More on the Friars...
Last year, they over-delivered on expectations. They were picked 9th, but finished in a 4-way tie for 3rd with a 10-8 conference record. Tie-breakers put 'em in the 3 seed for the conf tournament. No Friar was picked in pre-season teams, but Rodney Bullock and Kyron Cartwright made the All BE Second Team at season's end, and Cartwright was named BE's Most Improved.
Providence was upset in their first BE Tournament game, but did enough on the season to get a First Four game in Dayton, where they fell 75-71 to USC. That was the Friars' 4th straight appearance in the Dance.
In our game last year in Providence, Holloway got it done down low, but UM's perimeter game not enough to overcome Friars. 19 UM turnovers and 9-18 FT shooting hurt the cause. Pipkins adds 20, but Clark (9) and Jarreau (4 pts, 6 turnovers) struggle. For PC, Bullock went for 26 & 10, Emmit Holt 18 pts, Cartwright 6 points but 12 assists.
http://umassathletics.com/news/2016/12/ ... 75-69.aspx
http://www.friars.com/sports/m-baskbl/r ... 16aaa.html
This year, PC was picked to finish 4th in the 10-team Big East this year, behind Villanova, Seton Hall, and Xavier. The second-team honors carried over for Bullock and Cartwright.
Friars are off to a 7-2 start, and 2-1 away from the Dunk. But some of those wins were probably closer than they should have been:
1 point home win over Belmont
4 point home win over Rider
and Brown took PC to overtime the other night
The Friar losses:
Home to Minnesota, 86-74. Gophers shot 51% from the floor and won the glass. (Minnesota also beat us, 69-51.)
At Rhody, 75-68. Friars shot 55% from the floor and won the glass, but turned it over 21 times and shot just 10-21 from the stripe.
In the numbers:
Bullock (6'8" 225 F Sr) leads in both points and boards at 15.1 ppg and 6.3 respectively, about the same as last year.
Alpha Diallo (6'7" 211 G So) has stepped up his 5.7 ppg as a freshman to 11.4 this season. He also adds 5.0 rpg.
Cartwright (5'11" 185 G Sr) is third at an even 10 ppg. He also hits .458 from 3, and is their leading assist man.
Jalen Lindsey (6'7" 227 G Sr) is their main threat from 3, shooting 20-36 (.556) this season. All his FGs are from 3, and he's only taken 5 from inside the arc. He averages 8.3 ppg.
More:
http://www.friars.com/sports/m-baskbl/s ... mcume.html
Their size worries me. You see the numbers above, plus
Nate Watson (6'10" 260 C Fr) gives them 7.2 ppg off the bench
Kalif Young (6'9" 255 F So) starts every game up front, and contributes 6.4 ppg
As a team, PC shoots over 49% from the floor, 43% from 3, and out-rebounds their opponents.
The renewed series with PC started out well for us. We won the 2012 and 2013 games, but have dropped 3 straight since.
http://umasshoops.com/wiki/doku.php?id= ... providence
We're gonna need an A game from Holloway and Hines, and now's a great time for Baldwin to step up and deliver.