Apparently some in Rhode Island trace the woes of the club back to Pitt.
A little more than two years ago — on March 2, 2004, to be exact — the Friars were riding a wave of historical proportions. PC had won 20 of its first 25 games and soared to No. 12 in the polls, the school’s highest perch since 1978. Led by All-American Ryan Gomes, the Friars had an 11-3 Big East record and dreams of winning the conference’s crown.
But then the Pittsburgh Panthers came to town. Led by big men Chris Taft and Chevy Troutman (24 points apiece), the sixth-ranked Panthers pulled the Friars back to earth in a stunningly easy 88-61 win. Almost as shocking as the margin was how the team suddenly deteriorated. In fact, PC never won another game that season, losing its regular-season finale and in the first round of the Big East and NCAA tournaments.
You could make a case that the Friars never really have recovered from that mysterious Pitt loss. After the March meltdown, PC came back last year with a disappointing 14-17 (4-12 Big East) finish marked by a multitude of frustrating, close defeats.
Offseason turmoil over the last two years cost the Friars a slew of players, most notably Rob Sanders and Dwight Brewington. In fact, Donnie McGrath is the only current PC player who saw time in that game. The Friar coaching staff has scrambled to re-tool the roster, but it’s clear that Providence basketball is more about rebuilding than reloading.
That leads us to tonight and Pittsburgh’s first visit to town since 2004. The Friar team that will tangle with the No. 9-rated Panthers is flush with new faces. Three freshmen start for coach Tim Welsh and four see extensive minutes. McGrath is the only senior. But the Big East’s youngest team has won four of 10 conference games, equaling last season’s total. While PC can only dream about regaining a national ranking, a sense of promise envelops the program.
Of course, part of it was simply that Providence in 2004 was totally gassed by the end of the regular season. They haven’t been a particularly deep team and it caught up to them.
This story treats Providence like they are unknowns because they don’t get TV time.
Providence (11-10, 4-6) is the only Big East team that is not scheduled to appear on either
ESPN or ESPN2 telecasts this year. Unless you have attended a Friars game, chances are you’ll need a program to identify their players.
But Dixon claims he’ll have his team ready come tipoff time. No. 9 Pitt (19-3, 8-3) is shooting for its fifth consecutive 20-win season.
“We’re very familiar with their players,” he said, trying to convince a listener. “They’re a little bit younger than the teams we’ve been playing of late, but they’re freshmen are very good players.”
Providence starts three freshmen, including 5-foot-10 point guard Sharaud Curry, who is averaging 11.4 points per game and has 77 assists and 23 steals. Curry scored nearly 1,900 career points during a high school career at Gainesville (Ga.) Wheeler High School.
Only one upperclassmen — leading scorer Donnie McGrath (14.8 ppg.), a 6-4 guard — is among the Providence starting lineup.
Sophomore Randall Hanke, a 6-11 center, is the Friars’ second-leading scorer (13.3 ppg.) and is tied for second on the team in rebounding (4.7 rpg.).
Curry is joined in the lineup by fellow freshmen Weyinmi Efejuku, a 6-5 guard who is averaging 8.0 ppg., and Geoff McDermott, a 6-7 swingman who is averaging 9.6 points and a team-leading 8.1 rebounds per game.
Hanke is considered the legit challenger to Gray for Big East’s Most Improved Player. Sharaud Curry has a good shot at making the BE all-rookie team — among freshmen he’s in the top 5 in scoring and assists.
This should be a sloppy game. Pitt has not looked particularly good on the road — at anypoint this season. Providence should be a little rusty with an 8-day layoff. The Friars are 8-5 at home and Pitt is only a 5.5 point favorite.
