FRIARS TURNAROUND BEGINS ON DEFENSE; BC UP NEXT

by JEFF BORZELLO

A season ago, Providence struggled through a 12-19 campaign in which the Friars lost their final 11 games.

Keno Davis’ troops ranked next-to-last in the country in scoring defense, giving up an eye-opening 82.2 points per game. They also ranked No. 321 in field-goal percentage defense, allowing teams to shoot 47.1 percent.

Expectations weren’t much higher this season, as the Friars lost their two top scorers from last year, Jamine Peterson and Sharaud Curry. Moreover, with an influx of freshmen, the defense did not seem primed to improve.

Surprisingly, though, Providence currently sits at 9-1, a record that includes a double-digit win over Rhode Island.

“It’s going good so far,” sophomore guard Vincent Council told Jeff Borzello for his article at BustingtheBracket.com. “I think [we’re doing better than expected].”

The team defense has been the key so far. Opponents are scoring 65.3 points per game against the Friars, and shooting just 38.8 percent from the field. The Friars also rank No. 50 in effective field-goal percentage.

“[People underrated us because of our] youth,” Council said, “but we’re working hard.”

Marshon Brooks and Council are providing most of the offense, while first-year players Gerard Coleman and Kadeem Batts have made immediate impacts. Brooks is currently second in the conference in scoring at 21.4 points a game and is coming off a career high effort against Brown with 33 points Monday night. Council tied the school record with 16 assists in a game in the same contest and has taken over the league lead in assists, averaging 6.8.

Although the Big East is tough top-to-bottom, Providence could surprise some people if it continues to lock down on the defensive end. A busy week continues for the Friars and their new defensive prowess will be put to the test with a road game against former conference rival Boston College in Chestnut Hill tonight. The Eagles are 6-2 on the season and averaging 77 points a game in their three-game win streak that includes victories versus Cal, Indiana and UMass. On Saturday Alabama will make the trip to the Dunkin' Donuts Center from SEC country to battle the Friars.

Be sure to check out BustingtheBracket.com for more coverage from Jeff Borzello on NCAA College Basketball.

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FRIARS RALLY TO BEAT YALE, BIG EAST PLAY UP NEXT

Keno Davis said prior to the game that he had hoped his team learned their lesson in their loss to Iona in their previous outing. For nearly the first 30 minutes, it looked like Yale was going to teach Davis' young Providence squad another lesson. However, PC Pulls Away for an 87-78 Win Over Yale (Providence Journal) as the Friars closed the game with a 31-13 run over the final 12:28 to earn the win in their final pre-conference tune-up.

Jamine Peterson led PC with 25 points and 13 rebounds while guards Marshon Brooks, Sharaud Curry and Vincent Council each added 13 in the win.

Yale led by as much as 11 in the first half before attention to defense helped turn the game in the favor of the Friars. Now, with Big East play up next, Providence shifts its focus ahead to the start of league play in South Bend on Dec. 30 when they take on Luke Harangody and Notre Dame.

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PROVIDENCE LIGHTS UP SCOREBOARD IN WIN OVER GW

Six players in double figures and 16 of 29 from three-point range will result in a lot of points and that is exactly what Providence got Wednesday night as an NBA Game Breaks Out and the Friars Have More Fire Power (Providence Journal) in their 110-97 win at George Washington.

The Friars' Three-Point Show Downs the Colonials (Washington Times) six different PC players made at least two from beyond the arc. The most potent sniper was senior Brian McKenzie who hit on four of five as part of his season-high 17 points. Sharaud Curry nailed three from deep and dished out 13 assists to go with his 16 points. Jamine Peterson also hit three deep balls and finished with 18 points and 12 rebounds. Marshon Brooks had a team-high 19 points with freshmen Bilal Dixon (18) and Vincent Council (10) rounding out the Friar double-digit scorers.

The Friars shot 52% from the floor and 55% from three-point range. Their high-paced attack also got them to the foul line 35 times where they made 26 attempts.

PC finishes their four games in seven days on Saturday when they host Iona. Providence is then off for nine days before finishing their pre-conference slate by welcoming Yale (12/21) to the Dunkin' Donuts Center and they travel to Notre Dame on 12/30 to open conference play.

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PROVIDENCE REBOUNDS TO BEAST BROWN

After a tight first half, in which they led 37-33, Providence pulled away from Brown for a 78-62 win, getting past the painful memories of Saturday's loss to Rhode Island.

PC Bottled Up Brown (Attleboro Sun) in the second half by extending their defense to defend the three-point threat. The Friars also used their advantages in size and athletic ability to clean up on the glass with a 56-38 reboiunding edge and also make 11 steals and block 11 shots as a team.

Jamine Peterson (22 points, nine rebounds), Kyle Wright (15 points, four rebounds, three assists) and Bilal Dixon (13 points, six rebounds) paced PC as they overcame their own shooting woes (39% from floor and 27% from three) to earn the win.

Providence is right back in action Wednesday night when they travel to DC to take on 6-1 George Washington.

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PROVIDENCE LETS 16-POINT LEAD SLIP AWAY IN LOSS TO URI

In their annual in-state rivalry game, Providence blew a 16-point lead in an 86-82 loss to Rhode Island, dropping the Friars record to 5-3 on the season. The Rams Have a Finishing Kick (Providence Journal) that allowed them to overcome the deficit and hang on to win on their home floor.

PC-URI Lives up to the Hype (Providence Journal), but the loss will sting the Friars and could set their young squad back in the confidence department. PC will have to bounce back quickly with three games with week. The friars host Brown tonight (see below) and Iona on Saturday with a road game against George Washington on Wednesday. Following Saturday's game, PC is not in action again until 12/21.

Redshirt soph Jamine Peterson led the Friars with 20 points and 11 rebounds on Saturday. Sharaud Curry added 17 and freshman Vincent Council scored 16.

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FRIARS AVOID LATE COLLAPSE, SNEAK PAST NORTHEASTERN

Providence burned the nets at a 56% shooting clip from the floor to escape hostile Northeastern with a win, the final PC 76, Northeastern 72 (Providence Journal).

The Friars, behind Sharaud Curry's 13 points in the first half, took a 40-29 lead at the break and extended the lead to 72-59 with 4:47 remaining before a 13-2 run by the hosts cut the PC lead to 74-72 in the final moments. After a Marshon Brooks airball, the Friars called timeout with 15 seconds on the game clock and one second on the shot clock. Running a set play, freshman Vincent Council found Jamie 'Big Shot' Peterson with a lob pass that the high-flying sophomore converted to beat the shot clock and clinch the win for Providence.

The senior Curry led PC with 19 points and Peterson added 18 of his own to go with 9 rebounds. In all, PC placed five players in double figures with Bilal Dixon and Council scoring 11 and Brooks adding 10.

It has come at a key time, with conference play nearing, that Curry Has Rediscovered his Shooting Touch (Providence Journal) as his 19-point performance last night followed a 20-point outing in Saturday's loss to Boston College. Curry hit seven of 10 shots last night and was three of three from beyond the arc in the first half.

The Friars move to 5-2 on the season and have their annual in-state tussle with Rhode Island on Saturday. Last night's trip to Northeastern was used to gain experience for what they will see on the road this weekend. The Huskies fell to 2-3 with the loss.

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Providence Opens 2009-10 Campaign with World Vision Invitational Crown

By John Sessions and Chris Crawford

The Providence College Friars survived a tough Mercer team on Sunday, Nov. 15, hanging on to win 77-75 at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in downtown Providence, completing a three-game sweep as they were crowned World Vision Invitational Champions. Junior guard/forward Marshon Brooks paced the Friars with 26 points and was named the tournament MVP. Friar fans also saw the highly anticipated return of sophomore forward Jamine Peterson, who, despite being redshirted all of last year, electrified the crowd with dazzling dunks on his way to recording a career-high 22 rebounds, the most by a Providence player since Michael Smith grabbed 26 boards on Jan. 25, 1994. With the win, Providence moves to 3-0 on the season for the first time since 2005-06.

The Friars kicked off the season Friday, Nov. 13 against intrastate foe Bryant University. Nervousness was not present for this season opener, as PC jumped out to a 15-2 run, and never looked backed. By halftime the score was 50-18 and the Friars clearly looked like the superior team. Freshman forward/center Bilal Dixon led the charge for the Friars, posting a double-double in his first colligate game. Five Friars; Brooks, Sharaud Curry, Dixon, Brian McKenzie, and Peterson, finished in double figures and the press defense was pesky all night, forcing 21 turnovers. The game finished 96-53, and the 43 point victory was the largest for the Friars since 2001 when they defeated Morgan State by 44 points.

The World Vision Invitational continued for the Friars Saturday, Nov. 14 as they took on Bucknell University. The Bison proved to be a more formidable opponent for PC, as Bucknell took a 36-34 lead into halftime. Senior guard Sharaud Curry played the part of the veteran leader, putting the team ahead for the first time with a three pointer in the second half and going 8-8 at the free throw line down the stretch. The Friars were too strong for Bucknell in the paint, holding a 46-31 rebounding advantage and led 19-6 in second chance points. Ultimately, buckling down on defense and making their free throws allowed the Friars to pull away for good, winning by a final score of 76-65.

Aside from the fantastic start, Friar fans also witnessed the speed, size, and quickness of second-year coach Keno Davis’ highly touted first recruiting class. Redshirt freshman Bilal Dixon looks to be a force to be reckoned with, as he brings tremendous size and energy when he steps onto the court, while true freshmen Johnnie Lacy, Vincent Council, James Still, and Duke Mondy all contributed significant minutes this weekend. Veteran seniors Sharaud Curry and Brian McKenzie, along with junior forward transfer Russ Permenter supplied PC with the leadership they needed throughout the long weekend, especially in the closing seconds of Sunday’s game.

Providence was a perfect 3-0 in the Tournament as Curry and Peterson both earned All-Tournament accolades while Brooks was named the 2009 World Vision Invitational MVP. PC now travels to Tuscaloosa, Ala. on Friday, Nov. 20 for an 8:00 p.m. contest against SEC opponent Alabama, beginning a string of non-conference contests in which they will look to continue their early success.
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John and Chris help cover the Friars for The Cowl, the Providence College newspaper.

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