Providence Friars Basketball

Providence men's basketball coach Ed Cooley will remain at the program, agreeing to a contract extension Tuesday after taking a meeting with the University of Michigan. 

"While it's very flattering to be considered for other head-coaching jobs, after talking with my family I have decided to remain in my hometown of Providence," Cooley said in a statement. "The Friars are my family. Most importantly, my commitment is to my players and my team at Providence."

Cooley, 49, has been the head coach at Providence for the last eight seasons. He's compiled a 162-110 record, leading the Friars to five NCAA tournament appearances.

Michigan met with Cooley on Monday during its search to replace John Beilein, who left the school to take the Cleveland Cavaliers' coaching job earlier this month.

"We are excited to announce that Ed Cooley will continue to lead our men's basketball program," athletic director Bob Driscoll said. "We believe that Ed is one of the top of coaches in the country."

The Wolverines could turn their attention to Juwan Howard, the longtime NBA veteran who has been an assistant coach with the Miami Heat since his retirement as a player in 2013. Howard was a member of Michigan's Fab Five and played at the school from 1991 to 1994. He's also received endorsements from a number of his former teammates.

Jalen Rose said on his ESPN Radio show (via Orion Sang of the Detroit Free Press):

"Okay, this ain't just no nostalgic, 'Oh, he was a member of the Fab Five, so let's give him the job.' He was a terrific high school player, McDonald's All-American, he's a terrific performer at Michigan, a member of the Fab Five, he was an All-Star in the NBA, he was a champion, he's not only learned under some of the best to do it, Erik Spoelstra, Pat Riley, he also has the blessing of John Beilein, who he spent a lot of time with, of Steve Fisher, who he spent a lot of time with.

"He's also a (Jordan Brand) athlete, and that's the shoe that the school actually wears! This is such a layup! If Juwan Howard doesn't get that job, I'm not going to even make any blanket statements of how that's going to make me feel."

"All we need is to hire Juwan so we can take (Michigan State) out," Chris Webber said on a TNT broadcast. "... It would be great for the whole university," Webber said. "It would bring everybody back together."

While Michigan's relationship with the Fab Five is checkered—the university had to forfeit nearly all of its accomplishments from that era due to players being paid—things have improved in recent years. Hiring Howard would arguably bring everything full circle and allow the wounds to fully heal after more than two decades.

The Big East title game was stressful.

Just ask Providence Friars head coach Ed Cooley, who was so fired up during the back-and-forth affair with the Villanova Wildcats that he ripped his pants in the second half and had to use a towel to cover up the damage:  

Cooley divulged how he came to realize he had an issue, per Ian Steele of ABC6:

The Friars rallied from 11 points down in the second half to force overtime, but the Wildcats took control in the extra session and escaped with a 76-66 win for their second straight conference tournament championship. 

ESPN.com's Joe Lunardi currently has Villanova penciled in as a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament and Providence on the No. 10 line entering Selection Sunday.    

With the NCAA tournament approaching, the Providence Friars added a monstrous victory to their resume Wednesday night against the No. 3 Villanova Wildcats.

Providence exploded for 49 second-half points at the Dunkin' Donuts Center on the way to a 76-71 Big East victory over Villanova. Kyron Cartwright (17 points, five assists and three steals), Alpha Diallo (14 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals) and Rodney Bullock (14 points and six rebounds) led the way in a balanced Friars attack that saw five different players score in double figures.

Mikal Bridges (19 points and seven rebounds) and Jalen Brunson (14 points and five assists) did what they could for the Wildcats, but it wasn't enough to earn a win on the road. They also both fouled out—Brunson on his seventh turnover as a charge—and weren't available as their team attempted to make a late charge in the final minute.

Villanova could have used its two playmakers on the court considering Cartwright missed five free throws in the final minute to keep the No. 3 team in the nation within striking distance and the home crowd on edge until the final buzzer.

While the Friars were the clear beneficiaries of the victory, the No. 4 Xavier Musketeers will likely also offer their thanks. Wednesday was Villanova's second loss in three games, dropping it to 10-3 in conference play and a game behind the Musketeers in the race for the Big East regular-season crown.

Villanova beat Xavier in the first matchup this season, but the two sides play again Saturday on the Musketeers' home floor.

As for Providence, it is now 3-1 in its last four and is pursuing a spot in the Big Dance. It will have another chance to pick up a solid win Saturday when it travels to Butler, and the Friars play at Xavier later in the season.

John Gasaway of ESPN.com listed Providence in the "work to do" section of his most recent bubble watch, but that was before it beat the No. 3 team in the country.

Prevailing against an opponent like Villanova is the type of victory that can separate the Friars from the rest of the bubble.

Kyron Cartwright scored 19 points, dished out nine assists and added four steals Saturday to lead Providence to an 81-72 upset victory over No. 5 Xavier at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island.

Rodney Bullock added 17 points, six rebounds, three assists and two blocks for the Friars, who improved to 11-6, including 2-2 in Big East play. Isaiah Jackson chipped in 18 points off the bench.

It was just the second loss of the season for the Musketeers (15-2, 3-1). Kerem Kanter tallied 24 points and 12 boards, but the team shot just 27.8 percent from three and 64.7 percent from the free-throw line.

The win ended a two-game losing skid for Providence, which lost by 19 at Creighton and five in overtime to Marquette in its first home game of conference play.

Jon Rothstein of CBSSports.com noted it was a key triumph should the Friars land on the bubble heading into Selection Sunday:

Xavier's only other loss came against Arizona State in late November. It rattled off 10 straight victories after that, including wins over ranked foes in Baylor and Cincinnati.

The Musketeers will have an opportunity to get right back on track with a statement victory of their own Wednesday night, when they'll travel to Philadelphia for a high-profile clash against No. 3 Villanova—the four-time defending Big East champion.

Providence is off until Friday, when it heads to Chicago for a matchup with DePaul.

AJ Reeves, a 4-star small forward from the Brimmer and May School in Massachusetts, committed to Providence on Sunday according to Andrew Slater of 247Sports and Corey Evans of Rivals.com.

Reeves, who stands 6'6" and weighs 185 pounds, also had offers from Louisville, Providence, Villanova, Virginia and UConn. He's considered the No. 13 small forward in the country and the No. 49 player overall, according to Scout.com.

The commitment is an excellent addition for the Friars. As Evans noted, "A knockdown shooter with an over 35-inch vertical leap, Reeves should create major headaches on the perimeter thanks to his shot making abilities, athleticism and potential as a wing defender."

It's also the chance for the program to build on 2017's No. 16 ranked recruiting class, per Scout, that included three 4-star prospects: Makai Ashton-Langford, Nate Watson and Dajour Dickens.

Evans also reported the Friars were still hot on the trail for David Duke, a 4-star shooting guard. If Providence is able to pair Reeves and Duke in this year's class with Ashton-Langford, Watson and Dickens—along with last season's freshmen, Alpha Diallo and and Kalif Young—the Friars could be a dangerous team in the Big East in the near future.

BR Video

Providence forward Rodney Bullock made good use of some intelligent passing in the first half of Wednesday's First Four game against the USC Trojans at UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio.   

With under three minutes to play in the frame, Friars guard Kyron Cartwright played a one-touch pass into the paint for Bullock, who delivered an uncontested two-handed slam with authority.

Providence led USC 44-29 at halftime. The winner of this contest faces SMU on Friday.     

Providence Friars' leading scorer and rebounder, sophomore forward Ben Bentil, is considered day-to-day while dealing with an ankle injury, per ESPN's Jeff Goodman.

Continue for updates.

Bentil Likely to Miss Matchup with No. 3 Villanova Wildcats

Thursday, Feb. 4

Bentil injured the ankle in Providence's 77-70 upset loss to DePaul. FoxSports.com's Reid Forgrave posted a photo of the Friars' medical staff attending to the player:

Bentil's numbers have risen massively over his production as a freshman. He's averaging 19.7 points and 7.8 rebounds a game, up from 6.4 and 4.9, respectively, last year. CSNPhilly.com's Reuben Frank called him one of the most improved players in the country.

The timing of his injury couldn't be much worse for Providence. The Friars face off with Villanova on Saturday, and on Feb. 17, they take on the sixth-ranked Xavier Musketeers. Since he's only day-to-day, Bentil should be back against Xavier, but he might still be suffering from lingering effects.

As long as Bentil is 100 percent heading into the conference and NCAA tournaments, Providence should be poised to make deep runs in both events. In that respect, the Friars dodged a bit of a bullet with regard to the severity of Bentil's ankle injury.

Should Bentil be absent against Villanova and any games beyond that, head coach Ed Cooley will lean more heavily on junior guard Kris Dunn to be the team's main scoring threat, while freshman forward Quadree Smith will likely see more playing time alongside sophomore forward Rodney Bullock in the Friars' frontcourt.

Normally, it's a prospect's decision to declare early for the NBA draft that raises questions. In Kris Dunn's case, the decision in question is the one that has him reportedly returning back to Providence, according to Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski. In doing so, he's taking a legitimate risk. 

While it's tough to knock a kid for staying in school, Dunn's background and situation are somewhat different from most. 

In 2012-13, he was having a pretty rough freshman year before an injury to his shoulder forced him into season-ending surgery. Dunn's outlook then took a devastating turn for the worse when he reinjured the same shoulder four games into his sophomore year. Another surgery would ultimately require him to miss all but four games 2013-14.

After two years at Providence, Dunn had nothing to show for himself but a pair of major operations. It just didn't seem like the NBA was in the cards for him.

And then this 2014-15 season happened. Dunn bounced back to play in 33 of 34 games and take home co-Big East Player of the Year honors, finally finding the NBA radar.

And Dunn didn't just graze it. He'd started to generate lottery buzz. By the end of the year, Dunn had become one of the hottest prospects in the nation. 

Only instead of trying to capitalize in the draft and strike while the iron is hot, Dunn will head back to Providence, where uncertainty looms. 

If anything happens to that shoulder next year, forget about it. He'll be showered in red flags right up until draft night.

Dunn will also be 22 years old by June 2016. Since the 2006 draft, only seven players 22 or older have been taken in the top 10. Just three of them went top five. 

Recently, it's become rare for a general manager to reach on a 22 year old. Maybe it's due to the fact that most of them fail to meet the value of their draft position. There aren't many players on the list above who've lived up to their expectations.

The fact is, the potential reward that would result from Dunn having an even bigger 2015-16 isn't worth the risk of him flatlining. And quite frankly, the chances of him improving significantly seem slim.

Dunn averaged 15.6 points, led the country in assist percentage, via Sports-Reference.com, finished No. 5 in steal percentage and shot a solid 47.4 percent from the floor.

He could stand to improve his jumper, but he still made a respectable 27 of 77 (35.1 percent) threes. Regressing as a shooter would be a really bad look, given that he'd be four years removed from high school and still struggling to put together a reliable jump shot. At least now, that 35.1 percent from three looks promising. 

And though he'll definitely need to cut down on turnovers, it's tough to imagine him doing so with his monster 28 percent usage rate likely to increase, considering leading scorer LaDontae Henton and starting center Carson Desrosiers are graduating, and Tyler Harris, the team's third-leading scorer, is transferring.

With those departures, Providence could also have trouble winning games next season.

Part of the appeal to Dunn this year was that he led the Friars to a No. 6 seed in the NCAA tournament. I'm not sure I'd bet on Providence having another 22-win season. And if that's the case and the team struggles, you can bet there will be skeptics questioning Dunn's junior stats as empty production. 

If the goal is to create the best chance of going early in the draft, then you have to know when to sell high. And at this point, Dunn's stock has nearly peaked.

He's potentially leaving some good money on the table and returning with more to lose than gain. Hopefully Dunn remains healthy and the decision pays off in a year. But he's certainly taking a gamble.

Rodney Bullock, a 6'7" power forward from Hampton, Virginia, committed to Providence Wednesday morning according to Adam Zagoria (ZagsBlog.com). Bullock made his decision after taking a visit to Providence last weekend.

Bullock told Zagoria of his commitment to the Friars, “I think it fits my style of play and I’m going to bring lots of versatility,”

The 3-star recruit picked the Friars over Virginia Tech, Massachusetts and Miami. Bullock had recently taken visits to Old Dominion, VCU, Clemson and Xavier. 

Bullock is considered the 49th-best power forward and the 214th-best player in the 2013 class by 247Sports.com.

ESPN says of Bullock:

"Bullock is combination forward that plays more like a power forward at this stage of his game. He is athletic, posses great hands and his relentless pursuit of the ball allow him to be a terrific rebounder in and out of his area."

Last year, Bullock averaged just over 14 points a game at Kecoughtan High School. The senior power forward has been a starter since he was a freshman and has already scored 1,114 points in his high school career. Kecoughtan High School is also where current Friar guard Josh Fortune attended.

“They see him as a hybrid,” Bullock's high school coach, Ivan Thomas, said via HRVarsity.com. “He’s a guy who can definitely create match-up nightmares for people on the offensive end. He can guard the two, three, or four. They see him as that type of player.”

Bullock played on Boo Williams' AAU team over the summer.

Williams told Ed Miller of HamptonRoads.com  about Bullock, "A relentless rebounder, Bullock is developing a mid-range game and has improving ball handling skills."

In his short time at Providence, head coach Ed Cooley has made a name for himself on the recruiting trail. He put together the eighth-best recruiting class for 2012, according to Rivals.com, with 5-star guards Kris Dunn and Ricardo Ledo as well as 3-star guards Ian Baker and Josh Fortune.

Bullock is the first 2013 commit for Providence. The Friars will most likely look for a center or a wing for their last available scholarship.

Although talented freshman Ricardo Ledo will not be able to play the 2012-13 season due to academic issues and Kris Dunn will be out until December with a shoulder injury, Providence still has a strong team, especially with senior guard Vincent Council leading the helm. Council averaged 15.9 points and 7.5 assists last year.

Coach Cooley has the Friars on the right track as Providence tries to rebuild their program and compete in the Big East.

Providence College has been one of the most active teams in college basketball this year in terms of player movement. In addition to a star studded recruiting class and some possible high-profile transfers, the Friars have seen several experienced players look elsewhere to finish off their careers.

Last week, Gerard Coleman announced he would be transferring due to concerns about his role on the team with the incoming recruiting class. Coleman's announcement was accompanied by news that sophomore Ron Giplaye and junior Bilal Dixon have been given their releases as well.

Perhaps the most damaging loss came yesterday when sophomore Bryce Cotton sought his release from the program. Cotton was the team's second leading scorer is 2012, averaging 14.3 points per game while shooting 37.9 percent from three-point range.

Providence coach Ed Cooley told the Providence Journal that Cotton's request for a release was "all speculation," but AreaCodesBasketball.com, headed by Cotton's mentor Chad Groth, confirmed that Cotton had indeed received his release.

Cotton, Coleman, Dixon and Giplaye were all holdovers from the Keno Davis era and, as with any coaching change, their departures are not entirely surprising. Cotton and Coleman, both shooting guards, must have seen the writing on the wall with the incoming class of guard talent.

Local product, and five-star recruit, Ricardo Ledo will likely be the starter next season which would have pushed both players to the bench. Kris Dunn, Josh Fortune and Ian Baker all play the guard position and would likely take precedent over any current players.

Providence has also entertained a few possible transfers that would address the interior positions in Wake Forest center Carson Desrosiers and Michigan forward Evan Smotrycz. It is clear that Cooley has his heart set on turning Providence into a national power and has taken all the right steps to do so.