Providence Friars Basketball

Many young college basketball fans may not immediately recognize the name of Dave Gavitt, the basketball coach at Providence College in the 1970s and founder of the Big East Conference who passed away on Friday.  

Those who have been around basketball a while know of Dave Gavitt for his coaching accomplishments, for the many careers he mentored and for being far-sighted about the opportunities to build college basketball into a highly popular sport. 

What is well-remembered by many is how approachable, gracious and thoughtful Coach Gavitt was to people, whether you were with the student radio station or NBC. 

Dave Gavitt is a fond figure from my student days at Providence College in the late '70s.  Not only was he an incredible coach who positioned a small Catholic college to take on the big names across the country, but he was a caring individual who made time for students and always had a good word for everyone. 

His funeral in Providence on Thursday morning will be well attended—not just because his work was respected, but because people liked him. 

Providence College built a basketball reputation in the late 1950s and 1960s on the success of players like Lenny Wilkens, Jimmy Walker, Mike Riordan and John Thompson, along with the coaching of Joe Mullaney. 

They won the NIT twice when that was a big deal.  But college basketball was still mostly a gym sport then except for big games played at the old Madison Square Garden on Eighth Avenue in Manhattan.

When Mullaney went to the Los Angeles Lakers in 1969, Gavitt took over as coach and brought the team into a new era. 

The opening of the 12,000-seat Providence Civic Center in 1972 provided a stage for Gavitt and the Friars to invite teams from across the country to come to a small New England city to play.  There were notable days when the likes of Louisville, Michigan and North Carolina came to town, games we still reminisce about.

College basketball in the1970s was growing fast, as television brought the game visibility across the country.  

Dave Gavitt understood this and made sure the Friars were televised as much as possible.  In 1973, Gavitt took a remarkable Friar team led by Ernie DeGregorio and Marvin Barnes to the NCAA Final Four in St.Louis. 

Many believe only an injury that took Marvin Barnes out of the semifinal game kept the Friars from defeating Memphis State and a shot at defeating John Wooden's UCLA Bruins in the finals.

As athletic director at Providence, he built a remarkable staff of coaches and administrators that attracted talented athletes to the campus. 

Coaching ice hockey was Lou Lamoriello, who was able to build an attractive on-campus arena and recruit players from Minnesota.  One was Brian Burke, who won a Stanley Cup as the general manager of Anaheim. 

Burke's co-captain on the '77 team was Ron Wilson, who has had a long career as an NHL coach. 

The cross country coach, Bob Amato, built a nationally-prominent team, recruiting runners from Ireland. One was John Treacy, who went on to win the 1984 Olympic Marathon Silver Medal.

Dave Gavitt was a strong supporter of women's sports after Providence went co-ed in the early '70s.  He hired Helen Burt to put a program together, and soon the "Lady Friars" were one of the best programs in the east in basketball, field hockey and softball, and they just about started women's collegiate ice hockey.  

Somehow, Dave Gavitt found the resources to help a small college become a proud leader.       

In 1979, Gavitt gathered a group of athletic directors to start the Big East Conference.  At the time, college basketball had declined at Madison Square Garden with growth of the NCAA Tournament, dropping the NIT into second-class status.  

The Big East helped create the current world of conference tournaments, bigger arenas and immense television deals. 

Football was not even a thought at the time.  Mike Tranghese told me once that he, "did not want to work for a football program because I would not be able to play golf." 

Their office would be space in the back of an advertising agency in Providence.  Who knew what a success it would be?

Dave Gavitt touched a lot of us and had numerous protege's—like Mike Tranghese, who was the Providence SID, and my classmate, John Marinatto, who moved up the ranks from basketball manager to SID to Athletic Director, then made the switch to the conference office. 

Of course Lou Lamoriello went on to three Stanley Cups with the New Jersey Devils, women hockey players went on to numerous Olympic medals, and coaches like Rick Pitino and Rick Barnes, attracted to PC by Gavitt's legacy, went on to extraordinary careers.

But again, Gavitt was about the people he encouraged and guided.  He was respected in college basketball because of his skill coaching teams to win on big stages. 

Three epic games from the late '70s really stick out in my memory—all originated with Gavitt's ability to schedule top opponents from around the country to play in tiny Providence, Rhode Island, and have them leave wondering what happened.

Certainly the game that cemented my interest in college sports was a late December 1976 holiday basketball tournament in Providence at which Dave Gavitt had invited Michigan, the national runner-up from the year before. 

The Wolverines were coached by John Orr and were not only undefeated on the year but the No. 1 rated team in the country at the time.  Providence and Michigan advanced to the finals, where a record crowd of 12,150 paid to get in. 

I had driven up from New York with three high school friends on a cold night to see the game.  Top-rated Michigan was led by stars Phil Hubbard and Ricky Green.  The Friars were led by Joe Hassett, one of the greatest outside shooters ever who played before the three point line existed.  He now broadcasts the Friars' games on the radio. 

Amid a deafening crowd, Dave Gavitt coached the Friars through regulation, into overtime, then to a second overtime.  Providence's center, Bob Misevicius from New York City, made a jump shot at the end of the second OT to give Providence the victory. 

Orr later said, "We played hard, but Providence played like crazy."

On November 30, 1977, Denny Crum brought the No. 9 rated Louisville Cardinals to the Civic Center to play the Friars.  Louisville had been 21-7 the year before, defeated by UCLA in the West Regional. 

Point guard Dwight Williams had 19 points and center Bob Misevicius had 16 as the Friars cruised to a 57-51 win in front of 11,134 screaming fans. 

Later that season, in February of 1978, Providence, RI was hit with a 35-inch snowfall five days before nationally-ranked North Carolina was due in for a Sunday afternoon, nationally televised game. 

This was before ESPN, and the weekly network games were the only way to see teams from around the country. 

The snow storm had paralyzed the city.  Driving was outlawed, because the roads were still clogged.  The Governor had to approve the Tar Heels' plane to be the first that was allowed to fly into Green Airport. 

The Friars hardly practiced for the game, because their basketball gym was being used as a shelter. 

On the day of the game, students had to walk the two miles downtown to the Providence Civic Center (as the "Dunk" was originally known).  About 5,000 made it to the game—other than walking, the train was the only transportation. 

Legendary former Marquette coach Al Maguire was doing the television broadcast and called the game "a happening." 

He asked the crowd in the stands to welcome the national television audience with as much noise as possible. No challenge for those of us who were couped up in the dorms and shoveling snow all week.

The Dave Gavitt-coached Friars had quite a challenge that day facing the No. 7 Tar Heels' legendary coach Dean Smith and star guard Phil Ford. This was, of course, the era before the shot clock, when teams would play four corners in the second half if they had a lead.

Gordon White in The New York Times wrote the next day, "The Friars established the tempo at a much slower pace than the Tar Heels wanted to play." 

The Friars hung onto to an amazing come-from-behind 61-59 victory that day. Bill Eason made a 10-foot shot with 21 seconds to play to seal the win.  I saw Dean Smith in the lobby afterwards looking a bit chagrined about how Dave Gavitt had talked him into coming to Providence, Rhode Island.

That game would turn out to be Dave Gavitt's last of 23 coaching wins over a ranked opponent—he retired from coaching after the next season. 

He would be selected to coach the 1980 Olympic team, but the US team would not go to Moscow to compete because of a boycott. Later he would be instrumental in sending the "Dream Team," composed of NBA stars, to the Olympics.

In 2006, Dave Gavitt was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts.

A graduate of Dartmouth College, Coach Gavitt went from being a young basketball coach with ambition and vision to the founder of a conference that would challenge all of college basketball.

He rose to the top of the college basketball world but always had time to talk with people.  I would see him at Providence College events and he always had a smile, a handshake and a friendly word or two. 

At one banquet a few years ago, they handed out small souvenir basketballs that the night's honorees could sign.  After the night was over, I asked Coach Gavitt to sign one for me, saying "I don't ask many people for autographs."  

He smiled and obliged.  I am really glad I asked.  

Ken Kraetzer is a 1979 graduate of Providence College and a former president of the Providence College Club of New York.  He covers West Point football and Iona basketball for WVOX radio.  He can be reached on kgk914@aol.com

For you information, this article will not have any stats or analysts' thoughts and/or ideas in it. This is entirely my opinion  It will have nothing to back my ideas up because I am writing on the way that I feel. If you have any critical comments, please leave them to yourself.

I have always felt bad for Seton Hall and Providence. I have felt bad for them because they are in the Big East. The Big East is the best basketball conference in the nation (in my opinion). Seton Hall and Providence have always had good basketball teams. They just haven't been able to get over the "hump." That "hump" is the Big East teams. Because the Big East is stacked with talent and great programs, these two programs haven't been able to be great. Just good.

I think that if these two programs played in any other conference (except the Big Ten and Big Twelve) then I think that these programs would be perennial conference-championship contenders. They would be consistent winners and I would expect them to make the tournament nine out of ten years. If they were in the Pac-10 (which I know they wouldn't, they're located in New Jersey and Rhode Island I believe) I think that they would be the top two teams in the conference.

What if these programs switched to the Atlantic-10 conference? They would fit the location part of it. They would also be winning. By adding these two teams to the A-10, I believe that the A-10 would be represented very well went the calendars turn into March. I think that Temple, Seton Hall, Providence, and Xavier would all be sure shots to be dancing in March. I also think that the conference would produce some bracket-busters. I believe these bracket-busters would be Dayton, Duquesne, Massachusetts, Richmond, and St. Joseph's. I know that not all of these teams would consistently be in the Big Dance, but what about the NIT? The NIT may not be great, but it's postseason nonetheless. The Atlantic-10 would be a great mid-major conference (in my opinion) and they would have several teams playing in March.

I think that it makes sense to move Seton Hall and Providence out of the Big East and into the A-10. Heck, if the Big-Ten has eleven teams and is looking to expand, why can't the A-10? Especially if Texas and Mizzou (The Big-Ten's targets) are located thousands of miles away. Seton Hall and Providence fit the Atlantic-10 in terms of location. They can easily change the Atlantic-10 name to the Atlantic-12 and be a competitive conference with glory. It makes sense to me and that is my opinion.

I believe that Seton Hall and Providence should leave the Big East and join the Atlantic-10. I think that the Atlantic-10 would be a very good basketball conference with them, and these two historic programs can return to glory. 

Coming off an 0-2 road trip which had Providence 12-11 (4-7) get beat by Cincinnati 14-8 (5-5) and Syracuse 22-1 (9-1), the Friars looked to rebound at the dunk against the Marquette Golden Eagles 15-8 (6-5) on parents weekend.

Going with a minor starting lineup adjustment, Providence coach Keno Davis decided to start junior forward Marshon Brooks instead of freshman point guard Vincent Council who had been getting the nod recently. 

Taking a 15-10 lead in the first five minutes of the game stemmed from two quick threes by fifth year senior Sharaud Curry as the Friars went with a smaller lineup of Council, Curry, and Brooks all on the floor at the same time.

Jumping to a 24-14 lead with twelve minutes to play in the first half gave the sell out crowd some hope of an upset, as the No. 1 rebounding team in the Big East controlled the glass on both offensive and defensive ends. 

A timeout by Marquette coach Buzz Williams quieted the crowd and cooled the Friars leading as the Golden Eagles went with full court pressure for the majority of rest of the first half. 

With Providence out of their flow offensively, Marquette sneaked back into to game, cutting the Friars lead to three, 35-32 at the three minute mark.

Closing out the half with a 22-16 run, Marquette found themselves down a more respectable four points, compared to ten earlier in the game.

Even being an undersized team against most opponents, the Friars had the advantage inside against the Golden Eagles as they scored thirty points in the paint, most from forward Jamine Peterson and Bilal Dixon who combined for twenty-one. 

Though Peterson and Dixon both ended the game with double digit points and rebounds, the favorable match ups they had were not abused. 

Early in the second half it looked Providence would come out of the game with a win as they took a commanding 49-41 lead with sixteen to play. 

Marquette however, did not get rattled and kept chipping away with excellent passing against the Friars zone defense creating open looks from three point range. 

Biting on the pump fake consistently, the Providence defense allowed Marquette to get into the paint, collapse the defense, and therefore creating open passing lanes for their deadly three-point shooters. 

Forward Lazar Hayward hit big shot after big shot for Marquette as he finished with twenty-eight points on 10-18 shooting including 5-9 from beyond the arc.

With the game tied up at sixty-eight with a little over five minutes to play, Providence went back to the full court press, which proved ineffective.

A lack of defensive rebounding and some ill advised Friars turnovers gave Marquette opportunities to capitalize which they did, providing them with a 80-74 lead with just over a minute to play. 

Even with Sharaud Curry hitting a clutch three pointer and a steal of the ensuing inbound pass which cut the lead to one, 80-79, Providence again, could not close out the game.

Marquette got another huge offensive rebound from forward Lazar Hayward resulting in two free throws which iced the game 82-79 in favor of the Golden Eagles.

Another could have should have game resulted for the Friars as they continued their losing streak with a brutal schedule coming up the next few weeks. 

The Friars face No. 7 Georgetown at home Tuesday 2/9 before heading to No. 3 ranked Villanova next Saturday. 

Coming off the heartbreaking loss to South Florida last Saturday, Friar fans were skeptical about their next home game against the No. 19 ranked University of Connecticut Huskies, who had just handed it to number one Texas 88-74.

However, even if it took a couple of desperation emails from the sports marketing department at the college, students showed up in droves and brought an unrivaled electricity with them to the Dunkin Donuts Center that had not been seen since the Pittsburgh game last year. 

With Jerome Dyson, Stanley Robinson, and Kemba Walker offering some matchups problems in year's past, this current Friars team seems to be built with enough speed to run with the top teams in the Big East. 

Yes, they may not have the size up front to rival other Big East big men such as Samardo Samuels of Louisville, or Greg Monroe of Georgetown but Wednesday night proved with hustle and effort this year, they can beat anybody. 

Center Bilal Dixon added 11 points, 12 rebounds and 2 blocks, as forward Jamine "Greedy" Peterson dropped 23 points, 14 rebounds to go along with 3 assists, 4 steals, and many vicious dunks which fueled the crowd. 

Strange about this game was how the Friars, either purposely or not, decided to attack the basket more, rather than taking contested jumpers or threes early in the shot clock.

Their ball control was excellent as they continued to make the Huskies work on every defensive position, forced them to work harder on the boards and in the paint to beat them, and they did not do it. 

The story of the game lay in the 53-38 rebounding margin in favor of the Friars, including a 24-12 advantage on the offensive end leading to a 21-12 second chance point lead over UConn.

In addition to winning the rebounding battle the Friars had the advantage in the paint as well 44-32.

Providence drove to the basket, even with their smaller guards, Vincent Council and Sharaud Curry and made plays, whether it was going to the foul line (Curry, 10-10 FTs) or setting up a teammate (Council, 8 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists). 

Freshman Duke Mondy (10 points) was a huge asset off the bench as he seems to be playing himself into the starting lineup or at least fighting for more minutes.

His hustle and confidence could be seen as he knocked down big shots, chased rebounds, and forced turnovers on the defensive end.

It seemed as if all the coaching, all the practice, all the experience in previous games, clicked at the same time for this young Friars squad.

They truly played as a team on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor. Fueled by each other and the crowd, they led by as much as eighteen points late in the second half, held the Huskies to 38.7 percent shooting for the game, and clinched a win over a ranked team. 

Hopefully, a recipe for success was born as Providence heads to Cincinnati 13-7 (4-4) tomorrow night and Syracuse on Tuesday 20-1 (7-1) (2/2), before coming home for Parents Weekend next Saturday to face Marquette 12-8 (3-5).  

Homecoming weekend at Providence College and the first weekend back for the students from winter break, filled the Dunkin Donuts Center with anxious and excited fans who were ready to show their support for a Friars squad, 11-7 (3-4) as they entered the heart of their Big East Schedule. 

Providence started the game with a recent lineup change of sending Junior Marshon Brooks to the bench and having Vincent Council, Sharaud Curry play in the back court with the usual trio of forwards Jamine Peterson, Bilal Dixon, and Brian McKenzie finishing out the starting five.

Even with the confidence this would be an easy one for the Friars, the Bulls controlled the glass early, building up a four-point lead, including many second-chance points and capitalizing on missed runners and layups from Providence in the paint. 

Keno implemented the full court defense five minutes into the game which proved somewhat effective, but South Florida was prepared with a press break which neutralized the Friars from the getting the turnovers they wanted. 

A couple three pointers from McKenzie and Curry, foul shots by Brooks, and a nice bucket by freshman Johnny Lacy gave the Friars a six-point lead with 12 minutes to go in the first half. 

Coach Davis again tinkered with the lineup and decided to go small with the unusual three guard combo of Council, Lacy, Curry, but it seemed to work as the Friars pushed the lead up to eight with six minutes remaining. 

However instead of closing out the half with defensive stops or drives to the basket the Friars continue to rely on the three point shot.

Ensuing misses provided the Bulls with the transition offense they wanted to run and cut the lead to 36-35 with three minutes to play, and finished only down four at half, 43-39.

The tale of two halves as been a theme for the Friars all season long as they seem to play better in either than the first or second half but not both.

Being up four starting the second half, Friar fans were wondering if this was the half Providence would come out strong and take command of the game.

It sure seemed that way as a commanding fourteen point lead was built with nine minutes remaining 72-58, helped by the full court pressure and good transition baskets from rebounding South Florida turnovers. 

Playing well enough to take that lead, the Friars seemed to forget that there were still eight minutes left in the game, as an angry Keno Davis called a timeout to get the team back in focus after lazy defense and the shooting of low percentage shots. 

South Florida was not going to go out easy, as they brought the lead to six with five minutes remaining. 

However, another run by the Friars brought Providence back on top with an 11-point lead, and then a nine-point lead with less than one minute to play. Game over, right?

The Bulls again refused to lie down and capitalized on missed free throws, careless turnovers, and an inexplicable lack of defense in the final minute of the game to put away the win.

It was a fitting end to prove the ineptitude of a Friars team which squandered the chance time and time again when Brian McKenzie and Sharaud Curry turned the ball over on the inbound.

Freshman Toarlyn Fitzpatrick swished an open three shot, sending the game into overtime before a shocked Providence home crowd. 

Overtime paralleled the end of the second half with senior Dominque Jones, 46 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists, taking over as the Bulls took a three point lead and never looked back.

Even with Jones's four fouls the Friars refused to attack, settling for contested shots rather than attempting to close out the game from the foul line.

A continuing theme of the lack of rebounding and zero defense on behalf of Providence, gave them no chance of stealing this one in the last minute of overtime, as the game was settled and Providence lost 109-105.

Not a very warm welcome for the Providence Alumni.  

The Providence Friars were anxiously awaiting the chance to redeem themselves after a tough loss to URI last Saturday. Surprisingly, the Friars did not seem prepared to take on the Brown Bears, their annual Ivy League opponent.  

Brown showed up to play, and fed off of the hot shooting from forward Tucker Halpern, and guards Matt and Peter Sullivan who hit early threes giving Brown a 9-4 at the start of the half. Matt Sullivan finished with twelve points on 4-5 shooting from three point range.

Providence, who shot only 38.6 percent on the night, really struggled creating good shots and locking down Brown’s shooters defensively. Coach Davis quickly went to his bench and the team was fueled by transfer guard-forward Kyle Wright who quickly hit two threes bringing the Friars back into the game.

Capitalizing on their athleticism, the Friars opted for the full court press, which temporarily gave them a six point lead, but Brown refused to go away.

A Providence timeout with nine minutes remaining in the first half proved ineffective, as the Bears had a 33-31 lead with two to play before halftime. Once again, the Friars continuing their full court pressure, forced crucial turnovers, and went into the locker room up by four, 37-33.

The silent Dunkin Donuts crowd hoped this game would not finish as ugly as the loss against Brown that the Friars suffered back in 2006.

Luckily, whether it was Keno Davis or not, someone lit a fire under the team as they appeared hungry in the second half. Substituting a smaller lineup helped the Friars extend their defense which cooled Brown's shooters. Toughening up in the paint, Providence dominated the glass and finished with a +17 rebounding margin for the game.

With Jamine Peterson and others controlling the boards, the Friars were able to execute outlet passes and get into their fast break offense where they have shown confidence this year. Taking a seven point lead with fourteen minutes to play, the Friars never looked back as they clinched the victory 78-62, their sixth on the year.

The Friars travel to the nation’s capital Wednesday to take on the George Washington Colonials (6-1) before they return home to face Iona University at the Dunkin Donuts Center Saturday night.

While only seven games into the young college basketball season, the Providence Friars take their 5-2 record and resilient attitude down to Kingston where they face the URI Rams at the Ryan Center tomorrow. Bragging rights on the line.

The annual grudge match between the two state rivals was won by the Friars last year 66-65 on two critical free throws by senior forward Geoff McDermott. This year however, much has changed on this Providence squad.

Senior guards Sharaud Curry and Brian McKenzie are back but the real interest is in the play of sophomore Jamine "Greedy" Peterson, junior Marshon Brooks, and true freshman Vincent Council. 

Peterson has been a force on the glass averaging a double double this year including a 22 rebound effort versus Mercer in the clinching game of the World Vision Tournament.

His athletic catch and shoot bucket against Northeastern this past Tuesday gave the Friars a critical two possession lead in the final seconds of the game securing the road victory. 

Marshon Brooks has been just as impressive as he has matured into the leader of the Friars offense averaging 17 a game on 50 percent shooting from the field and 48 percent from beyond the arc.

More importantly Brooks has shown confidence in his jump shot and ability to drive to the basket which is what the Friars desperately lacked coming into this season with the loss of Weyinmi Efejuku. 

To much the surprise of Friar fans everywhere, and maybe coach Keno Davis himself, is the play of freshman Vincent Council. The first option off the bench and playing the true point guard position, Council has shown leadership, court vision, and confidence.

Even seven games in, his poise and ability to find the open man presents the foundation for his high potential. 

Tomorrow will be a test to the toughness and heart of this Friars team. A win at the Ryan Center is no easy task.

Getting one would be add much needed confidence heading into the brutal big east schedule beginning in late December.   

Selection Sunday is in one day, and I'm here to tell you who's in and who's out from the bubble.

Teams Fighting for Final Spots

Arizona Wildcats - Top 35 strength of schedule and nine wins over teams in the RPI top 100 coupled with wins over Kansas, Washington, UCLA, Gonzaga, San Diego State, and USC have earned the Wildcats a bid.

Dayton Flyers - Blown out by a questionable Duquesne team, but they still have a strong RPI in the 20s and have eight victories over teams with an RPI of 100 or greater. However, they had a weak schedule, but I think their strong RPI earned them a place in the tourney.

Maryland Terrapins - The Terrapins made it to the ACC Semifinals. The ACC is one of the toughest conferences in the nation and the Terrapins fell apart earlier in the year. They have also beaten the North Carolina Tar Heels.

Mississippi State Bulldogs - Same SEC record as Florida (9-7), but unlike the Gators, the Bulldogs are playing in the SEC Final after beating the only ranked team in the conference, No. 16 LSU. The Bulldogs are practically a lock.

New Mexico Lobos - Won eight of their last 10 and went 12-4 in the Mountain West. That earns a bid for the Lobos in my mind.

San Diego State Aztecs - Top 30 RPI, should be an automatic bid and plus, they'll play in the Mountain West Championship against Utah, a game they should win.

St. Mary's Gaels - 26-6, 10-4 in conference, has more than earned the Gaels a bid, but since most of the world suffers from, "They play in an awful conference so they're no good syndrome," many say they're out. They must be in for the sake of all Mid-Majors.

Temple Owls - The Owls stunned No. 19 Xavier last night, but they need to win tonight against Duquense to secure a bid (obviously). If they lose, they'll likely be out of the tournament.

USC Trojans - Top 40 RPI, strength of schedule in the 20s, nine victories against RPI top 100 teams, have beaten UCLA, Cal (twice), Arizona State, and Arizona, and will play the Sun Devils again in the Pac-10 Finals.

No Chance

Baylor Bears - This is contingent on them not winning the Big 12 Championship, which is a shocker in itself. The Bears are 20-13 but are 5-11 in the Big 12, which hurts them badly. They do not deserve a bid; if they do, then Providence, San Diego State, etc. deserve one.

Boston College Eagles - Lost to Duke in the ACC Quarterfinals and they're 22-11 overall and 9-7 in the ACC is crossed out considering they lost to three teams in the RPI top 100 and to Harvard at home. Swept by the Hurricanes of Miami, who are also a bubble team and 15 of their wins have come against teams outside the RPI top 100.

Florida Gators - Went only 9-7 in SEC play, and going 14-3 in non-conference play, all against bad opponents, means the Gators certainly didn't do enough to earn a bid.

Kansas State Wildcats - Only five wins over teams with an RPI over 100 is low, no major victories (like Providence), makes the Wildcats' chances slim to none.

Miami Hurricanes - The Hurricanes dropped the ball against Virginia Tech in the first round of the ACC Tournament. They also lost to Georgia Tech, which along with the loss to the Hokies, sunk the hopes of the Canes.

Penn State Nittany Lions - 22-11 overall and 10-8 in the Big Ten, which is an absolute joke. If the Lions are worthy, they'd go 12-6 in that awful conference. Every loss for the Lions in the Big Ten was against teams with RPIs of over 75. Awful schedule, awful conference, pops Penn State's bubble.

Virginia Tech Hokies - They're worse than Boston College with a mark of 18-14 overall and 7-9 in ACC play. However, they may gain some love from the committee since they were able to post a quality record against strong teams on the road. But they struggled at home and lost their last three home games to Florida State, Duke, and North Carolina, and then lost again to the Tar Heels in the ACC quarterfinals. The Hokies are not deserving enough to have their name called.

Should be but won't be

Auburn Tigers - Won nine out of their last 11, but a poor strength of schedule and only a 2-4 record against teams with an RPI over 50 makes me think the committee gives Auburn the cold shoulder.

Creighton Blue Jays - RPI in the 40s , 26-7 overall, however a 73-49 loss to Illinois State in their last game makes the committee think they're not worthy, and they probably aren't.

Davidson Wildcats - They should be but won't. Stephon Curry put on a show last year, but this year isn't last year. However, if CBS pulls some strings, they're in, and they should be.

Providence Friars - They went 19-13 overall and 10-8 in the best conference in the nation. The Friars also beat No. 1 Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Rhode Island (who Penn State lost to), and they beat Cincinnati both times they played them. However, they're probably out since they lost by double digits to Louisville. If they kept it together and lost by at least five they'd be in, but that beating coupled with DePaul advancing to the second round severely hurt the Friars' shot.

Rhode Island Rams - Yes, the Rams should be in after winning 10 out of their last 13 and six of their last eight, but after losing to the Duquesne Dukes early in the A-10 tourney probably killed their hopes.

South Carolina Gamecocks - Even though the Gamecocks went 10-6 in conference, which is better than both Mississippi State and Florida, they lost to Miss. State and they also have a strength of schedule in the 90s and only have one win over a top 50 RPI team and eight over teams between 200 and however many teams there are (330?), very negative. However, the conference record and the fact the committee might be looking to put SEC teams in gives South Carolina a shot.

UNLV Rebels - One and done on their home court conference tourney negates the nine wins over teams with an RPI of over 100, but those wins could sew up a bid for the Rebels.

Utah State Aggies - 29-4 overall, 14-2 in conference, need I say more. However, a triple digit SOS and only one game vs. a top 75 RPI team turns me against the Aggies.

Following the departure of Luis Flores in 2004, Bobby Gonzalez brought in a handful of talented recruits to rebuild the Manhattan College Jaspers. Among the group were C.J. Anderson, C.J. Lee, Arturo Dubois, and Jeff Xavier.

All four eventually transferred from Manhattan. Anderson transferred to Xavier University, Lee packed his bags for the cold weather in Ann Arbor, and Dubois headed to Delaware State.

None of these three were the ideal basketball player.

Anderson skipped class and was on academic probation for half of his sophomore season. Lee had the right attitude, but did not have a good basketball IQ. Dubois did not have much of a brain for the game or the right attitude. But he was very solid when he played within his range.

What makes Xavier, who transferred to Providence after his sophomore season, stand out against the aforementioned three is that he possessed every asset that a coach could possibly ask for.

He had good hands, smarts, quickness, a soft touch from three, the ability to drive, and a nose for the ball on defense.

At 6'1" and 185 pounds, Xavier came into Manhattan as an undersized shooting guard, but he was able to make an immediate impact on a rebuilding team. In 19.3 minutes per game, he averaged 7.8 points and 1.4 steals. Xavier also shot 36.9 percent from long range.

His playing time skyrocketed in his sophomore season.

As a result, his statistics also took a leap. Xavier began averaging 34.8 minutes per game. The starting shooting guard poured in 16.6 points, grabbed 5.9 rebounds, and stole 2.3 passes. He scored at least 20 points in 10 games.

The Jaspers, who were upset by Keekee Clark's Peacocks of Saint Peter's in the 2006 MAAC semifinals, were a heavy underdog against Maryland in the first round of the NIT.

Behind Xavier's best performance of his collegiate career, he scored 31 points on four treys and recorded six steals. The Jaspers were able to defeat the Terps.

In the following round, Xavier's 19-points were not enough to beat an Old Dominion team that advanced all the way to the NIT semifinals. The guard's final shot as a Jasper was a desperation three-pointer that would have defeated the Monarchs if it had not rolled in and out.

At the end of the season, Bobby Gonzalez announced that the was taking the vacant coaching job at Seton Hall, prompting Xavier as well as Anderson and Lee to transfer.

Xavier had a life-long dream to play for his hometown Providence Friars, but he was overlooked by Tim Welsh during his high school days. Coming off such a strong season at a reputable mid-major program, Xavier had the profile to be accepted by the school that once neglected his talents.

After spending the 2006-2007 season on the bench due to transfer regulations, Xavier made his debut with the Friars in a two point win against Temple on Nov. 15, 2007. Xavier scored 12-points in front of the home crowd.

He had a starting job upon eligibility and had a very solid junior season with Providence. His statistics declined a bit, but that was expected because of the higher level of competition. Nonetheless, the shooting guard averaged 12.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.3 steals in 31.6 minutes per game.

As a senior, Xavier's statistics declined.

He had a tough year, only shooting 36.5 percent from the field and averaging 9.5 points per game. With the return of Sharaud Curry and the drastic development of Marshan Brooks, Xavier's playing time decreased to 24 minutes per game.

Maybe that was why his stats dropped. Maybe he was affected by new coach Keno Davis. Either way, his offensive production was not the same.

In today's Big East quarterfinal against No. 5 Louisville, Xavier would not have been able to hit water if he fell out of a boat. He scored six points on a terrible 2-of-10 conversion rate. A couple of his shots were so off that they hit the edge of the backboard instead of the rim.

While I was watching the game, I could not believe what I was seeing.

Early on, I thought this was not the same Jeff Xavier that I saw at Manhattan. Then, after bricking a three, he planted his feet and drew a charge on the other end.

That and the rebound that he secured after getting a cramp in his leg told me that this was the same tough, hard-nosed Jeff Xavier from Manhattan.

It is a shame that this kid will never receive the opportunity to play in the NCAA Tournament. As of now, it looks like the Friars will be headed to the NIT in which Xavier scored his career-high 31 points as a sophomore.

Assuming that Providence accepts its invite to the NIT, Xavier will suit up at least one more time.

If the Friars reject the invite, the career of a basketball player, who had the skills that any coach would crave for, ended today.

Written by Todd Parmelee, HoopWriters

No. 8 Providence College vs. No. 1  Louisville, 12PM on ESPN

Providence may have what it takes to knock off the No. 1-seeded Louisville Cardinals today in the Big East Championship—a core group of seniors and potential to get hot from three-point range.

Providence also finds itself on the bubble despite going 10-8 in the nation's toughest conference. Providence has a weak résumé, with their biggest wins coming against Syracuse and Pittsburgh. Besides those big conference wins, Providence's non-conference schedule was weak.

No. 8 seed Providence College needed a late rally to defeat DePaul 83-74 in the second round of the Big East Championship. Sharaud Curry and Weyinmi Efejuku combined to score 48 points.

No. 1 seed Louisville is coming off a season-ending 62-59 victory over West Virginia on Saturday. The win was their seventh in a row. 

Louisville is led by do-everything small forward Terrance Williams. Williams was selected First Team All-Big East. 

Cold Hard Facts

Providence College is 16-27 in the Big East Championship. Their win over DePaul was their first in the Big East Championship since 2003, when they defeated West Virginia 73-50.

Louisville defeated Providence at Freedom Hall on Feb. 18, 94-76. To view that game’s box score, click here.

Nov. 30, 1977: The date the last time Providence beat Louisville, 57-51 in Providence. 

Key Stat of the Game

Louisville has attempted 662 three-pointers on the year, connecting on 36 percent. Providence has attempted 664 three-pointers, connecting on 32 percent. Opponents shoot nearly 35 percent from three-point range versus Providence. 

Louisville holds its opponents to 39 percent shooting. Providence comes into the game shooting nearly 46 percent from the field. Louisville may be considered soft if you take into account they have only attempted 584 free throws, while Providence has attempted 754.

Prediction

Providence wins the three-point shootout and thus the game, 84-80. 

The following stats are for Big East games only. For Louisville Stats click here. For Providence Stats click here.

No.1 Louisville (25-5, 16-2)	No. 8 Providence: (19-12, 10-8)
Earl Clark: 14.2 ppg, 8.9 rebounds	Efejuku: 16.4 ppg, 41% 3-pt shooter
Terrance Williams: 13.2 ppg, 8.4 rebounds, 42% 3-pt shooter	Curry: 13.9 ppg, 43 % 3-pt shooter
Samardo Samuels: 10.4 ppg	Brooks: 9.6 ppg
Edgar Sosa: 8.4 ppg	Xavier: 9.7 ppg
Preston Knowles: 5.7 ppg, 43% 3-pt shooter	Kale: 9.4 ppg

For more on the Big East Championship, go to HoopWriters.com.