Let's Go Friars!

There is a Cheater in the house!

2009-02-04T14:48:00.000-05:00

Friars Loss at Marquette Ends BE Season

2006-03-04T17:31:00.000-05:00

The Friars Big East Regular season came to an end Saturday in Milwaukee. The loss dropped Tim Welsh to 94-83 in Big East Play and marked his 4th losing season out of 8. While Tim has done a decent job coaching the current batch of Sophomores and Freshman, Friar fans must be wondering about the future of their storied program. Baring a miracle finish to the end of the remaining Big East schedule we will be singing off until next year.

Friars Win Again!

2006-02-07T22:41:00.000-05:00

The Friars won their 4th Big East game of the year with a 61-60 road win at DePaul. With this victory the Friars are now a half game ahead in 10th place in the conference. The Friars were led by Herbert Time and D Mac who had 20& 17. However, it was Sharaud Curry who literally stole the show with a clutch floater with time running out. This marks the third game in a row that Curry has taken the last shot and Friar Fans have got to love the results (Wins against St. John’s and DePaul, Lost to Seton Hall). Fans also have to give it up for Tim Welsh and D Mac who finally have this young team closing out games.

-Friars next game against only team D Mac has not beaten in his big East career.

Curry Recognized

2006-02-07T09:16:00.000-05:00

Sharaud Curry was named BIG EAST men's basketball Rookie of the Week. Curry is the second Friar Freshman to receive this honor. Geoff McDermott was named Rookie of the Week on December 27.

Globe Reports on Friar Recruit Lowe

2006-02-06T12:16:00.000-05:00

The Boston Globe as an excellant write up on the incoming Friar Corey Lowe

Friars Post 3rd BE Win

2006-02-06T11:35:00.000-05:00

So the Friars have gone 1-2 in league play since our last postings. To summarize: good effort against Uconn, tough loss to a Seton hall team that was on the ropes and a nice win over St. John’s. The win over St. John’s puts the Friars in serious contention to qualify for the Big East tournament. Let’s keep the faith as the Friars travel to Chicago for another winable game against DePaul.

Friars Beat Rutgers at the RAC

2006-01-25T21:13:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to the young Friars and Tim welsh on an impressive victory.
Tonight the Friars stormed into the RAC and collected their second Big East victory with a 79-69 beating of Rutgers. The Friars came out playing zone defense and hitting everything on offense. The Friars were led by Donnie's 23, 8-8 at one point, and Herbert Hill's big 19. The Friars led by double digits for most of the game including an 18 point lead at the half. Maybe battling through the country's 5th toughest schedule has prepared these young Friars for the road ahead. We sure hope so because the road ahead is the #1 UConn Huskies.

-We all know that last weekend's games did wonders for the Big East but who could have imagined this one. Seton Hall (2-3 in the Big East) traveled to #15 North Carolina St and walked away with a convincing 83-65 win. The same Seton Hall team recently lost at Rutgers on January 7th.

Friars to Host #1 Team in the Country

2006-01-23T15:37:00.000-05:00

It's official. This Saturday the Friars host the AP and ESPN USA TODAY #1 ranked team,UCONN. The game will mark the fourth time ever and the first time in 21 years the Friars host a #1 team at the Providence Civic Center/Dunkin Donuts Center.

Friars beat De Paul

2006-01-22T14:11:00.000-05:00

Lead by Randall Hanke’s 19 and Donnie McGrath’s 16 the Friars enjoyed a comfortable lead for most of the game, but they waited until the last seconds to seal their first Big East season victory. Weyinimi Efejuku gave the hungry Friar fans several gifts they will not soon forget. In the first half Juku threw down a vicious jam on a break away and was on the receiving end of a Sharaud Curry alley-oop. In the second half Juku sunk two free throws with time running out. The second free throw proved to be the game winner.

Up next for the Friars is a trip to the RAC to face Rutgers.
Next Saturday the Friars host UCONN. If UCONN claims the #1 spot in the polls this week, it will mark the fourth time ever and the first time in 21 years the Friars host a #1 team.

WV 64 PC 48: Tim Welsh is now 4-16 in his last 20 Big East games.

2006-01-18T09:33:00.000-05:00

Friars Fall to 0-2 in BIG EAST

2006-01-12T15:13:00.000-05:00

Friars have a week of rest after falling short against Louisville. Great efforts by the young guys against the Cardinals as well as Georgetown last week. Let’s hope next week brings better results.

PC Notches 7th Victory

2006-01-04T15:36:00.000-05:00

The Friars ended their Non-Conference schedule posting a 94-81 win over the Loyala Greyhounds Tuesday at the Dunk. Another Geoff McDermott Double-Double allowed the Friars to withstand a very impressive 39 point attack by the Greyhounds barely 6-0 guard Andre Collins. Besides McDermott's 21 points the friars had 4 other cagers in double digit scoring.

Game Notes: The Dunk will begin renovations with the installationn of a new sound system. Just in time for the return of The Rick. We are very happy to report the first Fox Point sighting last night. Next up for the Friars is a trip to the MCI Center to play their first Big East game of the year against The Georgetown Hoyas.

Another Freshman Steps Up

2005-12-28T15:08:00.000-05:00

The Friars added another W to the win collumn last night, defeating Steve Fisher’s San Diego State 80-65 at the Dunk Ladt night. This was a great all around game for the Friars and it was well coached by Tim Welsh, who made a profitable move to switch to man-to-man defense. With Friar fans waiting to hear offical word on the second semester status of DeSean White, Jonathan Kale decided to have a coming out party. The freshman’s 15 points and 12 rebounds where just stats. The way he dominated inside against a relatively large Aztec front line was the real story. Four other players scored in double digits including: Donnie, Weymi, Curry and McDermott. The Friars have really turned the corner since the second half of the Florida game when Curry cemented his status as the starting point guard. One more non-conference game to go before the Big East matchups begin.

Is DeSean Next?

2005-12-27T10:30:00.000-05:00

According to most sources on the web, DeSean White was missing from a practice yesterday and seems to be AWOL. It sounds like DeSean will be the next Friar to leave the program. If DeSean does become the 5th player to leave the program within the last 12 months it will knock the Friars down to 8 scholorship players for the remainder of the year. The news of players leaving our hometown teams seems to be a trend in New England sports this winter.

Stay cozy tonight, the game is on Cox 3. Good Luck Guys.

Friars End Losing Streak

2005-12-21T10:45:00.000-05:00

The Friars ended their losing streak with a 22 point victory over a quality Northeastern team. A career best double double by Randall hanke led the way. The Friars seperated themselves from their opponent with a 31-0 run starting at the end of the first half. The Friars should add another win this week with a game Thursday against Yale.

Friars fall to Number 10 by 10

2005-12-07T09:22:00.000-05:00

The Friars lost to Billy Donovan's #10 ranked Florida Gators last night at the Dunk. It would be way to easy to write negatively about this teams inexperience, the lack of production from their senior guard, the coaching staff's odd decisions, the non-emotion of the fans, and that stupid Friar mascot kicking around a stuffed Gator, but I won't. The story of the night was Sharaud Curry. Curry scored 20 points in the second half alone and solidified his spot as the point guard of this team. Other then Sharaud's official coming out party the only positive moment of the night was a nice behind the back pass from Wayme to Hill on a fast break.

In case you are wondering... FOX POINT is still M.I.A.

The Return of Billy The Kid

2005-12-06T08:59:00.000-05:00

Billy Donovan will make his first return to Providence as a head coach tonight at the Dunk. While at PC, Donovan scored over 1000 points in just his Junior and senior years. In his Senior year Billy was an Honorable Mention All-American and a First Team All-Big East selection. Most importantly Billy led the Friars to the 1997 Final Four. As Billy's Nationally Ranked (#10) Florida Gators enter the Dunk tonight let's make sure to show our thanks and give Billy the loudest possible ovation.

Ram's State is Better Then Yours, Or Is it?

2005-12-04T03:18:00.000-05:00

So URI managed a victory in the Projo anointed "State Championship." Since the media likes to remind us on a daily basis that the President's approval rating is at an all-time low, I think it is important to review the current situation here in Rhode Island.

Let us begin with the U of RI. Now that the Rams have moved to 52-64 against their in-state "rival", it is important to note that their current coach has a 54-67 lifetime record at URI. With the only impact freshman being his own son, Ram's Fans should begin to realize that such luxuries as the NCAA tournament and the N.I.T. are a thing of the past. While his team did manage to pull off a victory yesterday against a much more talented, yet inexperienced PC five, the expectations for the Rams this year are very low. However, Jim Baron has proven to be a good coach and an average recruiter and they always play PC hard.

Now let's move on yesterday's losers, the Providence Friars. While Tim Welsh is 115-99 at PC it is hard to ignore the fact that he has yet to use this venue to move on to greener pastures like his predecessors: Rick Pitino, Rick Barnes and Pete Gillen. In short, Tim has spent way too much time at PC and he is signed for way too long. You don't think so, look at the stats; 1-7 at the Big East Tournament, 56-71 life time record versus Big East opponents, 0-3 in the NCAA Tournament. While many Friar fans believe that the loss today to U are Always High was due to a young team learning the ropes, it is very easy to see this is just more of the same. We have come to accept the fact that all of Tim Welsh's teams fold at the end of the game, no matter the age of the player, period.

With all this being said, the local coaches of our prized Division One basketball schools should be glad that they do not have to take the same abuse that the President of the United States has to take because I would be riding around with either a "BARON LIED PEOPLE SPENT WAY TOO MUCH FOR TICKETS' or an "IMPEACH WELSH" bumper sticker. That's just the state of this Union and I am reporting it.

Was Providence robbed in the Dream Tournament?

2005-12-01T14:23:00.000-05:00

Below is a conversation between Friardave and Scoop Jackson on the ESPN NCAA Dream Tournament:

Friardave
Scoop, in your opinion. Has the entire Dream Tournament been tainted with the the first round victory of Kentucky over a much better Providence team?

SCOOP JACKSON
Possibly. i felt that Providence was that team that alot of people slept on. But in the end, i don't think it had any effect. They were a good squad but i don't think they would have changed the wat the Final two, four or eight came out.

No Shock in Wichita

2005-12-01T14:17:00.000-05:00

The Friars picked up their first loss of the season last night in Topeka, KS against a tough Wichita State team. The young Firars were sparked by the return of DeSean White and made the game closer then most fans expected. Up next for the Friars is a trip to the Sober Dome to face URI.

Friars Win A Tough Road Test

2005-11-29T08:10:00.000-05:00

Well it has been about a week and a couple of wins without any posts, so after a road win, which was impressive for this team, we felt the need to comment. Last week the Friars knocked off a weak Vermont team and an even weaker New Hampshire team at the Dunk. Last Night the Friars notched their third win of the season by defeating the Fairfield University Stags in Bridgeport Connecticut. The game which was full of streaks ended with the Friars holding of the Stags 81-78. Freshman Geoff McDermott continued to shine as he scored 15 points and added 9 rebounds. Randall Hanke again led the team in scoring contributing 20 points. Even though the Stags are in the MAC this was an impressive way for the young Friars to start their road schedule. Up next will be a much harder test at Witchita State.

Friars Announce Cox Schedule

2005-11-10T16:58:00.000-05:00

2005-2006 PC Men's Schedule of Games Airing on Cox Sports TV (Cox Ch. 3):

11/30/2005 PC at Wichita State 8:00 p.m.
12/03/2005 PC at URI 1:00 p.m.
12/06/2005 PC vs. Florida 7:30 p.m.
12/27/2005 PC vs. San Diego State 7:30 p.m.
01/07/2006 PC vs. Louisville 7:30 p.m.
01/17/2006 PC at West Virginia 7:00 p.m.
01/21/2006 PC vs. DePaul 7:30 p.m.
01/25/2006 PC at Rutgers TBD (tape delay)
01/28/2006 PC vs. Connecticut 2:00 p.m.
02/15/2006 PC vs. Pittsburgh 7:30 p.m.
02/25/2006 PC at Pittsburgh 7:30 p.m.
03/01/2006 PC vs. Notre Dame 6:00 p.m.

Friars add 3 for 2006-2007

2005-11-10T16:51:00.000-05:00

The Friars announced that Jamal Barney, Corey Lowe and Brian McHenzie have each signed National Letters of Intent. Tim welsh had the following to say "Jamal (Barney) is a rangy combo guard, who has put up great numbers. He can shoot and is very athletic. Corey (Lowe), like current Friar Geoff McDermott, has excelled in football and basketball. He is a tough defender and is able to play point guard. Offensively, Corey is a very accurate shooter. Brian (McKenzie) also is an athletic guard who can shoot from the perimeter. He is regarded as one of the top shooters in his class. In addition, he can penetrate and create offense for the team."

Shorthanded Friars Win Last Exhibition

2005-11-09T11:40:00.000-05:00

An undermanned young Friar team deafeated the EA Sports All Star team that featured former Friar Abdul Mills, 77-75. While we were unable to attend this game, it is impossible not to hear the buzz around town. All of FriarTown is talking about Weyenimi Efejuku. The freshman not only posted double figure scoring for the second consecutive night but he also nailed a last minute shot to win the game. Let's all get on the bandwagon and enjoy the ride.

JUKU

Out of Brew

2005-11-08T09:15:00.000-05:00

According to the Providence Journal, Dwight Brewington has been suspended for tonights exhibition game against EA Sports due to an undisclosed violation of team rules.

Friars Pass First Pre-season Test

2005-11-07T10:53:00.000-05:00

If you want a review of the game you can find one on Projo.com, I am just posting some notes:
-Efejuku could pass for Shieku Kabba's twin, but don't worry, he's a better player as a freshmen then Kabba was as a senior.
-Freshmen Kale and McDermott look like legitimate Big East big men.
-White, Burch, Cross and Curry were all unavailable.
-Hanke looked like a man amongst boys.
-Don't mistake Donnie's new hair due as a complete makeover, his play remains the same.
-Brewington came of the bench.
-The temperature in the Dump was about 98 degrees.
-Beer prices are unchanged.
-Sound system still sucks.
-The new section looks like a winner, still close to the bar and entrance.
-No sign of Fox Point.

Here We Go Again

2005-11-02T10:53:00.000-05:00

Now that the season duckets have finally made their way to River Ave. it is apparent that the dawn of a new season is upon us. Since the only real face of the Friars team is now donning number 4 for your Boston Celtics, we thought it fitting to provide an introduction to the team. This is definitely a leap for the writer’s of Let’s Go Friars so bear with us. Here it goes nothing…

Frontcourt
Randall Hanke: The 6’11 center from NYC is back to prove that his Freshman year was just the beginning. Adding weight in the form of muscle and hair, Friar fans hope that the Sophomore can become a quality all around playerlike his mentor Marty Conlon.

Herbert Hill: The Junior Big Man from Kinston, NC is back to prove all of his fans that Mr. Potential is the real deal. Herb was part of the two headed monster (Hanke & Hill) that combined for 11.3 PPG, 7 rebounds and 3.6 blocks a game last year.

Jonathan Kale: The Friars first BIG recruit from nearby Saint Andrews will provide much needed muscle inside. The 6’7” freshman outweighed and outplayed all other Friars at the recent Mal Brown scrimmage.

DeSean White: The Sophomore from Philly who has been heralded as one of the hidden keys in the Big East will need to play a major role if the Friars expect to have any success this year. Look for DeSean to dazzle the crowds with slick passing and a great feel for the game like his idol Ryan Gomes.

Geoff McDermott: One of Tim Welsh’s best recruits was actually named an All-State QB in New York last year. This muscular freshman from New Rochelle will need to improve his offensive skills to become a Beast in the East.

Backcourt
Donnie McGrath: The King of Katonah is back for his last tour of duty. The Senior guard will be looked upon to provide stability and scoring. Friar fans hope that Donnie can get red hot behind the arc more games then not.

Dwight Brewington: Flashes of brilliances and moments of disaster sum up the first two years for the Junior guard from Lynn, MA. A healthy Brew should be able to provide slashes to the hoop, solid D and outside range. This year let’s hope the real Dwight Brewington stands up.

Sharaud Curry: The 5’9 150 pound point guard from Georgia hopes to provide much needed backup to Donnie at the point. The speedy Curry might hold the key to the Friar’s Frontcourt success.

Weyinmi Efejuku: This 2005 McDonald's All-America Nominee will provide added depth as he can play all three perimeter positions. Friar fans hope the 6’5 freshman’s experience playing in NYC and with the famed Gauchos allows him to contribute right away.

Charles Burch: The 6’6 sophomore guard from Tabor Academy who likes to hangout on the perimeter will hopefully add offense of the bench.

Ray Cross: The Rhode Islander and Saint Andrew guard hopes to continue his role as the defensive spark plug off the bench for Tim Welsh.

Walk-ons
Timothy Englert and Sean VanDeWalle: You will need to make it to the Dunk for the first two exhibition games if you want to see what these guys look like but we are pretty sure one of them resembles the Red Headed announcer guy.

So there it is and there they are, the 2005-2006 Men’s Friar Basketball Squad. Let’s sit back, crack open a few Sam Adam’s Bomber bottles and see what happens. Good Luck Guys!

Section 238 Here We Come

2005-08-03T11:38:00.000-04:00

The anticipation for the 2005-2006 Friar Season has officially begun. The boys of Let’s Go Friars have renewed their season tickets once again. For the first time in several years the boys will be moving to a new section. The days of being one row away from the Bistro in section 240 are now behind us. The new section, 238, was selected because of the addition of a new ticket holder. Joining the original crew will me this writer’s cousin who would like to remain anonymous at this time. With this news and the addition of several promising freshmen the ’05-’06 season is sure to be another exciting adventure. Stay tuned for more information.

Thanks for Leaving it all on the Floor!

2005-03-16T13:33:00.000-05:00

The article below was taken from the most recent SI.
On the afternoon before his final home game, Ryan Gomes is lounging in a swivel chair in an athletic department office in Alumni Hall. Clad in an all-black Providence jumpsuit, he looks a bit like 50 Cent and shares the rapper's cool demeanor, always on the cusp of a wink and a smile.
"Yo, Kev," Gomes calls out to graduate assistant coach Kevin Kurbec. "Why'd they schedule Senior Night during spring break?" Kurbec launches into an explanation about Easter coming early this year, creating a scheduling conflict for the small Catholic school (enrollment: 3,700), but Gomes has already moved on. "The students have been great," he tells an interviewer. "A lot of them came up to me to say that they were glad I came back. I just wish they could be here for my last game." So while some of his peers roast like hens in tropical locales, at night grinding in clubs filled with foam, Gomes is tethered to a blizzard-coated campus, fulfilling his obligation as the biggest name in the littlest state.
"Ryan, can you fill out this Big East questionnaire for a West Virginia newspaper?" asks sports-information director Arthur Parks. Gomes makes his picks for the league's best freshman (Rudy Gay), best dunker (Hakim Warrick), best talker (Carl Krauser) and best player ("Gotta be Ryan Gomes"). He puts his pen down. Parks's voice rings out again: "Ryan, can you do an interview for Channel 12's 10 o'clock news?" In the glow of the camera lights Gomes answers the same questions he's been answering all year. Yes, he's disappointed that the team hasn't fared as well as last season. No, he doesn't think about whether his NBA stock was affected by his returning for his senior year. But when the interviewer asks his thoughts regarding Senior Night, Gomes snaps out of his stock-answer mode, pausing to let the question sink in. "It is strange to think that three years ago I was a freshman watching the seniors graduate. I remember Senior Night in high school was pretty big, and in college it's much bigger. There's no Senior Night in the NBA, so this is it. I'm going to have to try to not get too emotional."
After his stellar junior season, when he was a consensus first-team All-America, Gomes declared himself ready for the NBA, only to discover that he'd been given a label more damaging than malcontent or soft. Scouts dubbed the 6'7" forward a tweener, questioning his ability to either bang with NBA heavies or hang with Road Runner swingmen. After failing to receive a guarantee that a team would select him in the first round, Gomes returned to Providence. Though he again is waging an all-star campaign (averaging 21.7 points and 8.2 rebounds), the Friars are a woeful 14-16 (4-12 in the Big East) and will not play beyond the Big East tournament barring a miracle. "It was a young team, so I knew what I was getting myself into," Gomes says. "Then our second-leading scorer went down. We've been fighting, but the outcome hasn't been good." In addition, his campus routine has become monotonous at times. "I know what to expect every day: class, then practice. It's the same old same old," he says. "Some days I wake up and have to go to class and think, If I had left, I wouldn't have to worry about this stuff."
There are two seniors on this year's squad, Gomes and fellow starting forward Tuukka Kotti, but Senior Night is a Ryan Gomes lovefest. During warmups fans target Gomes in the crosshairs of their cameras. In every shot they will find him smiling. An elderly woman pulls him from the layup line and gives him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "I just wanted to thank you. I mean it," she says. "And good luck with everything in the future."
"Can you believe it's over?" asks Claire Pollard, an usher at the Dunkin' Donuts Center. "He's such a good leader, and I'm going to miss him."
After a brief introduction for Kotti, there is a shift in the arena's mood, a stirring that augurs a big moment. Gomes calmly chats with his family as the P.A. announcer reads off his accolades, including his place atop Providence's alltime scoring list. He is also one of only six Big East players to score 2,000 points and haul in 1,000 rebounds, joining Patrick Ewing, Derrick Coleman, Alonzo Mourning, John Wallace and Danya Abrams. After his name is announced, Gomes walks the gantlet of his teammates, sporting an ear-to-ear grin, as he escorts his family to center court. Fans wave the "3" cards placed on every seat in the arena. His mother, Teresa, clutching a bouquet, looks on with pride as her son, poised to become the first Gomes to earn a college degree, in social science, holds high a framed jersey. The crowd roars. Aside from the silent and lifeless student section, it is a fitting tribute, a chance for fans to say goodbye and thank you.
Gomes is as solid as ever (23 points, six rebounds) in leading the Friars to an 86-75 victory over St. John's. With 20 seconds remaining, the win secure and a Red Storm player on the line, Gomes, stationed at half-court, begins to fumble with his laces. The horn sounds, and coach Tim Welsh sends in a sub so Gomes can exit to one last standing ovation. Gomes steps out of his black Air Jordans, leaves them on the court and glides over to his laughing teammates. The inspiration for his final act at the Dunkin' Donuts Center? Before the game, assistant Bob Walsh had told Gomes, "Go out like an Olympic wrestler and leave your shoes on the court."
When the game clock hits 0:00, all the players except Gomes and Kotti head for the showers. Gomes remains courtside and begins to sign autographs for a throng of fans. "One per person," a security guard announces. A fellow student greets Gomes with a three-part handshake. "Bro," he says, "awesome four years." Though his senior season wasn't everything he'd hoped, tonight, cheered by his home fans for the last time, Ryan Gomes understands why he came back.

Friars End the Disappointment

2005-03-09T15:23:00.000-05:00

The Friars put an end to their 04-05 season with a lame showing in the first round of The Big East Tournament. Ryan Gomes, playing in his last college game, was unable to carry the team to another postseason game. The writers of "Let's Go Friars!" would like to thank Ryan for a wonderful career and wish him luck in the upcoming NBA Draft. Friar fans, keep your heads up! Next season will begin a new era for The Big East and the Friars incoming recruits and transfers will be ready to fight. Until then...GO SOX!!!

Friars End Home Slate with W

2005-03-04T10:11:00.000-05:00

The 2004-2005 Friars completed their Home schedule with a victory over St. John's on Tuesday of this week. This game started with the traditional honoring of the Senior class. This year's graduating class will rank as one of the best. The Friars said goodbye to Kotti and Gomes. Gomes ended his career with over 2000 points and 1000 rebounds and cemented his place among PC's All-Time Greats. Kotti will have a fine future in a pro-league in Europe somewhere. Now the Friars are left with the daunting task of winning 4 games in a row in the Big East Tournament to prolong Ryan's career.

Orange Crush Friars

2005-02-28T11:31:00.000-05:00

The Friars were overwhelmed by the second half push by the Orangemen on Saturday night. The Orange locked up Jim Boeheims 700th win with the 25 point victory. The Friars hung in for a while but had no answers inside once Randall Hanke went down with his 4th foul. The young Friars, Hanke, Fluff, D-White and Hill, looked good despite the inspired effort by the Orange. Up next will be the final home game for Ryan Gomes in a PC uniform this Tuesday. This will be a sad day for many Friar fans as we will witness the reason for our returne to National recognition walking out the door.

Gomes New King of the Hill?

2005-02-25T10:20:00.000-05:00

The Friars beat up on a beat down Seton Hall Pirates team on Wednesday. The Friars proved that even though their record doesn't show it, they are a lot better then the rest of the bottom feeders in the Big East. The only real highlight in this game was when Ryan Gomes became the new All-time scoring leader at Providence College. Ryan made history twice tonight by also collecting his 1000 rebound. As everyone knows, due to the length of eligibility for today's players, both of these stats are inflated compared to the real king of the hill at PC, Jimmy Walker. Jimmy Walker was able to collect 2000 points in a time when there was no three point shot and players were only eligible for 3 years. So cheers to Ryan for a great accomplishment but let us never forget that Jimmy Walker is still the best Friar ever to play.

Another Heart Breaker!

2005-02-16T08:53:00.000-05:00

The frustration level boiled over last night at the Dunk as the Friars dropped a double overtime thriller to the #18 UConn Huskies 94-89. In the loosing effort, Ryan Gomes proved to everyone that he still should be considered among the best players in the country as he could not be stopped, scoring 37 points against one of the best front lines in college hoops. In the end it was the same inevitable disastrous finish repeating itself, similar to watching the end of The Titanic over and over again. The Friars had the ball with 21 seconds left on the clock in a tie ball game at the end of the first overtime. With his team in desperate need to pull off just one of these close games, Tim Welsh decided to let his players determine the outcome of the game. While it is true the the young Friars showed heart and would have won this game if D-White's free throw did not rim out, most of the blame must be placed on Welsh. Tim Welsh put the moral of the team and the entire fan base at risk when he did not call a time out at any time in the last 21 seconds. Have his players showed at all this year that they know what to do in the closing seconds of a game? I think not. Even if you are from the school of thought that says you shouldn't call a timeout at the end of the game because it will allow the defense time to set up, you have to believe that a time out in the final seconds when it was apparent that the players could not create a shot themselves, was in order. While I commend Tim Welsh for somehow keeping this group of players competing, I have to believe that another coach in his situation would have pulled off some of these close games. So with the fact that Tim Welsh is locked up in what seems to be a lifetime contract and PC not having the money to buy him out, let's prepare for many more of these heart breaking games. Here's to mediocrity!

The Friars Win! The friar's Win!

2005-02-14T09:41:00.000-05:00

The PC Friars avoided complete embarrassment as they won their first Big East Season game of the year against Rutgers, 81-64, Sunday at the Dunk. The Friars were solid from the start and were supported primarily by their two Seniors, Gomes 22 points and Kotti 17 points. The Friars were not only led by their Seniors as evidence by the portion of the game when 4 Freshmen were on the court at once. Now we will see if the Friars can take it to UConn whose lack of quality guard play was exposed in a home loss to #2 UNC Sunday. Tuesday's game will be televised on ESPN2.

Friars Drop Another Close One, now 0-9

2005-02-10T09:07:00.000-05:00

The Friars almost came up with a victory in Morgantown against a very tough West Virginia team when Jeff Parmer's last second 3 was off the mark. The Friars where without Dwight Brewington who may be out for the entire season. Now that it is time to rebuild for next year the Friars did show some hope but it is tough to take pride in a 2 point road Big East loss when you haven't won a game in the conference all year. Look for the Friars to get their first of two Big East wins this Sunday at the empty Dunk on Sunday afternoon.

DY-NASTY!

2005-02-08T10:11:00.000-05:00

2005-02-04T15:51:00.000-05:00

The Struggling Friars continue to get national headlines. After Donnie Mac's perfect night was shown all over SportCenter's Top Ten Plays on Wednesday night the Friars were featured in several national news stories.
Andy Katz takes a look at Ryan Gomes decision to stay in school for his senior year:
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/columns/story?columnist=katz_andy&id=1983983
and Dwight Brewington is featured in an article in USA Today: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/mensbasketball/bigeast/2005-02-01-brewington_x.htm

Friars "Perfect" in Last Place Showdown.

2005-02-03T11:29:00.000-05:00

Donnie Mac tied an NCAA record for three point field goals made without a miss last night at the Dunk going 9-9 behind the arc. Donnie was feeling it as he nailed three pointers from everywhere on the court. The win was a match up of the last place teams from the Big East and the ACC and snapped the Friars 7 game loosing streak. It was nice to see the young group hold onto a lead and collect a relatively easy win. With Virgina Tech and Miami playing well in ACC conference play this year, it is apparent that the Big East is a superior conference once you get over the gaudy rankings of the top teams in the ACC. Now the Friars will hit the road to play another game versus a nationally ranked Big East opponent as they look for a little revenge against Villanova.

What is Wrong in Friartown?

2005-02-02T10:15:00.000-05:00

With everyone giving their reasons why Tim Welsh should be fired, I figured I should chime in with yet another reason. As we all know, yesterday, promising young guard Gerald Brown left the team after breaking his leg several weeks ago. If you are keeping score at home this is the fourth player in 2 years to leave the team, Rob Sanders, JuJuan Robinson and Abdull Mills being the others. Sophomore Gerald Brown was averaging 7.1 points off the bench and was the only Friar guard who could penetrate into the lane. The question is...Why are these players continuing to leave the PC program? Are the players tired of the system? Do they believe the PC program is on the decline? Are they disturbed by the way they are booed out of town when they are loosing at the Dunk? Is Welsh asking them to leave so he can open up scholarships? I don't know if we will ever know the answer, but what we do know is that it leaves this and next years version of the Friars pretty thin with talent. Next year the Big East will be getting bigger and badder and the Friars will be getting younger and less experienced. Hey Tim, Jimmy walker is not walking through that door! You had better get your act together or you will be walking out the door!

Triple A Friars fall to Major League Panthers

2005-02-01T10:36:00.000-05:00

The Friars were outclassed by the Pitt Panthers for the second straight year leaving the steel city with a 86-66 loss. The Friars are now 9-15 since the last time that Pitt spanked them at the Dunk on 3/2/04. The Friars continue to look like a team that may never crack the W column in the ultra competitive Big East. Ryan Gomes was the high scorer from last nights game but looked tired in the first half and was abused by the Pitt fans for his two airballs. The Friars now host also struggling Virginia as Pete Gillen comes back to Providence. Perhaps the only way these Friars can get a win is to play an ACC team.
-The Peterson Center should be the the template for the Dunk renovations.
-Troutman, Taft and Bronx born Krauser are the real deal and may carry the Panthers far through the tournament.
-If BC played Pitt this year the Panthers would end their winning streak.

Friars Come Up Short, Again

2005-01-31T13:02:00.000-05:00

Same shit different day. That just about sums it up.
The Friars dropped another heartbreaker at the Dunk Saturday evening against West Virginia in a game which most fans believed that the Friars could win. The Moutaineers got off to a hot shooting start and opened up a double digit lead in the first half. The Friars showed some hope when Donnie hit 3 out of 3 from behind the arc. That hope was crushed when Donnie went down with a sprained ankle shortly after. The Friars battled back, but again were the victim of terrible officiating. The game was determined by the officials on an intentional foul charge to walk-on Ray Cross late in the game. The call promoted several fans to throw objects onto the court and forced Tim Welsh to get on the PA system to ask that fans to throw objects. At least that is what I think he said, don't get me started on the sound system at The Dump, again. Well next up is a beating by the Panthers tonight at 9:00 on The Deuce. Good Luck Guys!

Official-ly Awful!

2005-01-27T16:25:00.000-05:00

The broken record is still rotating around the old recordplayer.
Friars come out to a double digit lead.
The officials make a couple of bad calls against PC.
Friars loose the lead with 3 minutes to go.
Friars take a last second shot in attempt to force OT.
Shot misses the traget.
Friars Loose and nobody gets the New Pontiac!

See you Saturday for the same tune.

Strength of Schedule

2005-01-25T10:05:00.000-05:00

After watching the 4th ranked Syracuse Orangemen walk out of the RAC last night with another lucky win it reminded me of the arguments that I had last Saturday after the Friars fell victim to the Orange. I can still hear myself claiming that the Orange were over ranked right now and that they have not played anyone good yet. While a team like Syracuse with only one loss should get national recognition it is hard to imagine the team that beat the State University of New Jersey because a 3 point shot in the last seconds rolled off the rim is better then every team in the land except 3. While the 'Cuse might contend for a national title and have the experience to win it all this year, the weak schedule that Jim Boeheim plays should be exposed for what it is. My primary argument with the nucklehead Syracuse fans at Trinity last Saturday night was that the Orange strength of schedule was poor at best. Well today we have the prove. The most recent RPI poll is out and it ranks the strength of schedule for all teams in division one college basketball. Syracuse checks in at #97 in SOS, while the PC Friars check in at #2. That's right Friar fans, the schedule that PC has played this year is the second hardest in the country!!! So where is Orangehead now? Still crying about the trashing that his Steelers took on Sunday no doubt.

Down and Out? Perhaps Not!

2005-01-24T10:11:00.000-05:00

Thanks to some divine scheduling the Friars were without a game this weekend as the Blizzard of 2005 struck the northeast. In a season where the Friars have been pronounced dead several times the opportunity to restore the pride in Friar Town has arised. How can the Friars return the pride you ask? Well, beating un-defeated, top ten ranked Boston College on Wednesday at the Dunk would help! The Friars nearly defeated the Eagles in overtime on their own court and now have a chance to kick them in the ass as they have one foot out the door to the ACC. That's right, this is the last year for the trader Eagles in the conference that they helped form over 25 years ago. Now the Eagles are trying to go un-defeated through their entire schedule in what seems to be an attempt to show that they do not belong in our league. With this being the last time BC is traveling to the Dunk as part of the Big East we can not be allowed to be bullied around! As the top of this Blog points out, Providence is the "Home of the Big East." Let's answer the words of Dickie V "isn't anyone in the Big East going to beat Boston College???" Yes sir, the Friars are!!! When the Friars are down they are never out! The Friars will truly need a 6th man on Wednesday so let's show up (that includes you #3) and show up loud! You can start chanting it now...Let's Go Friars!

IT'S TIME TO FIRE WELSH!

2005-01-21T13:47:00.000-05:00

The '04-'05 version of the Tim Welsh Friars officially Stink!
After the loss to Rutgers on Wednesday night the over rated, over hyped Friars are now 0-4 in the conference and in a fight for a NIT bid. This team is so out of whack that Tim Welsh had Donnie on the bench and Kotti playing guard to start the game. This season has been such a disappointment that it is hard to imagine any success to come in the near future. Tim Welsh is in the middle of another season with his non-Big East caliber recruits and is sinking fast. Without the recruit of Ryan Gomes, you would be able to wash out the last 4 seasons as failures. The best guard on this team available for this year, Abdul Mills, is finally healthy and playing somewhere else. I am trying to not be all doom and gloom but it is hard to imagine this PC basketball program competing much longer on the national stage. The Friars are constantly outclassed by larger schools who have far bigger budgets. It is time for major change at Providence College or they may be the first team to be kicked out of the Big East once the incoming teams make it a football power conference. Let's just hope this team has a couple of upsets in them or this season will remembered only as the year that Ryan Gomes draft status dropped!

Friars fall to 0-3 in League

2005-01-18T14:55:00.000-05:00

Right now, all I can remember about the game Saturday afternoon is screaming that Syracuse is an overrated #7 team and witnessing Fox Point in a very random section, apparently upset over the fact that the Bistro was closed for the entire game. Why is it that this year's version of the Friars have to stay in the game right until the very end? I mean, I would have had a couple less drinks had I known throughout the whole game that they were losers. As far as the game goes, I have been told that Donnie attempted his own version of the Ryan Gomes Pontiac Half Court Shot with time running out, but who really knows. All I know is we blew it somehow.

-What's up to our Syracuse/Steeler friends at Trinity Brew House who might have been the Bizarro 1-2-3's on this afternoon.
-So the Friars head to the RAC to face Rutgers on Wednesday, if this season still has any must wins in it, this is one of them.
-Let us not forget the recently re-designed and upgraded Finegan's Wake. I must stop before and after home games.

Friars turnover the game to the Wildcats

2005-01-12T09:00:00.000-05:00

Hello Friar Fans - this is #3 reporting from the sidelines. I apologize if you are used to #1's in-depth analysis, but I believe I'll make up for that today with my witty sarcasm. Let me set the scene for you: It's a cold and snowy Tuesday night. I've forgotten my ticket. We drive all over Providence and arrive a few minutes late. Chubby McHiggins is our referee for the evening, so we are already a 10 point underdog. And that's when things got worse.
PC only looked good in the first 7-8 minutes. We come out with a 10-0 start, and seemed invincible. After that, Villanova took advantage of our flaws and slowly stole the game from us. We had 30 turnovers in the game, and couldn't get a defensive rebound all night. D-Mac had the flu, and I'm convinced Brew had it too but didn't tell anyone.
Kudos to Gomes for scoring a season high 28, and to Herbert Hill for being one block away from a triple-double.
I don't know if I sound like a broken record, but this was another game that Providence could and should have won.
Orangemen come into town Saturday. Bistro opens at 11:30.
Side notes: 9467 fans showed up for the first Big East home game of the year. Fox Point was wearing a ND sweatshirt and an AHL t-shirt. Since ticket prices were raised, the Dunk can afford to heat the building to 142 degrees during games. Gomes tried the Pontiac half-court shot with 6 seconds to go in the game, but didn't win the car.

Friars Give Un-defeated Eagles a Second Chance

2005-01-10T10:59:00.000-05:00

The Friars came out looking good and actually opened up a 12 point lead in the second half but could not put away the Un-beaten BC Eagles. The Friars were killed on the offensive boards and allowed too many second and third shot opportunities. In the end the Eagles exposed the rebounding and experience problems that the Friars may have all year against their Big East Foes. Ryan Gomes put up another impressive stat line in front of an audience of 9 NBA scouts. The Friars will get their second chance against the ACC bound Eagles two weeks from now at The Dunk.
Question of the day: Why do all Tim Welsh lead Friar teams always seem to lack toughness?

Friars add another W with win vs. Bears

2005-01-05T13:50:00.000-05:00

The Friars picked up another W to add to their win total Monday night at the Donut. The Friars outclassed the Brown Bears from the start to collect their 4th straight W. Ryan Gomes was solid with his typical 24 points and 15 rebounds. Brewington also added 15 points and sported several different headband styles. Quality minutes were given to most of the young Friars as 10 players got into the game. Some people were asking when Juco transfer Quinton Hosely will be able to play and it appears the answer is...next year. According to NCAA rulings the Juco All American will not be to play until next year but can practice with the squad this semester.
-In other news it looks like Ryan Gomes will be on the FSN show I, Max tonight.

Friars Avoid Singing the Blues in Memphis

2004-12-24T09:18:00.000-05:00

The Friars played on an unseen level to record their first road victory of the '04-'05 season.
Ryan Gomes took advantage of the national spotlight to record his 6th 20 plus game of the year by scoring 24 points. The Friars got off to a quick lead and held it throughout. No matter how close the Tigers came the Friars had an answer. Are we witnessing the Return of the Mac? Donnie played his second promising game in a row scoring 14 points on 4-7 shooting behind the arc. Brew played well again as he usually does on the national stage recording 15 points on a mix of hard drives to the basket and three pointers. The eye opener of the night, by far, was the play of Freshman Center Randall Hanke. Hanke showed why he has so many Friar fans buzzing by recording 9 blocks and collecting 7 rebounds in 19 minutes of play. The Friars had the Tigers confused throughout the game by using a great pressure defense and a match-up zone most of the second half. This win will not make Friar fans forget the day Marvin Barnes went down with an injury against Memphis in the 1972 Final Four but it might prove to be a key win come NCAA selection time. Let's hope the Fighting Friars can keep this new found intensity up and post a couple more wins to finish up their out of conference schedule.

Maine Bears the Brunt of Friar's Frustration

2004-12-22T09:01:00.000-05:00

The Friars beat the Maine Black Bears by thirty points, 104-74, at the Cruller last night to improve their record to 6-4. Tim welsh has been quoted as saying that the team was improving it's intensity in practices and it rang true. The Friars opened strong and closed strong. Ryan Gomes posted his most impressive game in some time posting 25 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists. Donnie and Brew combined to drain 8 three pointers. G. Brown, Hanke, White and Hill also looked impressive on increased minutes due to the blow out. The Friars will need to keep the intensity up as they travel to Memphis to face the struggling Tigers tomorrow night at 9:00. Nice win, let's build on it.

Bearish Friars face off against Maine

2004-12-21T11:56:00.000-05:00

The Friars look to get back to their winning ways tonight at the Golden Cruller. The Friars also hope to add some victories to the W column over the next couple of weeks with games to follow against Memphis, San Diego State and Brown. As it has been proven this year though, no win will be easy. It is fitting that we would play Maine tonight since the Friars have looked like they belong in the American East conference rather then the Big East for most of this year. Speaking of the American East, the game of the night will be Vermont at UNC. Go Catamounts! Look for another malcontent effort tonight from the Friars. The lack of enthusiasm shown by this team far out weighs the optimism that the Friars season is still young. With any luck Fluff, Hanke and D-White will get good minutes and perform well tonight. Looking for another reason to attend this game other then the young talent? Perhaps this is the night a crazed Friar fan finally runs onto the court and beats the crap out of D-Mac for missing another wide open three.

Let's review the season to this point:
Current record 5-4.
Quality Wins: Niagara(who lost to Loyola-Maryland) and Michigan(Who Lost to B.U.)
Bad Losses: Winthrop (who lost to Portland)
Good Losses: Florida (who lost to Miami by 13 points), Wake Forest(who lost to Illinois by 18), Witchita State(who is Undefeated).

This Loss is No Shock

2004-12-14T11:51:00.001-05:00

So another loss to a Mid-Major team with great potential. While this might be promising to some people it only spells out the inevitable to me. WE ARE GOING TO GET KILLED IN BIG EAST PLAY. Let's all say our prayers because we will need a miracle to stay above .500. It is too bad that Ryan has a rebuilding team around him during the end of one of the best careers in school history. While things could be worse, look at URI, it is going to be a cold winter. Going forward you will see a variety of topics in this Blog as PC struggles. If you still have gifts to buy for Christmas you can always make use of those season tickets.

Randomness

2004-12-09T13:48:00.000-05:00

With the absence of a mid-week game for the Friars I am going to take this time to touch on some other topics.
-Notre Dame had a good win at Indiana last night, maybe now they can get back into the top 25.
-Georgetown entertains #1 Illinois tonight. Maybe the Hoyas can do the Big East a favor and win a significant game once every 5 years.
-Speaking of Illinois they have made a great improvement to their team since PC beat them in MSG early last season. The same can not be said of PC.
-Did you see Monday night where UConn doubled up Northeastern in rebounds 68-34!
-Josh Boone can be the best front court player in the country when he puts his mind to it.
-Rudy Gay is the real deal.
-The OSU Cowboys ran over 'Cuse the other night. I have a feeling it will be a different story when Boeheim's crew face them again late in the NCAA Tournament.
-Future Friar foe Memphis was outclassed by Pitt on Tuesday night against an experienced Pitt team. Memphis does have a lot of athletes and a star in Sean Banks.
-CBS Sportsline has started their Player Rankings. No surprise that Ryan Gomes has picked up where he left off at #1.
-A quick browse of the various Friar chat boards all tell the same story: G Brown needs more PT, D Mac is terrible, we need D White's body on D, Kotti needs to hold onto the ball and Tim Welsh needs to pressure and use man to man earlier in the game.
-Is it just me or does it seem like the Friar fans at the Dunk don't show up until 5 minutes remaining?
-URI continues it's mini tour of the Big East with a game against Rutgers on Saturday. Can you say 0-3.
-30 days until PC-BC, first Big East game of the year.
-UConn vs. Umass tonight. Remember when that meant something.
-Is Washington's Nate Robinson the most exciting player in America?
-Don't be shocked if the Wichita State Shockers beat PC Saturday night. By the way this game has been added to COX.

Friars Defeat URI in OT

2004-12-06T13:36:00.000-05:00

Well, we asked that the Friars Kill the Rams, we will have settle for a come from behind overtime win instead. The Friars rallied back and snatched their third straight victory away from the Rams. This game was marred by my embarrassingly loud cuss at Friar coach Tim Welsh late in the second half. Because of this mishap I decided to put myself in the self imposed time out penalty. A Dunkin' Donuts coffee later and the Friars had forced OT. An event that marked the beginning of my downfall for the evening might also mark the beginning of the turn around to the Friars Season. I apologize to the other members of the 1-2-3's.
So the Friars have a week off. Their next game will be Saturday 12/11 at 7:30 against the wichita State Schockers. I will be absent from that game so we will have to rely on someone else for a game recap.

Rams, Friars Resume Rivalry

2004-12-02T14:02:00.000-05:00

The Friars look to shoot down in-state rival URI this Saturday afternoon at the Donut. While the Friars struggled against Winthrop, the Rams have been dismal all season. The Rams have dropped 4 games in a row to Manhattan, Maine, Seton Hall and Boston U . With the dismissal of "Friar Killer" Dustin Hellenga and injury to Dawan Robinson the Rams have no firepower. Their only hope on Saturday is the inside play of Senior Scott Hazelton. Despite the Rams struggles, the Friars will need to play a complete game to record a "W". The Friars have been much stronger then the Rams the past two years but have come out on the losing end both years. Let's hope the real Friars stand up on Saturday! It is time for redemption!

Gomes Named CLASS Award Finalist

2004-12-01T16:53:00.000-05:00

Ryan Gomes was named one of the finalist for the Bayer Advantage Senior CLASS Award.
The Senior CLASS Award, an acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, was launched during the 2001-02 college basketball season. It is designed to honor the attributes of seniors who remain committed to their university and elect to pursue the many rewards that a senior season can bring.

Big Deal! Lets Get a Win Saturday!

The Friars Fall Apart

2004-12-01T09:34:00.000-05:00

Friars lose to Winthrop 60-54.
I thought about writing a review of this game but I couldn't find the strength. There wasn't a single positive thing to discuss. If the saints used to "Come Marching In" to the Civic Center years ago, they might have official "Marched" out of the Dunk last night. This was a bad loss no matter how you cut it. The Friars gave away a win that may cost them come March. Instead of writing a column about the game I have decided to take the time I would of used to pray that PC does not play like this on Saturday against a terrible URI team. I have nothing else to say. Let's us all pray the Saints come back soon.

Friars Split Weekend

2004-11-29T10:22:00.000-05:00

The Friars beat Michigan in the consolation game of the Pre-season NIT Friday in NYC and lost to the University of Florida on Saturday in Miami. Both games were positives for the Friars as they beat a team they should and lost to their second nationally ranked team in a week playing in consecutive days. The Friars finished "RPI Week" 1-2. Their tough pre-Big East season should prove to be invaluable. The Friars continue to show their depth and resolve. Let's hope we can now start to pile up some wins. Next up is Winthrop followed by in-state rival URI on Saturday.

Man Up!

2004-11-24T22:02:00.000-05:00

Down 18 points in the first half, switching to man defense, Providence forced a huge comeback which eventually closed the margine to 4 points, and switched momentum to the black and white. All of the All-American, Mr. Gomes, and SUPERBREW, were on the verge of MSG lore by posting numbers the likes of Barnes and Murdock, "brewed" up during their reign as nationally recognized cagers. With the Demon Deacons on the verge of "Confession", our "Friar Tuck" mistakingly confused us with the '02 Orangemen and switched to zone. If it ain't broke, don't nix the trend, as Providence's defense held Sensational Sophomore, Chris Paul, to 9 points, as it fumbled away a night's worth of national prominence, for the stubborness of it's Boeheim's protoge.

posted by "2" of "1-2-3"

Friars to Battle #1 Wake Forest

2004-11-24T11:05:00.000-05:00

The Friars are facing #1 Wake Forest in the Semi-final of the preseason NIT tonight at 7:00 at MSG. This marks the tenth time that the Friars are playing the #1 ranked team in the country and the first time since 1985. The Friars have the opportunity to put themselves on the map for the entire season by upsetting a team which many pick to play in the NCAA Final Four. The Friars have the type of lineup and depth that will give a team like Wake a hard time. Let's see if they can pull one off for the ages!

The schedule remains tough for the remainder of the Holiday weekend for the Friars as they take on the winner or loser of the other Semi-final match up (#17 Arizona or Michigan) and #22 Florida in the Orangebowl Classic on Saturday. 3 ranked teams in 4 days is very impressive and will place the Friars high in the RPI for the rest of the season.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving.

Andy Katz Loves Brew

2004-11-22T15:48:00.000-05:00

ESPN College Basketball Analyst Andy Katz has named Dwight Brewington as Honorable Mention for player of the week. This team was supposed to be all about Ryan Gomes but Brewington is stealing all the shine early off.
Here is what Andy had to say:
DWIGHT BREWINGTON, Providence: Opened the season with 19 points and five blocks in the NIT comeback win over Niagara before posting 21 points and 10 rebounds in the second-round rout of Penn.

Friars outclass Division II St. Thomas

2004-11-22T08:59:00.000-05:00

The Friars beat up on Division II St. Thomas Aquinas 79-48.
The Friars proved for the second consecutive game that division I scholarship players are good. While this author was partying in NYC the Friars won what must have been a snoozer from the beginning. Ryan Gomes and Dwight Brewington pumped in the most points on a night where 9 Friars made it to the scoring column.

The amazing thing about this game is that the attendance out drew the crucial first game of the NIT at the Dunk on Tuesday of last week. Next stop for the Friars is Madison Square Garden for a date with Wake Forest. Sure to be a great start to the Holiday.

Big Apple Bound

2004-11-19T11:02:00.000-05:00

The Friars rolled past Penn 89-52 last night at the Dunk on the shoulders of Dwight Brewington's Double-Double performance. Brew scored a career high 21 points and added 10 rebounds. The Friars led from the start and never looked back. With 4 players in double digits and 3 players with 8 points the Friars showed the type of depth that will lead this team to success. Ryan Gomes had a quite night scoring, 10 points, but you could tell he had just as much fun feeding, 8 assists, some of the younger players. Charlie Burch, D-White and Hanke looked promising again.

So this win gets the Friars a trip to MSG and a match up with #2 Wake Forest. The gaurd play of Justin Gray and Chris Paul will give Brew a real test. The Friars are gauranteed a second game at the Garden as there is a consolation game on Friday. Before the Friars head to the Apple they will face off against St. Thomas Aquinas on Saturday night.

ESPN Feature Article on Our Boy

2004-11-18T09:44:00.000-05:00

.
Andy Katz has written a feature article on Dwight Brewington.
As we all know Brew is hearing impaired. This is a heart warming story which shows how far Brew has come, from wanting to leave school early last year to being a major contributor this year. Let's give our boy an extra long BREEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWW tonight.

Here is the Link to the story:
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/columns/story?columnist=katz_andy&id=1925009

Friars trying to stamp ticket to NYC

2004-11-18T09:04:00.000-05:00

The Friars will be entertaining the Ivy League Penn Quakers at 7:30 tonight at the Dunk. Both teams are 1-0 coming off first round NIT tournament wins. The Friars are 5-3 all time against the Quakers. In the first game of the year Penn posted a 74-60 win against an absolutely pathetic Quinipiac team. They were led by the play of guard and captain Tim Begley and forward Mark Zoller. The Penn Quakers are predicted to finish second in the Ivy league to Princeton. As all the Friar Faithful are aware a win tonight punches a ticket to play in the NIT Tournament Semi-finals at Madison Square Garden against #2 rated Wake Forest, baring a major upset. Friar fans can not stay in the comforts of there own homes to watch this game as there is no TV broadcast so the attendance should be around 10,000. See you tonight and LET'S Go FRIARS!

Captain America Saves The Day

2004-11-17T08:41:00.000-05:00

Friars win NIT first round matchup against the Niagra Purple Eagles 83-78 in front of an embarrassing 6,200 fans. Even though this was the first regular season game of the year, it was easy to see that this team will only go as far as Ryan Gomes can carry them.

The Friars came out firing in the first half led by the hot shooting of "Brew you're my boy!" who put in 13 points in the first half. Brew ended the game with a career high 19. Niagra refused to go quietly into the night as they shot 6-14 behind the three point stripe in the first half.

Mid-way through the second half the game seemed all but lost before Coach Welsh made a few key decisions. Welsh brought Kotti back into the game, went to man to man defense and instituted a full court press in the last few minutes of the game. After Welsh's coaching moves the Purples folded like a cheap suit. Perhaps the MAAC contenders were unable to handle the pressure of playing in the Home of the Big East. In the last 37 seconds they had two unforced turnovers and gave the game back to the Friars.

Even though Donnie (7 points, 7 asists), Brew (19 points, 5 blocks) and Kotti (11 points, 4 assists) played well it was Gomes who shined for the ESPN cameras. Gomes' line for the night was simply amazing: 25 points, career high 19 rebounds, and 5 assists while playing the entire 40 minutes. Some encouraging play came from Charlie Burch, Rob McKiver and Gerald Brown. Mr. Potential Randall Hanke had less of an impact then the previous game, but recorded 5 points, 3 rebounds and a block.

Off Topic Notes:
While last night was the second sighting of Fox Point in as many games it may go down as the best sighting. During half time Fox Point wandered into his home ...err...The lounge and confronted an unsuspecting PC student wearing a "He's Back #3" shirt. (By the way, every student in the student section was wearing the same shirt.) The Fox, as we will call him for short, asks what the shirt could possibly mean? The embarrassed student then had to explain how Ryan Gomes, possibly the best player in the country, decided to comeback for his senior year. Fox did not seem amused by the answer he was given as he marched off to the other side of the lounge.
Question is...How can you attend every PC game for the last 2 years and not know who wears #3 for the Friars? Answer is...You must be a career drunk and oblivious to your surroundings, as we suspected was the case with the mighty FOX POINT!

The Dump

2004-11-15T09:42:00.000-05:00

Just some quick notes on the Dunk.
The biggest news of the night came from some angry Friar Fans that were overheard at halftime. It appears that the Dunk will not be allowing anyone to go outside and comeback in for any reason. This includes smoking cigarettes or cigars. It sounds like this is going to be a sore spot for some faithful Friar Fans.
Disappointingly it appears as though the redheaded "want to be" announcer is back for another season. You know what that means, more ridiculous Verizon and Ronzio giveaways along with the all so popular GO-FRIARS contest. This guy gets more and more annoying every game. They also introduced a fan free throw contest in between TO's in the first half. The speaker system sounded a little bit better. The concessions prices have not been raised. It seemed as if there were a couple more flat screen TV's around the concession lines. There are a lot more advertisements within the arena. On a positive note both student sections were filled and there were several bus drop offs through out the game.

Friars End Exhibition Schedule with Stomping of Stingers

2004-11-15T09:26:00.000-05:00

The Friars pulled away from an overmatched Concordia University team to post a 99- 57 win Saturday night in front of 5,822 fans. The obvious highlight of the game was the outstanding play of Randall Hanke. The 6-10 Freshman center from New York city shined against the undersized Stingers. His final line was 21 points on 10-13 shooting with 7 rebounds, 2 blocks and 1 steal. While it is unknown how Hanke's play will translate in Big East League play it is known that this kid has potential.

Other newcomers Charlie Burch, Rob "Fluff" Mckiver and DeSean White looked good as they combined for 20 points off the bench. Gomes saw limited touches, McGrath shot the ball well and although Brewington scored 15 he had 6 turnovers in 27 minutes.

So now that the tune ups are over let's get the regular season started on Tuesday with the opening round game of the Pre-season NIT.

And so it begins!

2004-11-09T16:02:00.000-05:00

So this is the first post to my newly created Providence College Friar Basketball blog. I wanted to start by introducing myself and setting some expectations for this blog. My name is Dave. I am a 27 year old guy from Cranston, RI. I have been a life long Friar fan. I am also a season ticket holder in section 240. This blog has been set up to provide Friar fans with information on the 2004-2005 team. I will write commentary and provide links to information for all the dedicated fans of Friar Town. Feel free to write in suggestions. Let's Go Friars!

Gomes picked 6th in AP All-American Voting

2004-11-09T15:43:00.000-05:00

The AP has just reported their pre-season All-American team and Ryan Gomes will get tons of motivation from the results. Voting results...Chris Paul (55 votes), Larence Roberts (50 votes), Wayne Simien (50 votes), Julius Hodge (41 votes) and Hakim Warrick (33 votes). Ryan finished 6th in the voting. If I were Mr. Gomes I would be circling the January 15 on my calander. That is the day when Syracuse and Hakim Warrick come to town. This CBS nationally televised game will be a sure way to show Mr. Warrick (again) that Mr. Gomes is the true All-American.

Friars Defeat EA Sports in Exhibition 69-62

2004-11-09T15:12:00.000-05:00

The Friars took to the floor of The Dunk for the first time in the 04-05 season. I was unable to attend the game, From what I have heard it was a sleeper at first. The high point of the game seemed to be an amazing block by Dwight "Brew You're My Boy" Brewington. Some other high points were the play of Freshmen Rob McKiver and DeSean White. For more information on this game, including box score please see the following link:
http://friars.collegesports.com/sports/m-baskbl/recaps/110604aaa.html

Thanks to an NCAA ruling this will be our last exhibition game against these non-collegiate teams. Up Next Concordia U?!?