if the Friars can get in on an underrated recruit early without having him blow up.

  • Wenyen Gabriel picked up offers last weekend from Kentucky, Duke, and Kansas. He is going to be awfully tough to get at this point. When Kentucky and Duke give you an offer it means you can pretty much select where you want to go.
  • Many fans are wondering if the Friars should back off of Gabriel at this point. Put me in the camp that says Ed Cooley should still keep plugging away until they get signals from Gabriel that he is going in a different direction. Most of these kids still want to have a local option open to them when they make their final choice on which school they are going to attend.
  • Last year the biggest stock riser during the July Live Recruiting Period was Donovan Mitchell. This year it appears to be Wenyen Gabriel. When will the Friars catch a break?
  • I really like the pickup of Geroge Mason transfer Isaiah Jackson. He had a very solid freshman season and at 6’7 and being able to play multiple positions he is the type of player that Ed Cooley likes on his team. He can handle the ball well, is a good passer, and has a nice outside shot. After he sits out this year I expect him to have a very productive career for the Friars.
  • PC announced its non conference schedule last week and once again it is very competitive. Games against Illinois, Harvard, URI, and possible match-ups with Michigan State and Arizona highlight the schedule. If they take care of business during the non-conference portion of the schedule the Friars will once again have a very competitive RPI at the end of the season. A 10-3 or a 9-4 non conference record should keep them in the hunt for another NCAA bid.
  • PC will be facing Evansville in the first round of the Wooden Legacy Classic on November 26th. If the Friars win they will more than likely face Arizona on the 27th. The winner of that game could wind up facing Michigan State in the championship. Other teams in the field include Boise State, Boston College, Santa Clara, and UC Irvine. This is a very respectable field which should provide an additional boost to PC’s non-conference strength of schedule.
  • Sometimes I think one of the worst things that could have happened to the Friars was when UConn won the national championship a couple of years ago. PC was building momentum in New England recruiting circles at that time and then after the Huskies win the championship the Friars are back to playing second fiddle to UConn.
  • At this point I am not sure who PC’s top recruiting targets are for the 2016 class. One possible clue will be which 2016 recruits show up on August 8th for PC’s Elite Camp. Three PC recruits who won’t be there are Wenyen Gabriel, Hassahn French, and Hamidou Diallo. All three will be participating in the Big Strick Classic in New York on the same day.
  • I was very sorry to hear that Ricky Ledo was waived by the New York Knicks. It seems that he didn’t get a real shot from the Knicks after averaging only 17 minutes a game during the NBA Summer League. At this point his best opportunity may be to go to Europe where he has a chance to make some significant money.
  • Brodricks Jones,  a 6’9 class of 2015 power forward, has said he will be taking an official visit to Providence College next week. This is huge as the Friars can really use one more front court player this year and Jones is the type of player who could really develop into a key part of the team going forward. Hopefully he likes what he sees and hears when he is on campus next week.
  • Kris Dunn may very well be the best player in college basketball but the key to the success of this year’s Friar team is going to be the sophomore class. Ben Bentil, Jalen Lindsey, Kyron Cartwright, Rodney Bullock, and Tyree Chambers will all need to step up their games in order for the Friars to be successful. Not only are they the key to this season but they are also going to be the foundation for the next couple of years.

3 Comments

  1. Ed Paluch

    July 31, 2015 at 7:16 pm

    Nice article Craig, great points. I always look forward to your columns.

  2. Derec Lamendola

    July 31, 2015 at 8:10 pm

    CRIAG LEIGHTON DEREC LAMENDOLA Enenething NEW ON NEW CONFENRTIS SCHDUILE Enenething Criag LEIGHTON What DiD The ALL TEAM SAY ABOUT MY VACKATION Enenething GOING ON

  3. Craig Leighton

    July 31, 2015 at 8:43 pm

    Thanks Ed. I appreciate the kind words. It is always great to get some feedback.

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