PC's Xavier to play for Cape Verdean national team
Providence College's Jeff Xavier will join the Cape Verdean national team as it attempts to qualify for the Summer Olympics in Beijing, according to the PC Athletics Department.
Xavier, who went to St. Raphael Academy in Pawtucket, led the Friars in scoring last season. He will leave Rhode Island on Sunday for training camp, then continue to Athens, Greece, where his team will face New Zealand on July 15. Cape Verde will attempt to become one of 12 teams competing in Greece to receive an Olympics invitation.
ESPN: Dwain Williams to join Craig Robinson at Oregon State
ESPN's Andy Katz, quoting Dwain Williams' AAU coach, says Williams will not transfer to Long Beach State, as was reported by the school last week, but instead will join former Brown coach Craig Robinson at Oregon State.
J.J. Santa Cruz, Williams' AAU coach, called Long Beach State's announcement a "miscommunication." Williams, said Santa Cruz, "wants to go to Oregon State to help them turn it around." Katz reported that Long Beach State coach Dan Monson said he would release Williams from their agreement, allowing him to attend Oregon State.
Williams and Robinson got to know each other this year, when Williams played at Providence College and Robinson coached at Brown.
PC to compete in Anaheim Classic over Thanksgiving weekend
Providence College is one of eight schools that will participate in the Anaheim Classic, a college basketball tournament played over Thanksgiving weekend at the Anaheim Convention Center adjacent to Disneyland. The games will be played on Nov. 27, 28 and 30.
Tournament pairings and game times will be announced at a later date. The complete tournament will air live on either ESPN2 or ESPNU.
Three of the eight schools earned berths in the 2008 NCAA Tournament -- Baylor of the Big 12, Cal State Fullerton of the Big West and St. Mary’s of the West Coast Conference. Two others -- Arizona State of the Pac-10 and Charlotte of the Atlantic 10 -- participated in the National Invitation Tournament. UTEP, of Conference USA, participated in the inaugural College Basketball Invitational (CBI).
Completing the field, in addition to PC, is Wake Forest of the ACC.
The Anaheim Classic features four games each day, with the two undefeated teams competing in the championship game on ESPN2 on Nov. 30.
Jim Calhoun treated for skin cancer, will remain at UConn
STORRS, Conn. (AP) - Connecticut basketball coach Jim Calhoun is being treated for a second bout of skin cancer but expects to be on the bench this fall for his 22nd season with the Huskies.
"I want to coach basketball at UConn," the 66-year-old Hall of Famer said Friday. "At this moment I love what I do and feel very, very comfortable in doing that."
His physician, Dr. Jeffrey Spiro, attended the news conference with Calhoun and said he believes the coach is now cancer free and has a good prognosis.
Calhoun is to undergo six weeks of radiation treatments next month at the UConn Health Center to minimize any chance of the cancer returning. His doctors told him there will be short-term side effects from the radiation, but they expect Calhoun to return to his normal lifestyle, including coaching.
"I have one more step to go," Calhoun said. "I feel much, much better, thank God."
Calhoun said doctors determined last month that a lump in the upper right side of his neck near the jaw line was squamous cell cancer. He had surgery May 6 to remove the lump, several surrounding lymph nodes and part of his salivary gland. Subsequent tests revealed all the cancer had been removed.
Calhoun was first treated for squamous cell cancer last year when doctors found it on his cheek. Doctors told him the recurrence this spring is related to his prior skin cancer but not related to the prostate cancer he was treated for in 2003.
"Squamous cell cancer of the skin is not generally a very aggressive disease," Spiro said.
According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, squamous cell carcinoma is the second most common form of skin cancer, with more than 250,000 new cases a year in the United States.
At UConn, Calhoun has turned a regional program into a perennial national power that includes two NCAA titles (1999, 2004). Twenty-one former Huskies under Calhoun were drafted by the NBA, with 14 of those first-rounders. In 2006, UConn became the first school to have five players taken in the first two rounds of the draft.
Calhoun was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2005 and has 750 wins during his 35-year coaching career. He was 248-137 during 14 years at Northeastern and is 502-191 at UConn.
Despite his latest health setback, Calhoun, a grandfather of six, said he never considered retiring.
"All I thought was how do we defeat this," Calhoun said. "I love my family, I love my life, I love my kids. I love what I do."
Louisville center quits basketball due to genetic disorder
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Louisville center Clarence Holloway has ended his career after being diagnosed with Marfan syndrome, a genetic disorder marked by lengthened features and cardiovascular defects.
Holloway had hoped to return to the Cardinals in the fall after sitting out his freshman year following open-heart surgery to repair the wall of his aorta and the aortic valve.
The 7-foot-1 Holloway, who is from Chicago, will remain enrolled at Louisville.
Marfan syndrome is a disease of the connective tissue. Patients typically are tall and lean, with disproportionately long arms, legs, fingers and toes, plus a variety of skeletal, eye, lung and heart problems. Diagnosed patients who show signs of aorta trouble often are told to not exercise vigorously.
Holloway averaged 15 points and 10 rebounds at the Chicago Boy to Men Math and English Academy in 2006 and filed for the 2006 NBA draft before removing his name.
We've been buried by coverage of the Boston Celtics' playoff run for a few weeks now (with no end in sight) so PC news is slim at the moment. Here are a few nuggets:
COACHING STAFF: Keno Davis is a few days away from announcing his coaching staff. It will contain Chris Davis and Rodell Davis from Drake, giving PC its first Midwest-based recruiters since the Rick Barnes Era. Barnes came with extensive ties in that area from his days at Ohio State.
Davis will also hire Pat Skerry, the URI assistant who's led an effort to stock that program with several good, young prospects. Skerry could be very useful right away since the New England area is set to produce one of its best classes of seniors and juniors in the last 10 years. Kevin Kurbec, the administrative asst. to Tim Welsh, is also expected to be on this staff.
RECRUITS: While the Friars say goodbye to Dwain Williams (a huge loss in my eyes; just ask Jim Calhoun) and Chuck Burch, they're set to welcome one recruit, big forward Bilal Dixon. He wasn't originally comfortable with the coaching switch but he really feels he fits in at PC right now. Keno Davis is also shopping for a guard for the fall. Right now the leads are few. Some could develop over the summer, perhaps, in the form of a sudden qualifier, European, D-2 transfer, ect.
INJURIES: Both Geoff McDermott (sprained knee) and Sharaud Curry (broken foot) are not allowed to play hoops right now. PC doesn't play next week so that's not a problem, but this is not good news. McDermott's knee can best be termed "balky." Rest won't make all his issues disappear. Curry had surgery in April and will miss most, if not all, of the summer. How close will he be to 100 percent in October for the start of practice? Who knows? But with no other PG in the program right now, this is Davis' biggest concern. He knows how Tim Welsh must have felt all last season.
SCHEDULE: The change in coaching staffs disrupted scheduling and the Friars are behind in the quest to secure games. Davis would like to create a four-team tourney hosted in Providence, ala the Fleet Classic, but that's not likely to happen for a few years. Bottom line? With games set against BC and URI, plus a strong tournament in Anaheim, the Friars might need only one other tough game. The problem is filling up the slate with weaker foes who've already been spoken for.
CHARITY: Finally, my most important note. Spoke with Ryan Gomes last week and just received correspondence for a charity dinner/golf tourney he is hosting in Southington, Conn., next month. Gomes has started a Hoops For Heart charity with a goal of preventing sudden cardiac arrests at basketball games. This has been an issue at AAU events and Gomes and his supporters, with a big shout out to Wayne Simone, would like a working defibrillator and someone trained to use one at every practice and game in Div. 1 college basketball.
Gomes is holding a charity dinner on June 16 and a golf outing June 17. Keno Davis, Tim Welsh and Billy Donovan are some of the coaches expected to attend. Gomes wants to welcome all PC fans to attend either event or donate to the cause.
LANGSTON, Okla. (AP) - New Oklahoma State basketball coach Travis Ford will make about $9 million over seven years under a deal revealed Friday at a regents meeting.
The contract calls for Ford to make $1.3 million per year.
He replaces Sean Sutton, who resigned April 1 under pressure.
Sutton's original buyout package called for him to make $2.7 million over 10 years, but tax considerations have led officials to restructure the deal to give him $2.2 million, with him to receive full payment by the end of this year.
Ford, who took Massachusetts to the NIT the last two seasons, was introduced as Oklahoma State's new coach Thursday. Earlier this month, he turned down the PC job and received a new contract from UMass.
Bill Reynolds took questions from projo.com readers today about PC basketball. He was a late substitution for Kevin McNamara, who is in Boston today covering the Celtics (hence the questions addressed to Kevin). Here's a full transcript of the hour-long chat.
Bill Reynolds: hello everybody, i'm pinch-hitting for Kevin McNamara, who has disappeared somewhere, so here goes
gboy: KMac, what was the extent of Keno's playing career?
Bill Reynolds: Gboy, keno played through high school, then went to Iowa where his father was the coach and he became a glorified grad assistant and worked out with the team
ggrossi: since the PC team is senior laden, any ideas about what type of player Keno favors and if anyone he had targeted for Drake might end up at PC/ thanks
Bill Reynolds: ggrossi, i have no idea about what kind of players keno prefers, but I know that he likes pressure defense and his team this year took a lot of threes. But, as you said, it's a senior laden team and he needs players, a lot of them. that's the real work right now, as he is getting the job late and after next season this program is bereft of talent.
Fitzy: Any leads on where Brown is going with its search process?
Bill Reynolds: Fitzy, i have no idea on the brown job, for they haven't even gotten all the applications yet. Their time frame is to have a coach in about a month. stay tuned.
magmay77@verizon.net: Is the recruiting year over or is it still going on
Bill Reynolds: magmay77, the recruiting year is never over, especially now when the entire process has been speeded up, many of the top juniors having already committed. The point is that recruiting now is a 12-month process.
Big Hoops Fan: Kev - Do you find it humorous that Davis looks like Bruschi's brother? As a Pat's fan, I hope he brings the same amount of intensity to Friar's hoops as Bruschi did to the Pat's "D".
Bill Reynolds: Big Hoops Fan, I didn't see the connection to bruschi until you brought it up. but you're right. if he brings the same intensity things will be great
THL: Good afternoon Kevin. My question centers around the ultimate make up of Coach Davis' staff. Do you have any opinions that relate? Do you feel that Griffin and Kurbec will ultimately end up as part of that staff? If, I believe his name is Chad Davis, does not become the new HC at Drake, he will come to join the staff here and KD will need to hire another coach with northeast ties. If he does not come to PC, obviously 2 more coaches will need to be hired. I do have the opinion that both Griffen and Kurbec will be retained.
Bill Reynolds: THL, you're right. the makeup of davis's staff will depend on who gets the drake job. he said the other day that he is definitely looking for someone who has experience recruiting on the east coast, which only makes sense. what that means for either griffin or kurbec I have no idea, but history tells us that most coaches bring their own people in.
steve: 1. Will coach Davis bring in any recruits for next season?
Bill Reynolds: Steve, the friars have one kid already signed, and don't have room for any more in next year's class unless someone leaves. there's been talk of Dwain Williams doing that, but so far anyway, that's just talk. So I suspect that next year's team will look very much like last year's.
Fabulous Friar: Hi Kevin - how much was Keno involved in the recruitmen of players at Drake, and what is the 'word on the street' about his recruiting prowess?
Bill Reynolds: Fabulous Friar, the word is he was very involved.
Dan: Hi Bill, question. Do you think Providence got lucky considering the long drawn out search?
Bill Reynolds: Dan, I think davis is an excellent choice, a smart young coach on the way up, exactly the kind of coach I always thought they should have hired. And he's the coach of the year to boot. hey, you roll the dice with any new coach, but it seems to me that this was a real good get.
steve: 2.how much of a disadvantage is it in recruiting players on the east coast given the fact that most of your recruiting as an assistant and head coach have been rooted in the midwest and west?
Bill Reynolds: Steve, yes, it's a disadvantage. In a perfect world you would want guy with great eastern ties, but it's not a perfect world. It's the reason why davis will hire someone like that on his staff. But it's a national game in ways it never was before, so, ultimately, I don't think it's going to matter in the long run.
southie: any word on where TW and his staff may end up?
Bill Reynolds: Southie, I heard welsh could have had the toledo job and backed out, and that he is involved with the Florida Atlantic job.
THL: Jeff Goodman has Dwain Williams on his list of players who are transferring. I have heard that he has already received his release from PC.
Bill Reynolds: THL, that would not surprise me at all, as that rumor has been around since the end of the year and makes a lot of sense for Williams, especially since Curry is due back. It also would give the friars an extra scholarship to play with and that would be good, for they could really use another big body - maybe a juco? - who would be ready to help next year.
bfriar: Kevin: Do you anticipate that Coach Davis will be in attendance at this weekend's AAU "JamFest" at PC? Are you hearing any names for potential recruits, especially a true point guard?
Bill Reynolds: bfriar, davis said the other day that he has a commitment in Iowa, but that all games of the JamFest are on tape.
BrownFanatic: Kevin, any word on who Brown is targeting to replace Robinson? Any chance that Tim O'Shea might be in the mix?
Bill Reynolds: Brownfanatic, I have heard that Tim O'Shea might have an interest, but don't know that for sure. because of Robinson's success, the perception is that this is a better job than it was one two years ago.
Rock: Hi Kev, you expressed some belief that the Friar search for a coach was going to attract only such lowly candidates as the Tim O'Shea and Will Browns of the world. Does the naming of the national COY in Keno Davis give you thought that perhaps the program is not as bleakly seen as you may have forecasted? Thanks.
Bill Reynolds: rock, I'm not speaking for Kevin, but any time a school is paying roughly a million dollars a year for a coach it is going to get someone good, so I'm not sure I understand your phrase ``lowly'' candidates.
THL: Kevin, when do you think KD will begin recruiting for 2009...and, with DW probably gone, for that elusive backup PG we need so badly?
Bill Reynolds: THL, I think he will begin recruiting for 2009 immediately, given that his roster for next year is virtually set and that the entire recruiting process has been speeded up. and, you're right, they need a backup point guard.
bfriar: Aside from the Anaheim Classic, any word yet on other OOC opponents?
Bill Reynolds: bfriar, i haven't heard a thing about that.
THL: Kevin, do you believe that KG will encourage a transfer by a frontcourt player to open another spot? Your opinion on the JUCO question. Do you feel that there will be an easing by the administration so a JUCO big man could be recruited?
Bill Reynolds: THL, that's a good question about the school's opinion of juco players. I know that some of them don't always work out, but Eric Williams, Ruben Garces and Derek Brown certainly did.
THL: Bill, do you have an opinion on PC's current place in the Big East compared to the 80's and early 90's? In other words, do you feel that the BE is more difficult now than what it was during the years of Pitino and Barnes?
Bill Reynolds: THL, it is definitely more difficult, for the simple reason that there are more teams. Sports Illustrated just came out with a proposed top 25 for next year and they had eight Big East teams on it. That's the reality. For you can be a good team and still finish ninth or 10th in the league and not go to the NCAA Tournament and everyone thinks you've failed. That's the other reality.
pc guy: Who's the better coach in your opinion, TFord or Keno Davis?
Bill Reynolds: pc guy, good question, with no real answer. Not now anyway. Ford has more experience, certainly, davis had a great year last year and is the national coach of the year. But when all is said and done? I think PC got the best guy, because he obviously wants to be here more than Ford did.
jimmy626: Name your starting five for next year
Bill Reynolds: jimmy626, McDermott, Curry, Efejuku, Hanke, Xavier, with McKenzie and Kale off the bench.
jimmy626: Do you expect Chris Davis to be one of the assistants?
Bill Reynolds: Jimmy626, is that the Drake assistant coach's name? If he doesn't get the Drake job I expect to see him here.
pc guy: Looking back Bill, would you still have rather seen Robinson get the job over Davis, who the Friars ultimately ended up with?
Bill Reynolds: pc guy, that's impossible for me to really answer because I know Robinson, saw what he did at Brown, think he is a future star in coaching, and believe he would have been a great hire at PC. But everything I''ve heard tells me that Davis is an excellent hire, too.
Bill Reynolds: thanks for your interest. sorry about the typos, i flunked typing in high school.
Kevin McNamara had a late conflict come up -- it involves the basketball team that wears green and plays near North Station -- and so he had to back out on today's scheduled PC hoops chat. Fortunately, Bill Reynolds is in the house and ready to take your questions. He'll answer from noon to 1 p.m. today.
You can submit your questions now: Go to projo.com/chat, click launch chat, choose a display name (you do not need a password) and enter the college hoops chat room. Type in your question, but remember not to press enter or click send until you have finished your thought. Questions will display to the room as Bill answers them.
STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) - Oklahoma State had no announcement planned Wednesday amid conflicting reports that Massachusetts' Travis Ford was expected to take the job as the Cowboys' basketball coach.
Spokesman Mike Noteware said Oklahoma State had no plans for a news conference despite a report from ESPN that had unnamed sources indicating that Ford intended to meet with his players at UMass in the afternoon regarding the position in Stillwater.
"Right now, he's still here, still our coach at UMass," Massachusetts assistant athletic director Jason Yellin said.
Ford, 38, turned down a job offer from Big East school Providence and had also previously been linked to an opening at LSU that was eventually filled by Trent Johnson, who left Stanford. UMass athletic director John McCutcheon announced last week that Ford intended to stay with the Minutemen, but did not discuss terms of the coach's new contract.
A former player at Kentucky, Ford led UMass to a 25-11 record this season and an appearance in the NIT championship game, where it lost to Ohio State. He is 62-35 in three seasons at Massachusetts.
Ford previously took over a losing program at Eastern Kentucky and guided it to its first NCAA tournament appearance in 26 years.
Oklahoma State athletic director Mike Holder told The Oklahoman there was no deal in place for Ford to coach the Cowboys. Holder has been looking for a replacement for Sean Sutton, who resigned under pressure on April 1.
Kansas coach Bill Self turned down the Cowboys last week, instead signing an extension to remain with the national champion Jayhawks.
Kevin McNamara will take your questions about new PC Friars coach Keno Davis in a live chat from noon to 1 p.m. Friday. You can submit your questions now: Go to projo.com/chat, click launch chat, choose a display name (you do not need a password) and enter the college hoops chat room. Type in your question, but remember not to press enter or click send until you have finished your thought. Questions will display to the room as Kevin answers them on Friday.
New coach Davis to PC: ' We can do something special here'
Journal photo / Ruben W. Perez
New basketball coach Keno Davis, is given a PC jersey by athletic director Bob Driscoll, as he is greeted by the students and players during a news conference late this afternoon to announce his hiring.
PROVIDENCE -- Keno Davis, introduced today as Providence College's new men's basketball coach, said at a news conference that the team "is at a tipping point where we can do something special here."
With as many as 300 people, including cheerleaders and a band, attending the 5 p.m. announcement in Alumni Hall, Davis expressed thanks to Drake University, where he has been coach this season and assistant coach for four prior seasons.
"They did everything they could and more to try to keep me there," Davis said. "It was a tough decision."
But he said the lure of playing in the Big East and one of the biggest conferences in the country drew him to Providence College.
Davis, 36, won the Associated Press' National Coach of the Year award at the Final Four last week after leading Drake to a 28-5 record in his first season as head coach. Davis arrived in Providence on Monday and discussed particulars of the job into the night with athletic director Bob Driscoll. A contract was apparently agreed upon this morning.
The question of who would replace former PC coach Tim Welsh had been hovering over the program for a month. The Friars thought they had a new coach twice before in this laborious process and were ultimately turned down, first by George Mason’s Jim Larranaga and then by UMass’ Travis Ford.
-- With reports from Journal sports writers Paul Kenyon and Kevin McNamara
Davis is the son of Dr. Tom Davis, who was the head coach at Boston College from 1977-82. Keno was born in 1972 and raised as a BC fan before his dad left to take a job at Stanford and then moved on to Iowa and then Drake from 2003-07 where he was joined by his son, Keno.
Bob Driscoll, Providence College's athletic director, said at the news conference: "This is a great day to be a Friar."
Driscoll introduced the coach and the coach's wife, Krista. Driscoll said the good news is Davis spent part of his childhood in Boston and his father coached ar Boston College -- and that the new coach is a Red Sox fan. (His wife is a Cardinals fan).
Father Brian Shanley, Providence College's president, was involved in the search for the new coach. "Keno is an answer to prayer. I really believe that," Shanley said.
Shanley noted that Keno has gotten several coaching awards.
"To get the consensus national coach of the year to come to Providence College, is a great treat for us," Shanley said.
The Drake University Bulldogs were picked to finish ninth in the 10-team Missouri Valley Conference but blossomed into the most surprising team in the nation on the way to a conference title with a 15-3 record. At one point, Drake won 21 games in a row.
Drake advanced to the NCAA's for the first time since 1971. The Bulldogs lost to Western Kentucky in the first round on a last-second 3-point shot in overtime.
Keno Davis was previously an assistant coach at Drake from 2003–2007, Southeast Missouri State 1997–2003, Southern Indiana 1995–1997, as well as an undergraduate assistant coach at Iowa from 1991–1995. He and his wife Krista, whom he married in 2005, have a son, Brady, who was born in November 2007.
We've been asking projo.com readers all day whether Keno Davis is a good choice to lead the PC Friars. We've had 300 votes as of 2:30, and by a 5-1 margin, the public is saying that this is a good move. Here is a sampling of reader comments:
"GREAT BLOODLINES, NATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR. JIM WHO?"
"Davis is a better choice than either Larranaga or Travis Ford. I trust that he'll build a program and stay around long enough to sustain that program."
"Mass, guy... local to the area... Travis Ford would have left quickly and Larranaga coaches in a real weak conference and was too old."
"ONE year coaching? Sure he got to the NCAAs, but blew the game, once they played. No track record. It's like hiring an assistant coach."
"I'm not sure really. He has only 1 year of coaching experience and has been a mid-western based coach. I hope he has recuiting contacts on the East Coast. I kind of liked [Karl] Hobbs who is based in DC and from NE."
"When he finds out how hard (or should I say impossible) it is to win here then he will leave like the others."
"PC is set to hire " a young, second-generation coach with limited head-coaching experience, but a winning record during his tenure at a mid-major"....is it 1998 and is his name Tim Welsh?"
"AP coach of the year, not 10 years ago but this year, took his team to the NCAAs for the first time since the 70's in his first year as coach. Are you kidding me? PC is lucky to have Keno. Great job Bob! Send me my season ticket renewal package I'm ready to sign up."
"I'm happy, 2008 coach of the year, gives choice some credibility. Are they overpaying him, yes. Will I answer my phone when the PC students soliciting money call again, Not unless he wins."
PROVIDENCE COLLEGE NAMES KENO DAVIS MEN'S BASKETBALL COACH
2008 National Coach Of The Year Becomes PC's 14th Head Coach
PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Providence College President Reverend Brian Shanley, O.P. and Athletics Director Bob Driscoll announced today the appointment of Keno Davis as the head basketball coach of the College. Davis, who becomes the 14th head coach at Providence College, comes to PC after spending the 2007-08 season as the head coach at Drake University. Davis, a 1995 graduate of the University of Iowa, was named the 2008 National Coach of the Year by the Associated Press, the U.S. Basketball Writers Association and the Sporting News.
"We are very excited to have Keno Davis leading our men's basketball program," Father Shanley said. "Over the last several weeks, we have conducted a thorough search. During this process, we talked to some of the most knowledgeable members of the college basketball community. It was our task to find a coach who would lead our student-athletes and embrace the College's mission. Keno Davis met all of our selection criteria."
In his first season as a head coach, Davis led the Drake Bulldogs to a 28-5 mark, which included a 15-3 record in the Missouri Valley Conference. His team captured its first MVC regular season title since 1971 and its first ever MVC Tournament title. Drake became the first MVC school to win both the regular season and league tournament titles since 2002. For his efforts, he was named the Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year. The Bulldogs also made their first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 1971. Drake was defeated in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament by Western Kentucky, 101-99, in overtime.
During the 2008 season, Drake was nationally ranked for a school-record eight consecutive weeks. The Bulldogs finished ranked 14th in the Associated Press Poll and 23rd in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. Davis had all this success in his first season after inheriting a team that was 17-15 in 2007 and lost four starters to graduation. His 2008 squad was picked to finish ninth in the MVC.
"I believe Keno Davis has the knowledge, passion, commitment and ability to bring Providence College basketball to another level," Driscoll said. "Throughout his career he has demonstrated that he is an excellent leader and teacher. From the first moment I met Keno, I was impressed with his competitive nature and his desire to return Friar basketball to national prominence. His hiring is one of the many steps we have taken to improve the Friar men’s basketball program."
Prior to being selected as the head coach at Drake, Davis served as an assistant under his father, Dr. Tom Davis, at Drake from 2003-07. He began his coaching career in 1995 as an assistant under Bruce Pearl at Southern Indiana. He left Southern Indiana in 1997 and took an assistant position under Gary Garner at Southeast Missouri State.
He has written two books on basketball, "Pressure Defense" which was published in 1994 and "Camp Success" published in 2004.
Davis is no stranger to New England. His father served as the head coach at six colleges, including Boston College where he posted a 100-47 mark from 1977-82.
Davis and wife, Krista, have one son, Brady, who was born on November 12, 2007.
Providence College has just confirmed that it will hire Drake coach Keno Davis has its next basketball coach.
Davis will be introduced at a news conference at 5 p.m. today at PC's Alumni Hall. Fans and friends of the program are encouraged to attend the new coach's introduction.
Davis, 36, won the Associated Press' National Coach of the Year award at the Final Four last week after leading Drake to a 28-5 record in his first season as head coach. Davis arrived in Providence on Monday and discussed particulars of the job into the night with athletic director Bob Driscoll. A contract was apparently agreed upon this morning.
Davis is the son of Dr. Tom Davis who was the head coach at Boston College from 1977-82. Keno was born in 1972 and raised as a BC fan before his dad left to take a job at Stanford and then moved on to Iowa and then Drake from 2003-07 where he was joined by his son, Keno.
The Bulldogs were picked to finish ninth in the 10-team Missouri Valley Conference but blossomed into the most surprising team in the nation on the way to a conference title with a 15-3 record. At one point, Drake won 21 games in a row.
Drake advanced to the NCAA's for the first time since 1971. The Bulldogs lost to Western Kentucky in the first round on a last-second 3-point shot in overtime.
Keno Davis was previously an assistant coach at Drake from 2003-2007, Southeast Missouri State 1997-2003, Southern Indiana 1995-1997, as well as an undergraduate assistant coach at Iowa from 1991-1995. He currently lives with his wife Krista, whom he married in 2005. They have a son, Brady, who was born in November 2007.
We're awaiting official word from Providence College, but it appears that the Friars have found their next coach in Drake's Keno Davis. A press conference will happen this afternoon (5 p.m.).
One media outlet, FoxSports.com, has reported that the contract with Davis is complete, citing unnamed sources. We're going to wait for official word, which should be coming soon.
Here are some online resources to get you up to speed on Davis:
Providence College's search for a new basketball coach has focused on Drake's Keno Davis. The 36-year old coach has emerged as the favorite to be the next Friar coach.
On Monday, the rumor mills focused on Karl Hobbs and Kevin Willard. However it is Davis who could be hired as the next PC coach, as early as tomorrow.
More in Tuesday's Journal.
Providence College's basketball program is just about to wrap up its annual team banquet downtown at the Biltmore.
There is no news on the coaching front. Athletic director Bob Driscoll was not in attendance and is said to be actively chasing a replacement for Tim Welsh. It is not clear whether Driscoll is in town or traveling, although it appears he was out of town talking to a one particular prospect.
Just an informed guess here but I'm hearing George Washington's Karl Hobbs is still alive in this race. Iona's Kevin Willard and Hofstra's Tom Pecora are not viable names, it was learned on Monday.
More on the dinner in Tuesday's Journal.
On Monday night, Providence College is holding its annual end-of-season basketball banquet at the Biltmore Hotel. Will the program have a new head coach to unveil at the event?
That was the hot tip that interrupted the Masters this afternoon. PC athletic director Bob Driscoll has been working the phones the last few days in search of a new coach and it would not be a surprise if he’s settled on someone who will actually take the job this time around. The question, of course, is who?
After initially hearing rumblings about GW’s Karl Hobbs and Florida associate coach Larry Shyatt from high-level basketball people, we now know that Driscoll has been urged to think about Iona coach Kevin Willard by none other than Rick Pitino. Pitino is the same man who listened to an offer for himself to come back to Providence (not sure just how long that offer was considered by the King of Louisville) and then pushed PC to chase UMass coach Travis Ford. Ford turned PC down last Thursday in a major embarrassment for the Friar faithful.
Now it’s Willard. He just finished his first season at Iona where he went 12-20 and 8-10 in the MAAC. He inherited a 2-28 train wreck from Jeff Ruland and is considered a coach with potential but this would be a major risk for the Providence program. What would make it a little more palatable is if Kevin brings along his father, Ralph, the current Holy Cross head coach and use him in an associate head coach role. Something to think about.
Will Driscoll keep listening to Pitino, a conference rival whose job demands that he keep beating the Friars? He has not called Florida’s Shyatt but has done some background work on Hobbs, an interesting candidate. Hofstra’s Tom Pecora is another interesting name but as of yesterday his athletic director hadn’t heard of any interest from Providence.
No doubt shook by the public nature of his courtship of Ford, Driscoll seems to be playing his next move close to the vest. Wrapping it up Monday in time for a dinner expected to draw a few hundred fans wouldn’t be a bad idea at all.
AMHERST, Mass. -- Travis Ford has told Providence College officials he will not accept their offer to become the next coach at PC, deciding instead to remain at the University of Massachusetts.
There is no word on the Friars' next move in their coaching search, which began when they fired Tim Welsh nearly a month ago.
We do not expect a decision on PC's courtship of Travis Ford tonight.
Ford and his wife spent all day with PC athletic boss Bob Driscoll and schools president Rev. Brian Shanley. They were still on campus tonight but no announcement from the school is forthcoming. No press conferences are set for tomorrow at this point either.
Ford has a team banquet at the University of Massachusetts scheduled for Thursday night. It would be a major shock if he doesn't give PC his decision by then.
Could Ford turn the Friars down? Sure. He'd be walking away from a huge payday, Big East notoriety and a chance to live in a more vibrant, urban community than Amherst but he's done a very good job at UMass and proven he can win a lot of games (49 in the last two years) in the Atlantic 10. Only fear that he can't do the same (or something remotely close) at Providence should keep him from saying yes to the Friars.
PROVIDENCE -- Providence College's search for a new basketball coach has focused on Massachusetts coach Travis Ford.
Ford, 38, is in Providence today and meeting with athletic director Bob Driscoll. He and his wife just finished a tour of the Dunkin' Donuts Center.
There are no indications that an agreement between the two sides is complete but this is the strongest sign yet that the four-week search could be nearing an end.
"I have not scheduled any press conference for today.'' PC associate athletic director Arthur Parks said.
Ford met with Driscoll at the Final Four in San Antonio. On Tuesday, he issued a statement from his office at UMass that said he no longer wished to be considered for the coaching job vacancy at LSU.
"I would like to make clear that I do not want to be considered for the head job at LSU," Ford said in the statement. "There has been a lot of misinformation circulating about me and the job at LSU. I feel that it is necessary to state that I do not want to be considered for the job."
Ford's interest in other jobs was not addressed, however. UMass finished 25-11 this past season in Ford's third year at the school and the Minutemen lost the NIT championship game to Ohio State, 92-85.
PROVIDENCE -- All Providence College basketball fans hungry for a press conference to announce the next coach can rest easy today. Go watch the Red Sox' Opening Day game.
First off, no New England school in its right mind would ever announce anything on Opening Day. This is a true Holy Day for the majority of sports fans in the region.
More importantly, PC isn't closing in on a new coach. Bob Driscoll is set to fly home from San Antonio today. No candidate has met with Fr. Brian Shanley, which clearly must happen before anyone gets hired. In theory, that could occur in the next 2-3 days but we've learned not to hold our breath during this search. We think a search that's already taken plenty of twists and turns has more twisting and turning ahead.
Larry Brown? We hear he's listened to Driscoll in San Antonio. Would he really come here? You can find some long odds somewhere on that one but it sure would make things interesting in Friar Town.
By the way, PC's Driscoll is NOT attending the Frozen Four in Denver this week. He's on the NCAA Hockey committee but has cancelled do to the basketball situation.
Robinson expected to be introduced as Oregon State coach tonight
Here's word from Oregon State's athletic web site.....
Corvallis – Oregon State University Director of Athletics Bob De Carolis is asking “Beaver Nation” to turn out for Monday’s welcoming press conference for the new men’s basketball coach at Oregon State University.
The formal introduction will take place at 4 p.m. in legendary Gill Coliseum.
Brown coach Craig Robinson is expected to be the coach introduced at OSU. He traveled to Oregon this morning but had yet to accept the job. Obviously a press conference will seal the deal.
There is a report from FoxSports.com that Brown coach Craig Robinson is ready to accept the coaching job at Oregon State.
That's bad news for Brown and bad news for Providence College, which clearly took a pass on Robinson or at least was caught dragging its feet if it indeed wanted Robinson to be the next Friars' coach.
We're trying to confirm this report as we speak.
ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla has emerged as a candidate for the vacant PC job. Fraschilla hasn't coached since he was bought out of his contract by New Mexico in 2002 but he is a `name' coach who is an ex-PC assistant under Rick Barnes and was the head coach at St. John's from 1997-98.
Albany coach Will Brown is also in the mix. The New York Daily News reported Sunday that PC had `focused' its search on Brown, Ohio's Tim O'Shea and Brown's Craig Robinson.
More on the PC search in Monday's Journal
Providence College athletic director Bob Driscoll is traveling to San Antonio today. The city is the site of Saturday's Final Four and the national title game Monday night.
Once he checks into his room, Driscoll will be inundated with `Who are you going to hire?' questions from the hundreds of AD and coach-types who fill Final Four cities every year. Driscoll is expected to meet with the candidates he says are on his `short list' beginning Saturday.
One name that's appeared in The Journal since Tim Welsh was fired three weeks ago is that of Tim O'Shea, the former URI and Boston College assistant who is now the head coach at Ohio University. O'Shea is one of the coaches likely to sit with Driscoll over the next few days.
O'Shea has compiled an impressive resume at Ohio, a member of the Mid-American Conference which happens to be one of the most competitive leagues in the country. Over the last 18 seasons, only one school (Kent State, 2001-02) has repeated as conference tournament champion.
Ohio won that tourney in 2005 and put a major scare into Billy Donovan and Florida before losing, 67-62. The Bobcats finished 21-11 that season and that success has continued with O'Shea's teams winning 19, 19 and 20 games the last three years. In his seven years as coach, Ohio has beaten North Carolina, DePaul, Virginia, Cincinnati, Rhode Island (twice), St. Joseph's, Maryland and St. John's.
Ohio finished 20-13 this season, including the win at Maryland and over SJU in Hawaii. Interestingly, the Bobcats thumped Jim Larranaga's George Mason team, 69-57, in February when it erupted for 50 second half points. Larranaga is the coach who turned down an offer to come to PC on Wednesday.
Neither Driscoll or O'Shea will comment publicly about a potential meeting. That means we can't report it. But it seems likely the two will talk. Who else will get Driscoll's ear. Brown's Craig Robinson seems likely. So does UMass' Travis Ford but the Kentucky native is reported to be waiting to see if he can get involved at LSU.
We've been posting today on the ProJo's Sports Blog. Don't want to short change the Hoops Blog, however.
Here are the last 3 entries on a busy day for the Friars.
Larranaga Gets 3-year extension
Not a shock. Jim Larranaga has reached agreement on a 3-year extension to his contract at George Mason.
Assistant Vice President/Director of Athletics Tom O'Connor announced today that Larranaga has signed a three-year extension at George Mason. Larranaga is now signed through the 2014-15 season.
"Jim (Larranaga) is a terrific ambassador for George Mason University,"
O'Connor said. "Obviously with the 2006 run to the Final Four, our basketball program and the University have garnered a lot of national attention. On top of that he is a tremendous basketball coach, he's our coach and I'm proud to say that he will continue to be our coach for the next seven years."
"I've made it clear over the years that my family and I have loved it here at George Mason," Larranaga said. "I feel very fortunate to work under the great leadership of President Merten and Tom O'Connor. I feel very connected to both the George Mason and the greater Fairfax County communities. We have enjoyed their great support and it continues to grow. I've said before that I hope to retire here at George Mason and this contract extension allows me to do just that."
Posted by Kevin at 4:48 PM | Permalink
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PC renews search for coach
PC athletic director Bob Driscoll just issued a press release. Here's what it says:
"Over the last several days it became public knowledge that we were in discussions with George Mason head coach Jim Larranaga about becoming our men's basketball coach. We offered him a very substantial package but he was too comfortable in his current situation and opted to stay at George mason. As a result, I will continue to have ongoing discussions with the other finalists in this search. I remain very optimistic that we will find a head coach who will embrace the rich tradition of Friar basketball and move the program forward."
Who's next for the Friars? Certainly not clear at this point but they're likely to look at Davidson's Bob McKillop (who won't be interested), Brown's Craig Robinson, UMass' Travis Ford, Arizona's Kevin O'Neill and Ohio U's Tim O'Shea. But this race is now wide open.
-- KEVIN McNAMARA
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Larranaga says no to Providence
Jim Larranaga has decided to remain as coach at George Mason and not accept an offer to come to Providence College, according to PC associate athletic director Arthur Parks. A release from athletic director Bob Driscoll is due at any moment.
Jim Larranaga has decided to remain as coach at George Mason and not accept an offer to come to Providence College.
PC athletic director Bob Driscoll just issued a press release. Here's what it says:
"Over the last several days it became public knowledge that we were in discussions with George Mason head coach Jim Larranaga about becoming our men's basketball coach. We offered him a very substantial package but he was too comfortable in his current situation and opted to stay at George mason. As a result, I will continue to have ongoing discussions with the other finalists in this search. I remain very optimistic that we will find a head coach who will embrace the rich tradition of Friar basketball and move the program forward."
Who's next for the Friars? Certainly not clear at this point but they're likely to look at Davidson's Bob McKillop (who won't be interested), Brown's Craig Robinson, UMass Travis Ford, Arizona's Kevin O'Neill and Ohio U's Tim O'Shea. But this race is now wide open.
It appears that George Mason coach is understandably torn between staying in Virginia and leaving for the basketball coaching job at Providence College. We expect word one way or the other some time today.
Here's a good story from today's Washington Times.
No fresh news today on the PC-Jim Larranaga courtship. But the day isn't over yet.
The George Mason coach is weighing an offer to become the next Providence College hoop boss and it's certainly possible that a decision could come later today or tonight. Larranaga has been in contact with several notable PC people, including high-ranking alumns and his former coach, Dave Gavitt.
At this stage of the process, it's quite normal for both sides to be talking money and length of contract but also for the coach to be asking for things that can help him win: money for staff, charter flights, scheduling control, ect. It is unclear, however, if Larranaga has decided if he's going to take the job.
Now, as this morning's Journal reported, the ball is in his court. We'll see how much longer it takes before he makes his move.
Good news Friar fans. There is movement on the PC coaching front. We'll be posting a story on projo.com in the next few hours.
Speaking from the NCAA hockey tournament in Madison, Wisc., tonight, athletic director Bob Driscoll said he's remained busy with the basketball search. PC could be closing in on their man.
It was a very productive first day of the NCAA Tournament for Providence College fans. Many of the candidates the school could be looking at for its vacant basketball head coach position are now free.
Jim Larranaga, George Mason. Lost. Kevin O'Neill, Arizona. Lost. Jim Christian, Kent State. Lost. Not a bad day.
Larranaga's Mason team was blitzed early by Notre Dame and never made a serious run. O'Neill is Arizona's interim HC but with Lute Olson set to return in 2008-09, it's safe to assume O'Neill will move on to a good job like Providence if he can get it. The Wildcats lost to West Virginia in one of the better games of an uneventful (nay Belmont's near-miss upset of Duke) first day of the tournament.
Kent's Christian was downright embarrassed in a blowout loss to UNLV. The Flashes set a record for offensive ineptness (12 first half points?). Not exactyl a ringing endorsement.
You can add Brown's Craig Robinson to this list. The Bears lost at Ohio on Tuesday and PC athletic director Bob Driscoll can dial over to the East Side anytime now.
Who's still playing? We still hear that Saint Joe's coach Phil Martelli wants to listen to what Providence is all about. His Hawks play Oklahoma tonight. Also, a smart AD will at least talk to Davidson's Bob McKillop, who also plays tonight.
Kevin McNamara chatted with projo.com readers at noon today about college hoops. Here is the transcript of the chat.
Kevin McNamara: Hello hoop fans. We'll be here for about an hour answering your questions on the NCAA tournament, PC, URI and Brown hoops. We don't have many questions in our Q already so fire away and I'll give it my best shot for a return volley.
THL: I don't believe there are very many Friar fans who give a damn about the NCAA Tournament. All we want to know about is the status of Tim Welsh, and who is going to be the coach come next season. I writing this question on last Friday afternoon, so maybe you've got some answers by now to the questions that everybody wants answers to.
Kevin McNamara: Here's what we know about the PC job. Bob Driscoll is clearly focusing on a few coaches who are still working with their current teams. That makes this week a pretty slow one on the search process. He'll certainly do backround checks on some of his top choices. Who are the 3-4 guys he's focusing on? Too early to tell. At this point, he won't contact coaches until their teams are done playing so I wouldn't say anybody is a leader. Some coaches also won't get involved unless they are contacted by PC first. So who is going to be the next PC coach? I don't know and I know Bob Driscoll doesn't either at this point.
james donald: What about the Georgte Maswon Coach
Kevin McNamara: Is this Jimmy Donaldson? If so, come on in here and you do this chat.
b1: Kevin you do a great job. Jim O'Brien has been a popular name in the coaching rumor mill but he hasn't been mentioned so far in the press. Is he at all being considered to be replace Welsh?
Kevin McNamara: If i was doing this search, I'd think about Jim O'Brien and speak with him but it seems as if PC is scared away by his transgressions with the NCAA while at Ohio State.
Bobbyg: While a little early in the procedings, the obvious question is who might be in the mix to replace Timmy W?
Kevin McNamara: These are the guys I'd be talking to, in no particular order: Phil Martelli, Bob McKillop, Jim Larranaga, Craig Robinson, Kevin O'Neill. Other guys who I wouldn't suspect would have an interest who I'd call on include Anthony Grant (VCU), Jeff Van Gundy (likely NBA return) and Sean Miller (Xavier). That's called shooting for the moon.
Red: Kevin: Does the URI administration have any idea how restless the natives are? Not just the few of us on the projo board, but others I talk to are frankly embarassed at the way things went down the dumper. We need change -- what will it take?
Kevin McNamara: You are wasting your breath. First of all, URI is more than happy with a 21-win season and return to NIT for first time in several years. Now the next step is geting to the NCAA's. I think the Rams are positioned to remain in that mix over the next few years. They've recruited well and have talent in every class in their program. Did things fall apart at the end of this season? Of course. But the big picture is a positive. Besdies, there is absolutely no way URI can get out of Jim Baron's contract even if it wanted to. He is owed 5 more years. Barring an unforeseen embarrassment, URI would have to privately raise big $$ for a buyout. That is not on anyone's radar screen, even if a small pocket of fans think it should be.
kurtsletten: Kevin, it seems to me that a coach with a solid recruiting background should be a high priority. Both Rick Barnes and Pete Gillen seemed to be able to pry away blue chippers away from the bigger schools (i.e. Michael Smith, God Shammgod) while Welsh always seemed to be searching for a a diamond in the rough (i.e. Gomes). Your thoughts?
Kevin McNamara: The perfect staff at Providence would include an innovative coach willing to try something different in X's and O's. He'd also be someone who loves recruiting and the challenge of trying to target top 100 players and getting them. More importantly, PC needs a coaching staff filled with recruiters and guys with connections. If someone can be hired and bring a top recruit along `a package deal' all the better. Finally, the staff needs to be good at individual workouts so the players in the program get better once they are here. That's asking a lot and I don't know if a staff with that makeup is even possible but that is my goal if I'm Bob Driscoll.
nelsonstmafia: kevin - 34 at large bids, 26 went to "bcs" schools, leaving just 8 to smaller conferences. what does it say about the a-10 and the level of competition that URI played against this season?
Kevin McNamara: The A-10 made great strides this season to get back into that upper echelon of leagues. Now it has to build on it. Three bids this season, 4 or 5 next year. Repeating its N-C success is clearly paramount because RPI's for all the schools slide once conference play begins..The A-10 will get its share of bids if it is the 7th or 8th conference, staying ahead of the Missouri Valley and Colonial, for example. If it slides back to 10th or 11th, it will struggle to get at-large bids.
kurtsletten: Kevin, any thoughts as to where Welsh ends up next?
Kevin McNamara: I keep hearing from other coaches and plugged=in media types that Tim Welsh could get hired by another school in the next few months. I believe that. The question is would Welsh want to coach at a school like Toledo, which just opened? Good league (MAC) but you have to live in Toledo. That's a question only Tim can answer.
jim: On name I haven't heard menioned is Tommy Amaker at Harvard who has Big East ties. Assuming that PC can't persuade a big name coach to come here, what about a top assistant coach. Maybe a guy like Chris Collins or even Richard Pitino.
Kevin McNamara: Tommy Amaker is not on the radar, and should not be. He's at Harvard for a reason. he didn;t get it done at Michigan. Michigan. PC will not hire an assistant coach. That is suicide in a conference where you coach against Pitino, Boeheim, Calhoun, Huggins, ect.
Bobbyg: I am hopeful that the returning PC team will entice a decent coach into realizing that they are not inheriting a broken program, but one that could (make that "should" with the right coaching) get into the NCAA next year. When I hear Larranaga and O'Brien I think their better days have come and gone. Of course, when you bring the hot young coach in you risk another Pitino or Barnes situation where they are exiting in 2 - 3 years after some quick success. It ain't easy being a small school in a big league. Driscoll has his work cut out for him. But I have faith in Driscol and more in Fr. Shanley.
Kevin McNamara: Right now I think PC would be thrilled with a 3-5 year run by a coach that is good enough to send him on to greener pastures. Winning is what it's all about. if that wasn't the case, Tim Welsh would still be the coach. As for your take that PC should be in the NCAA's nexty season, I doubt they will be selected pre-season in the Big East's top 7.
rhody85: How about Travis Ford, or is he to smart to think he could win on a consistent basis at PC, I do think you can win at PC, just not consistently.
Kevin McNamara: Travis Ford belongs in the South, not in Rhode island. I think he needs to get UMass into the NCAA's before he moves on. He's doing a fine job in Amherst right now.
Eileen: What about Tim O'Shea?
Kevin McNamara: Good coach who's won a lot of games in a difficult league. Someone who is on the radar, for sure.
rhody85: How good is Ben Eaves supposed to be?
Kevin McNamara: I haven't seen Ben play in a while but reports from URI's coaching staff were that he will help right away next season. He needs to shoot the ball well from outside to play a lot of minutes. He'll compete with LUlmer and Delroy james for minutes.
Friar Fan: Kevin- I was shocked when Driscoll said he was going to be a one man search commitee. He said his experience as a hockey coach allows him to make the call. That scare you?
Kevin McNamara: I much prefer the 1-man committee approach to the URI-like Gang of 10. That is unweildly and insulting to candidates, in all honesty. PC is a private school and can run searches anyway it chooses. URI and other public schools are bound to use committees for important hires. I think Bob knows enough people that he wil listen to important ones to get names to explore and then do his homework to investigate and meet ones he really likes. Then they come to PC and meet Fr. Shanley and others. That's how it'll play out. It could take awhile to get to the end.
rhody85: Is Eaves in anyway a Will Daniels substitute? Or is that asking too much?
Kevin McNamara: It's asking too much. Will was a 2-time all-league player. Ben has yet to prove he can play at this level. Just getting him to play 20 minutes a game and score 8-12 points a game would be a good 1st year in my book.
rf1: It seems that the A-10 has a perception problem. Everyone was talking about the league's great OOC season. Yet the league is later crucified because some of its top teams lose to teams in conference. The converse is not true for teams in the Big East. You hear very little when it comes to bubble talk about WV losing to Cinci, Villanova losing to Rutgers, or Syracuse losing to South Fla and Cinci. You instead hear how tough a league like the Big East is. The Big East was the RPI fifth rated league ( the A-10 was the RPI 7th rated league). It is the opposite for the A-10. Why is this? Do you think it is fair?
Kevin McNamara: The numbers don't lie. I think the Big East had six teams in the top 25 or so of the RPI. The A-10 had 1 (Xavier). Huge difference there. When you play so many good teams in conference, you can't damage yourself all that much with a `bad' loss. Not the case in the A-10. I agree with your premise that the A-10 has a perception problem. Dayton, for example, should've really been considered stronger for the NCAA in my eyes. The issue there was a horrid final 12 games. The conference RPI's do not matter. At all. ACC was #1 and it got 4 teams in. Look at individual resumes and then ask yourself, is this team's records better than another. Do that with Dayton and Villanova, for example. It's very, very close but I'm sure the committee members would say Villanova had better wins later in the year. Dayton's wins over Louisville and Pitt were somehow downgraded. I'm not sure why.
rhody85: Any word on Scott Cordischi being picked up by another local radio station to do an afternoon sports talk show, I already miss having a Rhode Island option during tourney time. Find myself trying to get the FAN out of NYC, although you did a great job on EEI yesterday they don't do a good job with college hoops.
Kevin McNamara: Losing The Score is a tragedy for RI hoop fans. A real tragedy. No word this early on local sports radio getting back into Rhode Island and I'd say it is a long shot. The Score's ratings were very low and that led to its demise. In retrospect, talking Pats/red Sox 52 weeks a year and trying to mirror WEEI was a knockout mistake. That may be what `the public' wanted but it didn't help the station very much. I find it hard to believe there isn't a market for a station that does Sox/Pats and PC/URI a little more often. ..I'm with you. hearing defensive line talk in March turns my stomach. I also think its a shame and downright sinful for Citadel to dump the Score as quickly as it did and not give these guys more of a going away package. Radio is an awful business.
Kevin McNamara: Out of questions guys. Fire away. How about the NCAA tourney??
rhody85: Will Billy Baron prep after next year or is he ready for D1 play?
Kevin McNamara: I think Billy Baron should go to prep for the next 2 years. My opinion only.
kurtsletten: Kevin, can you tell us anything about PC's lone recruit for next year, the kid from New Jersey? Is the consensus that he is a Big East type player?
Kevin McNamara: Bilal Dixon enjoyed a very good senior season in New Jersey. He's seen as a typical Tim Welsh recruit: a sleeper. Good news is he owns the type of physical body to perhaps play some right away. He's a little bigger than Jon Kale. We'll see if he's better.
Red: Out of questions? You haven't answered my follow-up yet.
Kevin McNamara: Repeat please, Red.
rhody85: Is there a small station in RI that has sports talk, I thought I heard that. Is Cordischi doing the broadcast of the Brown game tonight?
Kevin McNamara: I do not know of it. If you do, fire it my way. In know that Scott and Russ Tyler are doing the Brown-Ohio game tonight on 790-am. There's a note on that in our paper today.
nelsonstmafia: kevin - do you see any big surprises in the coaching carousel? every year, someone gets fired or leaves a good job for another out of the blue. what do you predict for this year?
Kevin McNamara: There always are Nelson. Like Tubby Smith leaving Kentucky to go to Minnesota a year ago. I think PC would love to get lucky like that. Tough to predict who would be that big domino to fall.
CranstonFriar: Is there a surprise candidate people haven't heard about who might be a candidate for the PC job? and how long can the search go before it impacts recruiting?
Kevin McNamara: I'm sure a name or three will sirface over the next few weeks that you'd call a `surprise.' That's the nature of the beast. As for recruiting, its effected recruiting all year. Big Time. I'll be writing on that in the next few days.
rhody85: I thought there was a small station in Woonsocket that did sports talk for a few hours, although I can't remeber where I heard that. The score should have made a run at the rights to URI after losing PC. I think PC made a mistake on going to EEI.
Kevin McNamara: You're wrong on that one. If PC didn't go to WEEI, it would be up sh&%#'s creek right now. The Score would be gone and they'd be on an oldies station. if this happened last year, PC would have no leverage with its negotiations with WEEI. They snuck in just in time. The URI-WHJJ relationship has been a good one for URI but signal issues are a major problem with stations around Rhode Island.
Red: You said the administration is happy wih 21 wins and a trip to the NIT. Those 21 wins are an ilusion for a numbe of reasons, not the least of which is the 30-game regular season. We were picked to finish at or near the top of our league, but we finished, what, eighth? And who did we beat? Nobody playing in the NCAA. And when we started circling the drain in the last seven-eight weeks, what adjustments were made? He had the best pure shooter in the country and couldn't even get him open. And how many point guards abused us on simple pick-and-rolls? You need at least two hands to count them. And they're satisfied with all this?
Kevin McNamara: Got it, Red. Satisfied, sure. Thrilled? Of course not. I think URI's talent base was exposed in A-10 play. Not enough big men and lack of point guard depth was a real issue. As for defense, that'll be priority numbert one in the off-season. I know this doesn't answer your question but, believe me, there is no `Get Baron' sentiment in Kingston with the people that matter. None.
SU Fan: Kevin you think there will be any kids flunk out from PC with the staff gone? Bye the way word on campus here is Greene is not going to class and is gone for next year.
Kevin McNamara: If you mean Donte Greene, that's too bad. He said after Big East loss that he's back if he's not in top 5. I'll believe that..Too early to guess if PC has any academic issues.
CranstonFriar: How secure is Paul Hewitt at GaTech?
Kevin McNamara: I hear he's secure now. After next year could be another matter. I'd try to talk to him, for sure. I think he'd be an excellent fit at Providence.
rhody85: Ideally both Rhody and PC would have consitent success, do think Rhody in the A10 is set up to have more consistency than Providence in the BE?
Kevin McNamara: Define consistent success? Winning seasons, NIT's, NCAA's?
rhody85: You and PK do a great job, I hope you both get to follow the teams on the road next year.
Kevin McNamara: Plans are a go. Right now anyways. It helps when you avid fans keep reading our stuff. Please keep it up.
rhody85: 4 out of 5 years in either NIT or NCAA's.
Kevin McNamara: I feel that's asking an awful lot for both schools. If I had to answer your question, I'd say it's easier to get to the NIT at URI than PC. It may be easier to get to NCAA at Providence since the Big East gets 6-8 bids every year and th A-10 gets 2-3. But it's very, very hard at both of these schools.
SU Fan: I read where PC's AD said he expects thenm to be in the top 5 or 6 in the conference every year. You know what schools he thinks you guys should be ahead of?
Kevin McNamara: I am not in agreement with that. Just my opinion. I agree with you. PC finishes 7th next year. Name the 9 teams it finishes ahead of?
617rhodyfan: kevin - USC/kansas state, who do you like?
Kevin McNamara: I like So. Cal. To go a long ways. Final Four is possible.
Kevin McNamara: Thanks a lot everyone. Enjoy the tournament. This is the best time of the year for us basketball-crazed fans.
Kevin McNamara will be online from noon to 1 p.m. to take your questions about the NCAA Tournament and other college basketball matters. You can submit your questions now: go to projo.com/chat, click launch chat, pick a display name (you don't need a password) and enter the college hoops chat room. Remember not to press enter or click send until you have completed your thought. Questions will display to the room as Kevin answers them.
Just wanted to pass this note along to Friar fans. It comes from one of our all-time favorites, John Linehan...
Hello Kevin,
This is John Linehan, former PC point guard. I hope you remember me! Just kidding. I just heard the terrible news over here in Paris about Coach Welsh. I am truly upset by his firing. Tim Welsh, from nearly his third or fourth year as head coach, has really been plagued with injuries to key players in the line-up. Just take the season in which I was injured. We had literally one of the worst seasons ever in PC history. The following season, we had one of the best seasons where we tied and set records for number of wins in the Big East, largest margin of victory against a Georgetown team, etc. I am just saying this because I think everyone can agree that if Coach Tim Welsh has a 100% healthy ball club, we would have seen more consistency in style of play which leads to more victories and trips to the NCAA tournament. If given another year, Tim, having gotten Sharaud and the other upper classmen back, could have had a dream season.
I know it’s a situation where I am saying what if, but it just seems to be a little unjust. Ten years ago, we had a really talented and energetic young coach in Tim Welsh who was struck with a bit of bad luck when trying to build a nationally competitive program. I’m sorry I’m venting on you, but I’m just a little sad for my coach.
I hope all is well! Take care and Go Friars!
You never know until kids show up on campus but Bilal Dixon, PC's only recruit for next year, says he still wants to come to the school despite Tim Welsh's firing.
More on the story in Monday's Journal.
We're back from a long afternoon at Providence College where Tim Welsh was relieved of his duties. We'll have three stories in Sunday's Journal on the news.
Here are excerpts from AD Bob Driscoll's press briefing:
“Ultimately as the athletic director I’m responsible for the successes or the failures of my programs and basketball is my primary responsibility,” he said. “I just felt that at this juncture, looking at the body of work and where we need to do, that a change in leadership was necessary. It’s not personal to Tim. It’s part of the business and having been in this business for a long time, you trust your gut instinct in terms of change."
"With change comes great opportunity and renewed energy. That was the reason why I made the decision. The other reason is I have a high expectation for men’s basketball here at Providence College. This perception that we can never be successful or that we’re happy with just getting to the Big East (Tournament), well that goes against every bit of my core being. My goal is to win the Big East championship. Will we get there? Time will tell. But there’s no reason we can’t finish in the upper half of that league and if you do that on a consistent basis, you’ll get to the (NCAA) Tournament.
“I can look at Georgetown and at Marquette, particularly Georgetown four or five years ago, and they were nowhere near in the mix. Those schools have been able to do it. If you look at the leadership here and the facilities we’ve built, with what’s happening downtown at the new Dunk, the money we’re raising, there’s no question in my mind that we can get there. Now we have to prove that we can get there but that’s the reason I made this decision, because of the expectations that we have.”
"A number of the people that we’ll hopefully start looking at are in the Tournament,” he said. “Out of respect for them, we’re not going to start those conversations (yet). But there’s ways to find out whether people are interested without messing that whole system up for them.”
“I’d like to do it as quickly as I can but I don’t want to put a strict time line on it because if there are people I want to talk to who are continuing on, obviously I can’t do that. In an ideal world you’d want someone on board by the conclusion of the Final Four but I don’t know. I want to take as much time as necessary to do the best job I can to get the right person. It’s fluid.”
Here is PC's official release on the firing of Tim Welsh....
WELSH WILL NOT RETURN AS PROVIDENCE COLLEGE MEN’S BASKETBALL COACH
PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Providence College Athletic Director Bob Driscoll announced today (March 15) that men’s basketball Head Coach Tim Welsh will not return to coach the Friars in 2008-09. Driscoll met with Welsh today to discuss the situation.
“I appreciate all the hard work and dedication that Tim has put into this program over the last 10 years,” Driscoll said. “He represented the College with dignity and class. However, I felt that it was in the best interest of the program and Providence College to make a change in leadership.”
His 2007-08 Friar squad registered a 15-16 record and a 6-12 mark in the BIG EAST. The Friars finished 12th of 16 teams in the BIG EAST this season. The Friars’ season ended on Wednesday when they were defeated by West Virginia, 58-53, in the First Round of the BIG EAST Tournament.
Welsh was named the 13th head coach of Friar men’s basketball team on April 2, 1998. In his 10 seasons as a head coach at Providence, he led the team to a 160-143 mark (.528) and a 72-92 record (.439) in BIG EAST regular-season play. In five of his 10 seasons the Friars qualified for post-season action. Providence was selected to participate in the NCAA Tournament in 2001 and 2004. The team also played in the NIT in 1999, 2003 and 2007.
Driscoll plans to begin a search immediately for a new head coach.
“This is a very important decision and I will work diligently to find someone who will lead our men’s basketball program and guide our student-athletes,” Driscoll said. “Providence College has a rich tradition in men’s basketball. I have very high standards for the program and I expect that we will find the best person to move the program forward.”
Tim Welsh Coaching Record at Providence College
AT PC: 10 years 160-143 .528; Big East: 72-92 (.439)
Providence College will have a new basketball coach next season.
The school is set to announce that it has fired Tim Welsh with one year left on his contract. More details to come. An official announcement is expectred at any moment.
PC has lost its Big East Tournament game to West Virginia, 58-53. PC finishes its season 15-16.
The Friars had poor offensive execution down the stretch with turnovers and missed shots at the rim. Joe Alexander led WVU with 22 points. Weyinmi Efejuku led the Friars with 12 points.
West Virginia is digging in a bit tougher on defense and is now in the lead at the 10:39 mark. A truly shocking sight just unfolded. Greedy Peterson, one of the best dunkers on this earth, just flubbed a wide open look. Maybe the ball came out of his hand too quickly. Not sure.
But it's another example of PC not capitalizing on easy scoring chances. That has to stop, and the Friars' D needs to stay strong. Joe Alexander (16 points) is getting too many wide open looks.
The Friars just watched Joe Mazzulla drive and kick to an open Joe Alexander who nailed a 3-pointer at the buzzer to tie the game, 28-28.
The shot deflates a PC team that should be up by several points at this point. PC has played tough defense and done a good job on the boards but West Virginia rebounded from a 26-17 deficit and closed the half with a 11-2 run. Joe Alexander is playing like a pro, hitting shots inside and out. He has 10 points.
PC's offense let a load of easy chances slip through the fingers. The Friars didn;t convert on several fastbreaks, either with missed layups or turnovers. PC has gotten a lot of energy and a lift from its bench with Greedy Peterson and Chuck Burch.
The Friars are playing gritty defense and lead, 26-21, with 3:52 to play. PC is scrambling for loose balls and doing a good job at limiting WVU to one shot. If PC could make some layups in traffic (Greedy, Randall Hanke), they'd be up double digits.
The crowd isn't exactly into this one. The Syracuse fans are in shock knowing they have to head back to the Tundra later today.
The Friars are here in Madison Sqaure Garden, getting ready to play West Virginia in the first round of the Big East tourney. A few weeks ago, this did not seem possible.
PC won two games down the stretch that the rest of the league didn't expect and that punched the team's ticket to New York.
A lot going on here, needless to say. Villanova just beat Syracuse, 82-63. The Orange led big early but couldn't stop Nova's shooting. They canned 11 threes, 8-of-10 in the second half when they exploded for 55 points. The win moves Nova a step closer to an NCAA bid. Syracuse, however, may just end up at home for the second straight season. If that doesn't tell fans just how hard it is to make the NCAA Tournament, nothing will.
There is nothing like the scene here at MSG. Fans from all over the league get into the games but a large majority sit, watch and judge. Fans of the teams playing certainly make plenty of noise when their players do something snazzy. PC has its share of fans here, as does West Virginia, but nothing like the contingents from Villanova and Syracuse.
The Friars are finishing their warmups. No referees around so Greedy Peterson is doing a few windmill jams. Nice touch.
The Friars are more aggressive on offense than they were down in Morgantown and its helped. They lead, 16-13. Just put together a 10-2 run.
Geoff McDermott's ballhandling and passing have sparked the early play. Shockingly, Tim Welsh's first sub was Greedy Peterson. We haven't seen him in a game in about 3 weeks.
In the first game of today's Big East Tournament quadruple header, the Villanova Wildcats outscored the Syracuse Orange by 20 points in the second half to win, 82-63. Scottie Reynolds led Villanova with 22 points. Click here to see the box score. Up next, it's Providence vs. West Virginia.
Multimedia: Kevin McNamara previews PC-West Virginia
Click the play button below to see and hear the show, as Kevin McNamara previews the Friars' Big East Tournament game this afternoon against the Mountaineers.
URI's the lower seed, they just lost to Charlotte on Saturday night, and they closed out their season by losing seven of their last nine games. Yet URI is a one-point favorite in tonight's rematch with the 49ers. Projo.com readers so far don't agree with the Vegas oddsmakers; we've been asking for people to predict whether either URI or PC will win a first-round conference tournament game, and the fans aren't giving either team much of a chance, so far.
With 152 votes in, 62 people (41 percent) are predicting a URI victory, 48 (32 percent) are predicting a PC victory, and 53 people (35 percent) are picking both teams to lose. Just 16 voters (11 percent) say both local teams will win today.
Kevin McNamara: Hello everyone. Obviously one of the busiest times of the year for college hoop mavens. I'm headed to NYCity later today to get ready for tomorrow's PC-West Virginia game. I'm packing right now. Should I go light or heavy?
Kevin McNamara: Please forward your questions. I have about 15 in the Q right now. I will not answer the PC coaching situation over and over and over. I will take questions on URI and Brown as well as NCAA tourney questions. We'll go for about an hour.
BedfordPenthouse: What does Tim Welsh have to do at this point to get an extention going into next year?
Kevin McNamara: Here goes with the Tim Welsh category. The PC coach is obviously on very shaky ground right now. You can debate whether that is fair or not but it is fact. No decision has been made on whether his contract is extend or not. I know this as fact. Can he save himself at this point? That's debatable but he can make it interesting with, say 2 wins this week. Getting to Big East semis with team would be a major achievement....As to new coaching names, let's just say that I've done my share of research. Most of the names fans are tossing about have NO interest in coming to Providence. They either can get better jobs, have a better job or don;t like the chances to win here. I do think that if TW were to get fired, the Friars can find a good coach and won;t have to pay $800K-plus. I think Bob Driscoll will aim high and see if he can get a proven winner. If that doesn't happen, he'll have to get creative and think broadly. That is risky but if Welsh isn't the coach next year, there are no guarantees that the next coach is `better' than he is. If this reads like I am not going to discuss Larranaga, O'Brien, Christian, Van Gundy, ect. you are correct.
BedfordPenthouse: The two names that people have been throwing around to become the next Friars coach have been Jim Larranaga and Jim O'Brien. Of the two, who is better for this job?
Kevin McNamara: Ditto.
THL: Have you heard anything new regarding a coaching change at PC?
Kevin McNamara: Ditto.
pcfan: Hello, Kevin: Should PC be eliminated tomorrow, and the season officially end, do you have any sense of a timeframe for when (or if) PC will replace Welsh? Is it likely that he will "resign" or do you think PC will fire him? Thank You.
Kevin McNamara: As for timing, if PC goes down tomorrow, I would think early to middle next week they have an annoucement on whether the coach is in contract negotiations or moving on.
FriarFan: When will PC make a coaching announcement? What do anticipate regarding their decesion? Thanks.
Kevin McNamara: See above.
BedfordPenthouse: Will Greedy Peterson be in a Friars uniform next season?
Kevin McNamara: I think Greedy has the potential to be a good Big East player. He is undersized, however, and needs to learn how to play without the basketball on offense. That's been his issue late in this season. Tim Welsh would love to have Greedy back. if he's not the coach, you'd have to ask the new guy.
BedfordPenthouse: While his brother will most likely go to UCONN, what are the chances that Majok Majok ends up with the Friars?
Kevin McNamara: All recruiting is up in the air at Providence. That's been the main problem with the decision to let this season be a `referendum' on Tim Welsh. No way anyone would commit to PC in this scenario. The staff has worked the junior class but fallen behind other competitors. Majok Majok is just a name. PC doesn't `lead' for him, in any way shape or form.
matt: kevin ,next year coach baron will give us the excuse that when you lose seniors like Will Daniels and Parfait Bitee that it is tough to replace them. Knowing that will be his excuse next year - what possibly could his excuse be for the collapse we witnessed this year? I think he needs to take responsibility for this. 2007-2008 was supposed to be THE YEAR. Not qualifying for any tournament is totally unacceptable. I hope Thorr Bjorn recognizes this.
Kevin McNamara: I am as surprised as anyone that the Rams have faded here in February-March. I hope they can win a game in Atlantic City and find their way into the NIT or CBI but it will be tough, as Paul Kenyon's article in today's Journal correctly points out. What is the `excuse?' It's lack of defense. Why is this? URI patterned its game after the run-and-gun NBA teams and when its offense was roaring, the Rams were very good. When the O stalls a bit, the defense isn't there to back things up. Losing WDaniels, PBitee and Joe Mbang is very big for this team. URI fans are learning how tough it is to get to the NCAA's.
Ben: Hi, Kevin. URI basketball has seen yet another embarrassing, horrific collapse under Jim Baron. While this guy seems like a nice man who appears to run a clean & honest program, I (and other URI fans) feel that he is not a good coach and has worn out his welcome as coach of the Rams. His teams ALWAYS finish worse than they started. He has never won an NCAA tournament game & has only been there twice in well over 2 decades as a head coach. In fact, neither of those trips were with URI. His offensive strategies are incredibly simple, predictable, and easy to defend once you see what they're doing. This man is not capable of better than getting to the occasional NIT. Do you think that URI would make a coaching change if the state's financial situation were better an
