Bilal Dixon has been around the block. He’s been around the block so many times, that he’s lost almost 40 pounds since arriving at Towson. Plus, he’s a senior. I don’t know about you, but sounds like he is perfectly qualified to be a leader based on those two facts. What say you, Friartown?
H/T @MattLebeau_15
All the notable news, links, pictures, and video in and around Friartown and college basketball all in one digestible, tasty place.
NBA Prospects: Scouting Report: Ricky Ledo
New phrases of terror for Friar fans, “Ricky Ledo” and “NBA Prospects”.
The thing about his efficiency is the kind of shots he takes. He is a high volume shooter who can get up shots from anywhere. When he you can shoot from anywhere, you tend to end up taking some bad shots. Ledo needs to be careful and make sure he doesn’t end up taking a lot of low percentage long 2-pt shots. He also needs to finish better at the rim. As I said, Ledo does a great job penetrating the lane, but blows too many lay-ups. Lack of concentration could be one of the culprits, as he is creative around the rim and gets a lot of hangtime. Ledo isn’t a top level explosive athlete around the rim, but he can be on the receiving end of impressive dunks. He also can finish with both hands. His struggle to finish may also have to involve him trying to be too “cute” at the rim instead of going for the easy finish.
On the flip side, this is awesome. Let’s hope he’s not parlaying these workouts into any overseas gigs.
Speaking of Ledo, this guy Ryan Feldman (who used to run The Hoops Report but know works at ESPN) tweeted to me on Friday that he spoke to Kris Dunn’s father. Papa Dunn apparently said he thinks Ledo will go overseas this year so he can get drafted. Not good.
After Jeff Goodman tweeted that Gerard Coleman would likely be transferring along with Ron Giplaye and Bilal Dixon, GoLocalProv.com published a story with some quotes from Ed Cooley on the whole situation. While Bilal Dixon is definitely not coming back next year, he’s not quite sure where all this talk about Coleman and Giplaye are coming from.
Reached by phone Wednesday night, Friars head coach Ed Cooley said, “the report out there is not true as far as I’m concerned.”
“I just met with the guys on the team yesterday and none of this (transferring) was discussed with Ron or Gerard. I don’t know where that report came from but it didn’t come from me,” he said. “Maybe it’s players talking or something like that, but those guys have said nothing to me about leaving.”
Cooley said that he was going to call Goodman after he got off the phone with me to talk to him about the report. Many Friar fans wonder who Goodman’s “source” may be on Coleman. One person close to the program wondered if it was former Friar assistant coach Chris Driscoll who came to PC from the BABC to join Keno Davis’ staff. When Cooley was hired, Driscoll was not retained. Some suggest that the recent defections of BABC players may be somehow related to Driscoll or wonder if he is advising any of these players. Goodman lives in the Boston area so Driscoll may very well be that “source” he is referring to.
Definitely sounds like some BABC involvement (Coleman and Giplaye both played there), and maybe the players just haven’t told Cooley yet? I don’t know, but sounds like nothing is final yet.
Wright is Wrong. That was my calling card for the Villanova coach last season when the Friars blew his Wildcats off the floor last season at the Dunk by a final of 83-68. Since my girlfriend transferred from Villanova to Providence, the Friars are undefeated against the Wildcats, weird how that one works huh. As Cooley and Co. travel to Philly this year, the two will be playing for bragging rights, to settle who will be at the bottom of the Big East standings at the end of the night.
To say that Villanova has been disappointing this season is an understatement. They go as Maalik Wayns does. The junior guard from Philly is averaging almost 34 minutes and 18.4 points per contest. After back-to-back wins against Seton Hall and St. John’s, they have lost three straight coming into their matchup with the Friars.
WHAT TO: KNOW
Tip Off: 8:00PM EST
Opponent: Villanova (10-13, 3-8)
Location: Villanova Pavilion
Spread: Villanova -8.5
CBSSports Daily Picks: VU 77- PC 75
Four Factors:
The Providence Friars were able to get their 2nd BIG EAST win of the season by defeating Rutgers at the Dunk 78-67.
Bilal Dixon scored a season-high 18 points, and Vincent Council had 11 points and 14 assists to lead Providence to a 78-67 victory over Rutgers on Wednesday night.Rutgers (12-11, 4-6) whittled the deficit to 64-60 with 2:38 remaining after switching to a full-court press midway through the second half, but the Scarlet Knights didn’t get any closer the rest of the way.Cotton hit two 3-pointers in 20 seconds, both on assists from Council, to give the Friars (13-10, 2-8) a 70-60 lead with 1:51 remaining. Cotton finished with 17 points.
Wait a minute, Bilal Dixon 18 points? Yeah that’s right. Dixon played perhaps his best game ever in a Friars uniform, really giving the team a presence in the paint on both ends of the floor. “A man amongst boys” according to Rutgers head coach Mike Rice.
I dig the high socks - (Photo by PC Athletics)
After Rutgers head coach Mike Rice talked, Ed Cooley was joined by the double-double boys Bilal Dixon and Vincent Council following PC’s 78-67 victory.
The Providence folks join about 8 minutes into the video below.
The rumor and news front is getting pretty crazy on this Friday in Friartown. John Feinstein appeared on The Sports Junkies (106.7 the Fan in DC) this morning and mentioned that Towson (led by head coach Pat Skerry) was expecting two transfers next year from Providence. One has been confirmed as Bilal Dixon.
Dixon is graduating this year (he was a redshirt his freshman year), so he will not have to sit out and will play right away for Pat Skerry.
Ron Giplaye (who was recruited by Pat Skerry when he was an assistant at Providence) seems like the most likely candidate for the other transfer, but nothing is confirmed yet.
With the two transfers, Ed Cooley will have the open spots that were expected to officially land some 2012 bigs. Buckle up Friartown.
UPDATE: Here is the clip from the Sports Junkies with John Feinstein
Whether it is freshly squeezed by Coach Cooley or right out of Jim Boeheim’s basket, an orange taste no different.
The Orange that Coach Cooley will become shortly accustomed to over the next couple years before they squeeze their way out of the Big East and into the ACC is a team that never changes its identity.
Jimmy Boeheim’s famous 2-3 zone has given everyone trouble from the “Monstar’s Goon Squad” to Jordan’s ’95-’96 Bulls team that went 70-12.
The last time these two faced off, the Friars got within six points with around the 5 minute mark before the Orange pulled away.
Ed Cooley went six deep that night at the Dunk but one would think he would have to look further down his bench this time around in order to hang with the ‘Cuse at the Dome.
Ed Cooley does not believe in spackling.
He does not believe in base coats, but does love seeing his players in overcoats before games. Coach Cooley wants his bigs to wear down the paint that has killed the Friars over the past few seasons. He wants coat after coat of solid paint play from his bigs.
A lot has been said thus far of the no nonsense attitude and persona that Cooley has instilled at Providence. He has said time and time again that he needs each player to buy into his system. One player that hasn’t seemed to find the funds necessary to buy into the Cooley way has been Bilal Dixon.
Bilal is only averaging 13.5 minutes per game in his third season for the Friars, he averaged 19.9 last season and 24.6 the year before that. Dixon only played 18 minutes combined in the Friars first two conference games, St. John’s and Georgetown, and did not get off the pine against top ranked Syracuse.
Entering their fourth game of the early Big East season, the Friars were about to face Seton Hall and arguably one of the premier bigs in the league in Herb Pope. Whether it was something he showed in practice between games or something he asked Cooley to let him prove, Bilal played 21 key minutes for the Friars as they battled tooth and nail with the Hall. Dixon was 4-4 from the field with 6 blocks and 4 boards. He showed that tenacity and fire he has shown in his first few years wearing that Providence uniform.
The first semester of games are over, so it’s time to take a look at all the individual performances that lead to the Friars 9-2 out of conference record. Each member of Friarblog reached into their notebooks and compiled grades for the official first semester report cards. No matter what the grades ended up being, at least we now look damn good with the tweed patches on our leather jackets . Or is it the other way around?
Here is a snapshot of the full player report card. Read on below for the full detailed reports from each professor.
| - |  @friarblog |
 @FriarFrenzy |
 @TheWarriorFriar |
| Vincent Council | A+ | A | A |
| Gerard Coleman | A | A- | A- |
| Bryce Cotton | B+ | A- | B+ |
| LaDontae Henton | A | A | A |
| Bilal Dixon | D | D | D |
| Ron Giplaye | C- | C | C+ |
| Brice Kofane | C+ | C+ | C |
| Lee Goldsbrough | C- | D+ | B- |
| Chris Carter | A+ | A+ | - |
| Kadeem Batts | I | I | I |
| Kiwi Gardner | W/D | W/D | W/D |
