BY KEVIN McNAMARA
Journal Sports Writer
PROVIDENCE – Many of the biggest stars in the Big East will be coming to the Dunkin’ Donuts Center this winter.
The Big East recently released a schedule for the coming basketball season and Providence College fans will get to watch Jim Calhoun, Rick Pitino, John Thompson III and their teams at The Dunk. Besides UConn, Louisville and Georgetown, Tim Welsh’s Friars will face DePaul, Rutgers, Seton Hall, South Florida, Villanova and West Virginia at home.
After playing 16 league games for the first two seasons of the expanded Big East, the conference will make teams play 18 league games per team. The 18-game format allows each team to play every opponent once and three teams twice. PC’s 'repeat' foes are UConn, DePaul and West Virginia. The six other road games will come at Cincinnati, Marquette, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, St. John’s and Syracuse.
The conference said in a release that the ''decisions regarding repeat opponents are based on natural interest, geography, rivalries and television contractual obligations.'' The final factor is certainly the most important, according to PC’s Welsh.
''Most of the coaches feel that 18 (games) is a television-driven item,'' he said. ''With the financial pressures in today’s game, TV drives the market and the package we have in the long run will help the whole league. It’s a great deal we have with ESPN. The added exposure is great for everyone.''
The Big East signed a lucrative deal with ESPN that begins this season. It calls for every conference game to be carried by the network’s family of outlets, an unprecedented step by the cable giant in college basketball. While fans won’t be able to escape the Big East on TV, coaches see the move from 16 to 18 as two additional power games on the schedule. Some conferences (namely the PAC-10) play 18 league games but the majority do not, freeing those schools to pad their schedules with games against two weaker foes. How the selection committee for the NCAA Tournament views 16 vs. 18 league games is open to conjecture.
''The 18 games is a great test, for sure,'' said Welsh. ''The only way it’ll help us is if all the other leagues go to it and some are looking at it. But they’re not there yet.''
The Big East’s coaches took part in a straw poll in June that ranked the teams heading into the 2007-08 season. The poll helped the league determine the crossover foes, among other scheduling dynamics. Louisville and Georgetown are seen as pre-season top 10 teams in most polls.
''You never know, really, but it looks to be distributed very fairly,'' said Welsh. ''You’re playing good teams every night but it’s way too early to tell who is good and who isn’t. I know there are no easy games, no easy road trips but it is great for our fans with Georgetown, Louisville and Connecticut coming in.''
No dates for league games are available yet but PC has finalized its nonconference schedule. Due to the construction at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center, the Friars won’t play their first game in the arena until they host Harvard on November 24. Before then, PC plays an exhibition game at URI's Ryan Center against Carleton University on Nov. 2. That will be the Friars’ only exhibition game, however. Welsh said he plans to play Hofstra in a closed scrimmage before opening the regular season with three games at the Puerto Rico Classic in San Juan on November 15, 16 and 18.
PC's top home non-league game will come on Dec. 22 when Florida State comes to town. PC’s other home games include Brown, Maine, Sacred Heart and St. Peter’s. The Friars will return to the Ryan Center for its annual showdown against Rhode Island on Dec. 4.
The Friars began an NCAA-approved few days of full practices yesterday. The team is traveling to Italy in August and is allowed a week of practice to prepare for the trip. Welsh says he’ll practice three or four times this week and a few more days just before the trip.
The schedule:
NOVEMBER
Date Opponent Site Time
2 Carleton University* URI’s Ryan Center 7:30
15 Puerto Rico Classic San Juan TBA
16 (w/Arkansas, Miami, Houston, TBA
18 Temple, Charleston, VCU) TBA
24 Harvard Dunkin’ Donuts Center 7:30
27 Maine Dunkin’ Donuts Center 7:30
DECEMBER
1 at BC TD Banknorth Garden 6:00
4 at URI URI’s Ryan Center TBA
6 vs. South Carolina Wachovia Center 7:00
9 Brown Dunkin’ Donuts Center 7:30
19 Sacred Heart Dunkin’ Donuts Center 7:30
22 Florida State Dunkin’ Donuts Center 7:30
31 Saint Peter’s Dunkin’ Donuts Center 2:00
BIG EAST SCHEDULE (January, February, March)
Home: Connecticut, DePaul, Georgetown
Louisville, Rutgers, Seton Hall,
South Florida, Villanova, West Virginia
Away: Cincinnati, Connecticut, DePaul,
Marquette, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh,
St. John’s, Syracuse, West Virginia
* -- exhibition game
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I thought the word was the Friars were beefing up the non conference schedule.I do not think this looks tougher than last year 2 Ivy League games, Maine, Sacred Heart and St Peters and Brown are the one to point out as weak. I am not saying it is a joke but it isn't tougher than last year.
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I can't believe BC is still on the schedule, they turn their back on the Big East in grand style, and we continue to play them, Drop them and add another New England team if you want but they don't deserve our loyalty if they don't know what the word means
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