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Building a Program: Providence Should Emulate Conference Leaders
The Big East currently has two teams sitting atop the league’s standings, two teams toiling away in the cellar and the other six teams beating each other to death in the middle. This has been the recipe each of the first three seasons of this configuration of the Big East. Villanova remains the most consistent. Jay Wright’s program has been among those two at the top all three seasons. The other program on high this season — Xavier — also appears to be in a position to stay there. That leaves teams like Butler, Creighton, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence and Seton Hall to bloody each other’s win/loss records in hopes of snagging the other three spots that make up the top half of the league.
Notice that I refer above to Villanova and Xavier as programs and the rest as teams. That was done with a purpose. Those two coaches have built programs that reload instead of rebuild. They have talented players coming off their bench and can handle some roster adversity when it presents itself in the form of injury, foul trouble or even transfer. How close is Providence to being that kind of program? Defections and recruiting misses have moved them further from that finish line over the last couple of seasons. Take a second to think about this possible roster from the “what could have been” section for the Friars in 2015-16 (*top 150 recruits via 247Sports):
- PG: Kris Dunn*, Kyron Cartwright, Justin Robinson*
- SG: Donovan Mitchell*, Josh Fortune, Drew Edwards
- SF: Ryan Fazekas, Jalen Lindsey*, Isaiah Jackson
- PF: Ben Bentil*, Alex Owens*, Rodney Bullock
- C: Paschal Chukwu*
Those are all players that Providence either has/had on their roster or were heavily chasing on the recruiting trail in 2013, 2014 and 2015. That’s what a program’s roster looks like. Depth at each position and high level talent behind high level talent. Ed Cooley’s now famous line among Friar fans from his introductory press conference is that he intended to build the Providence program “brick by brick.” There is little doubt that Providence has come a long way since Cooley was hired back in March of 2011. But if Providence is to become a program like the ones they are looking up at in the Big East standings this season, a big-time talent infusion is needed in Friartown. If that doesn’t happen and happen fast, Providence could be looking at some lean years in the win/loss column once Dunn leaves for the NBA after this season and Bentil possibly the year after if he keeps up his improved play.
There is still some time to make a dent in the talent deficit before opening tip in November of 2016. The Friar staff is involved with some talented big men and even some guards and wing players that could come in and contribute next season. The roster turnover this offseason could be more about addition by subtraction than in the last two springs and summers when expected starters exited Friartown for greener pastures. Programs reload. Teams rebuild.
Providence’s roster needs to start looking more like Villanova’s and Xavier’s where talent and depth are the names of the game. Cooley hasn’t had anything close to depth in his five seasons at the helm in Providence and the talent level is beginning to slip for the first time in his tenure. The 2016 and 2017 recruiting classes will be critical for Cooley and the Friars and very well could be looked back on as the reasons Cooley built Providence into a program. If he suffers more swings and misses, this team is in trouble.
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11 responses to “Building a Program: Providence Should Emulate Conference Leaders”
Providence has won championships and big games before. One of the most respected programs in the nation. Why are you constantly playing Monday morning quarterback?
Providence is one of the most respected programs in the nation? I must be missing all the praise. Most praise you see is for Ed Cooley, not necessarily the Providence program. Is it really MMQB to state that Providence is in need of a talent infusion if they hope to maintain the level of success that Cooley has accomplished in his time at PC? Seems fairly evident to me that the talent level and depth just aren’t where they need to be for a true program in the way I described Villanova and Xavier in this piece.
I love the Friars, “Heart and Soul”!! I am in such a bad mood when they lose, my wife stays away from me. I love Coach Cooley! But Mike is right on. A lot of “what if’s and just misses” on the recruiting trail. Blows my mind that Fortune left: he was the guy in the middle of the dance before every PC game. Chukwu, now there’s an enigma! Just before he left I remember a quote from Coach Cooley “No doubt Chukwu can be a pro if he wants to be”. Now I’m thinking, what the hell does that mean? Is he not working hard enough? Is his mind someplace else. Kids are very impressionable but to give up a year of not playing to go to a different team. That’s sacrifice. Maybe those 2 guys needed more focus and attention. Like the attention that Chukwu is now getting from Syracuse!!!! The kid that PC is chasing right now – Thompson. I think he is at #87 right now, has come out and said that if a big name team offers he is going no ?’s asked. So PC is on him but to be real, no way is he coming to PC. I believe PC can get top 100 kids, but it will have to be a special young man, like Dunn, that sees more than glitter.
GO FRIARS!!!!!!
@ Hopkins yes Providence is 100 percent one of the most respected programs in the NCAA. Listen to any broadcast on FS1 or CBS Sports Network and its nothing but praise for the black and white. Look at the famous former Friars in the rafters at the Dunk (Wilkens, Ernie D, Gomes, John Thompson, Marvin Barnes, Hassett). The passion and drive behind the program has always been good even when you were a student at PC Your beigning to sound like a PRO JO writer.
Providence is just an average team this year its okay. They are asking a lot of younger players to step up in some big spots right now and they just are not getting the job done. What other program in America has two critical pieces leave a program in May? (Chkwuw and Fortune). They were going to be counted on those guys. You win some battles you lose some. Cooley is amazing at identifying young talent. Look what Donovan Mitchell is doing wearing Cardinal red for Pitino. Maybe Kaleb Joseph is rethinking his move to Syracuse.
This is your blog. Brag about your school instead of bashing it. Since the new Big East started in 2013-2014 both Villanova and PC have the same amount of Big East Toruney trophies.How many does Xavier have? ZERO.
So the network that has a deal with the Big East talks highly of Providence during games and I’m supposed to take that to mean they are one of the most respected programs nationally?
What other program in America has a Wooden Award candidate and the most improved player in the nation?
I agree that Cooley is great at identifying talent, especially early on like with Mitchell, but both players you mentioned went elsewhere. Same story with Wenyen Gabriel. The point of this article was to point out that Providence has improved a ton in Cooley’s tenure, but if he wants to maintain that same level of success and truly build a program that is in a position to win basically every year — a la Villanova — then he needs to start ramping up the talent on the roster. I’m not bashing Providence. I’m pointing out that they have a long way to go, despite the nice run Cooley has them on right now, to building something sustained. Isn’t the goal to consistently be in contention for league titles and the NCAA Tournament?
You are correct. This is my blog. I’ve made a point to try to not be one of those sites that is ra ra and backs the school I attended no matter what. I try to be fair, provide perspective and give my honest opinions. My honest opinion is the roster right now isn’t good enough to finish in the top 4 of the Big East next season and if Cooley doesn’t bring in a big man and another talented player this spring, as well as the talent in 2017 and 2018, the team will not be as successful as it was in his first 5 seasons. Hardly bashing Providence College. As for your assertion about Big East Championships, the point I’m making is that the one Providence has will be the only one for the foreseeable future if there isn’t more talent on this roster. Xavier and Villanova appear to have deep and talented rosters — and their recruiting is continuing at a high level. Bryce Cotton’s don’t happen very often. This article is about the future, not the past.
Of course Providence will get players over time be patient. Rome was not built in a day. Ed Cooley, Andre Lefleur and Battle are still in the process of changing the culture into what championship programs are all about. It takes time everyone is on board. Your going to win and lose battles all over the recruiting trail you got to realize that Mr. Hopkins. Some of the best Providence recruits have happened late in the game during Cooleys tenure remember that. (Bryce Cotton and Ladonte Henton.) Forget all the big players out of these prep schools. Providence needs tough nose blue collar players not these flashy pre madonnas from these elite prep schools. Forget about the Prep School at RIC that showcase is crap it gets media coverage for all the wrong reasons. Providence will never get a player from that event EVER. Providence needs tough inner city guards who have a proven track record of winning games in the Big East Conference (Mark Jackson, Chris Mullin, Pearl Washington, Kemba Walker, Allen Iverson, Ben Gordon).
Remind me how many stars Josh Hart(MVP of the Big East this year), Daniel Ocefu, Phil Booth, and Arch had next to their names coming out of high school? While your at it count the stars next to Xavier top 3 players let me know how that goes.
Josh Hart was top 85, Arch was top 50, Ochefu top 60, Booth was top 100.
Bluiett was top 50, Sumner was top 80, Reynolds was top 105
Marc – Any pre-Madonna player would be well past NCAA eligibility. Madonna is approaching 60 for Christ’s sake.
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Great points Marc! Agree with most of what you say but there is something missing with these kids leaving. This should be addressed. The mystery to me is that I have seen Coach Cooley on Bryce Cotton to shoot more in his early days, Josh Fortune as well. Last year I saw the Coach grab Tyler Harris by his 2 front shoulders, his face inches away and yell at him to (SHOOT THE F’NG BALL) and still they left. Cotton obviously did not but here were rumors that he was thinking about it. The point guard they have coming next year, White sounds like he is more than solid and the transfer they have Jackson, is definitely a player! They get a “big” for next year and they will be more than competitive. That’s of course if no player,
the team is counting on leaves.
Marc your points are so valid