BIG EAST RECRUITING REPORT: PROVIDENCE

August 26, 2006


Projected 2007-2008 Roster



Seniors: Charlie Burch (F), Randall Hanke (C)
Juniors: Sharaud Curry (PG), Weyimi Efejuku (G), Geoff McDermott (G/F), Jonathon Kale (PF), Jeff Xavier (G)
Sophomores: Dwain Williams (G), Brian McKenzie (SG), Jamal Burney (G), Ray Hall (C)
Freshmen: No Commits at this time


Providence college head coach Tim Welsh got a very late commitment for 2006 last week with the addition of Dwain Williams as the Friars Lost One Recruit and Gained Another (Providence Journal). The player the friars lost was Brian Rudolph whose pending legal matters kept him from enrolling at PC this fall. With the addition of Williams, the Friars have three scholarships for the 2007 class and must find some impact players at the Big East level.

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Looking over the Friar roster, the first position of need that pops right out at you is at small forward. The Friars definitely lack a true small forward on their roster. They Friar staff has been seen monitoring the progress of several forwards that could fit the mold here. Probably at the top of the list is Idris Hilliard of the Hun School and Tyrone Nash of Northfield Mount Hermon. Both players might be a little more of the combo-forward variety, but niether currently lists the Friars among their top four or five. Another player to keep an eye on with regards to Providence is former Rice HS player Elijiah Whitehead, who played at Proctor Academy last year and is expected to play at The Winchendon School next season. Whitehead is another who is tough inside and must fine-tune his perimeter play for his size to be an effective high-major recruit. Whitehead definitely brings the energy to the floor when in the game.

Another pair of combo-forwards on the Friar radar also play at Northfield Mount Hermon. They are the Williams twins, Jerell and Terell. Both are 6'7 and still developing wing skills, although, Terell might be a little more ahead of his brother on the perimeter at this point. Originally from Paterson, NJ, the twins are the younger brothers of former SU player Deshaun Williams. It is believed that PC has offered them both.

The other position of need immediately for the Friars remains in the frontcourt. In their previous two classes, they have brought in five guards among the eight players, so adding at least one more big man is a definite need for Tim Welsh. Some of the wing forwards also could play some time at a power forward spot, much like Geoff McDermott currently on the roster. However, finding a true PF/C to roam the post is a need. One player that excelled at the recent NE Elite Event was Damien Saunders of Connecticut. He is a pretty good post player, despite being just 6'7, but has also rounded out his skills to be a threat on the perimeter. Saunders will be playing for Notre Dame Prep this coming season.

A couple other big men that the Friars have worked hard to get involved with are Tyrell Lynch of Niagara Falls and Lavoy Allen of Philadelphia. Lynch has long been on the Frar radar as they have spent some considerable time the last few years trying to land some of the impressive talent from Niagara Falls, thus far to no avail. Lynch is spending a post-grad prep year and trying to get his stock back on track as some inconsistent efforts on the AAU circuit has caused several schools to back off of him. If he puts it all together, he is a player definitely capable of playing in the Big East. Allen is from Pennsbury, PA and, to me, is one of the more interesting PF prospects that has Big East interest but not a Big East reputation, yet. He is an all-around solid and productive player at the PF position with solid size and strength and should be an excellent player over his career. It could be the Big East or it could be the Atlantic 10, if a Big East school is patient with him, I think they will be rewarded over time.

As for the center position, Providence has been evaluation Hamidu Rahman and Michael Eric, like several Big East schools, as big men are at a premium. With Ray Hall in last year's class, it is probably wiser to concentrate on forwards that are a little more versatile than many of the C projects available.

A couple F/G combos that the Friars also might find themselves interested in include Terrell Bell of Georgia and Terrence Roderick of Allentown, PA. Roderick is very intriguing and if he gets his academics in order could be a steal for someone at the high-major level. Bell also has some nice interest from several high-majors as an all-around player on the wing.


To me, the friars find themselves in a difficult place as I look over their recruiting. The Big East is really a bear and the Friars find themselves in a somewhat of an unfavorable position trying to climb out of the bottom four, however, their current recruiting power does not seem to be rising, making it tougher to move up in the standings. They have some nice players and are in on some nice players on the recruiting trail, but they seem to have to rely on picking up some leftovers in the spring to make an impact on their roster as they quickly fall out of the race for their top targets. The Friars can not afford to let the gap continue to widen between themselves and the teams in NCAA contention. It is surprising how far the gap has grown, afterall, it was just three seasons ago the Friars were competing for a Big East regular season title...

It will be interesting to see who the Friars can land on the recruiting trail this year and how they perform on the court this year in the Big East. They need to make a move quickly and show some life once again.