By
Eric Silver
September 1st, 2006
Big East
Basketball Preview: Providence
The Friars had only eight scholarship players last year, seven of whom
return. The only one who graduated was Donnie McGrath, the career leader in
three-pointers for Providence. Still, last season he shot a pedestrian 35%
from behind the arc, and he wasn't much of a rebounder - only 2.0 rpg.
Despite being the team’s leading scorer at 15.1 ppg, he won’t be as hard to
replace as some Friar fans seem to think.
At center, Providence has as good a combination as any other team in the
conference, except for Pittsburgh. Randall Hanke averaged 13.0 ppg and 5.0
rpg in only 21.6 mpg, while Herbert Hill averaged 9.0 ppg and 4.8 rpg in
18.4 mpg. Combined, the two averaged 22.0 ppg and 9.8 rpg. Plus, Hanke
shot 68% from the field and Hill 59%. It’s somewhat of a mystery why Coach
Tim Welsh didn't play the two of them together at times.
At the 4, Geoff McDermott did a solid job as a freshman, averaging 8.9 ppg and 9.0 rpg in conference play. Despite being only 6'6", he was a beast
inside. He's not a very good shooter, however, as he made only 41% of his
shots, most of which were from short-range. He needs to develop a decent
mid-range game. If he does, he can be as prolific a scorer as he is a
rebounder.
The other freshman who started regularly was point guard Sharaud
Curry. Listed at 5'10", he's probably closer to 5'8". Still, he averaged
11.9 ppg and 3.5 apg. He is extremely quick, and he is an excellent ball
handler. He should have even better stats next season and could push for
all-conference honors before his career is over.
Another member of the Class of 2005, 6'5" Weyinmi Efejuku, averaged
7.8 ppg in 22.4 mpg as a part-time starter. He was among the conference
leaders in steals despite his relatively limited minutes. He'll start at one
of the wings this year despite being a 34% shooter from the field.
The other wing could be Charles Burch, a junior who averaged 4.8 ppg
in 20.4 mpg. Like Efejuku, he's not a particularly good shooter - only 37%.
However, he's a decent athlete and will provide experience and solid
effort.
Ironically, the highest-ranked member of last year's freshmen class -
Jonathan Kale - contributed the least. He averaged slightly less than 11
mpg, which isn't much given the fact that there were only eight scholarship
players. If McDermott has to move to the 3 at times this year, Kale could
earn a few more minutes though he’s pretty much limited to playing the 4.
The Friars bring in four recruits. Ray Hall, a 6'9"/6'10" center from
Colorado, was ranked as the #40 center in the country by Scout, not exactly
a glowing assessment. Given the fact that Hanke and Hill play the same
position, he’ll see limited minutes in his rookie season..
Three guards join the team. Jamal Barney, from Baltimore, who is 6'3",
might get time at the 2. Scout ranked him as the #29 point guard in the
class, a few notches higher than Curry was ranked a year earlier. Brian
McKenzie, a shooting guard, will probably see little time barring injuries
to starters, though if he can knock down some treys, he might get some
minutes as a zone-buster.
The
most intriguing newcomer is Dwain Williams, a late addition to the program.
He earned a reputation as a prolific scorer in high school and early in his
high school career was viewed as a Top 50 player nationally. Originally a
member of the Class of 2005, he didn’t play last year because he had used up
his four years of eligibility. He can play either guard spot, so he could
back up Curry or play alongside him at times. If he can score as well as
advertised, he could work his way into the starting lineup by mid-year.
The biggest problem for Providence will be outside shooting. There's not a
single reliable deep threat among their returning players, which will put
pressure on the freshmen to make their shots. Teams will likely zone the
Friars and clog the lane to take away Curry's driving ability as well as
make it more difficult to get the ball inside to Hanke or Hill. If the
Friars can’t hit the perimeter shot, they could be in trouble.
Still,
Providence should be better than last season because of added experience.
They should make the conference tournament and the NIT this year. If
Williams or Barney can provide some offensive punch, the Friars could battle
St. John's and De Paul for eighth in the conference; if not they’re looking
at holding off Rutgers and Notre Dame for 10th. The latter is the more
likely scenario.
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Predicted Finish: 10 of 16
