Friar Basketball

Kris Dunn

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Perhaps no player more signified the dawn of the Ed Cooley Era more than Kris Dunn, who became the first highly-ranked recruit to pop for the Friars in the summer of 2011.

Dunn, a McDonald’s All American in 2012, is an athletic 6’3 point guard out of New London, CT who missed the first semester of his freshman seasonĀ in recovering from shoulder surgery, but emerged late when the Friars turned their year around in February.

He had 12 rebounds and 5 assists in a March win over St. John’s, 13 assists in his career debut against Colgate and keyed a first round NIT victory over Charlotte with 14 points, 9 boards and 6 assists. Beyond the offensive numbers, Dunn showed that he could turn into an elite defender that season — a trait that he became known for during his days in New London.

Disaster struck during his sophomore year, as Dunn suffered another shoulder injury during an exhibition game. He returned after missing the first three games of the season, and was the best player on the floor when the Friars came back from 13 down in the second half to beat Vanderbilt in the Virgin Islands last November. Dunn had 19 assists in his first three games back, but he clearly wasn’t himself, playing a fourth before opting for season-ending surgery.

Outside of Providence many have forgotten about Dunn, but Friartown knows he very well could be the key to a second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.