Welcome to another Friarblog Pregame Buffet, a new feature I hope to make regular on this site. This buffet comes with all-you-can-eat videos, audio, images, lists, and everything else you need to have a good time.
Like most buffets this is short on words, but long on content. Read/listen/watch on to get everything you need to fill up on before the UConn game at the Dunk tonight at 7:00!
All the notable news, links, pictures, and video in and around Friartown and college basketball all in one digestible, tasty place
Friars.com
A Jersey Guy: Big East ready to respond
So is this the Old Big East, or our basketball Big East? Can we use OBE and BBBE?
According to sources in the Big East, Arseco and company are planning on exploring the following moves.
1. Sell the name “”Big East”” to the basketball schools after getting some assurances from the NCAA that the cost of losing the Big East name will not cost them too much in the lucrative NCAA basketball tournament. If the name is sold to the new Big East, the old Big East will petition the NCAA to get a 32nd guaranteed spot for its champion.
Aresco’s contention is that a basketball league with Connecticut, Cincinnati, Memphis and Temple has a decent foundation to build.
2. Give East Carolina full membership (the original deal was football only) which would give the new league an Eastern group of Cincinnati, UConn, South Florida, Temple, East Carolina, Central Florida, Tulane and in 2015 Navy.
College Basketball Talk: Cooley: “We’re excited” about move away from Big East
BUT WE ARE GOING TO BE THE BIG EAST
The Big East was changing every single day. There were nontraditional schools being invited and I’m pretty sure it just wasn’t in the best interests of them all. But we’re excited. We’re real excited about the direction. I don’t know what’s going to happen from here, I just know it’s going in a different direction. And Providence College has solidified itself as far as what we’re doing to be a powerful player in whatever league we’re going to be in.”
Here is the next installment of Jamie Boyer’s series on Friars signee Brandon Austin that is chronicling his senior year of high school at Imhotep Charter in Philadelphia.
Friar signee Brandon Austin’s senior season kicked off this weekend, and the Philadelphia guard showed exactly why he was such a highly sought after recruit. His No. 4 ranked Imhotep Charter team went 2-0, crushing Sankofa Freedom 96-60 on Friday night and edging St. Joseph’s Prep this evening 61-56 in the Kyle Lowry FamJuice Tip-Off.
In the opening game, Austin scored 19 points to tie for the team high. However, Austin really stepped up today against the tougher St. Joe’s Prep team that is ranked right behind Imhotep at No. 5 in Pennsylvania. He scored 25 points, grabbed 3 rebounds, and had 4 steals.
“I wanted to make a point, prove that I’m one of the best players in the city and the country,” Austin said, clutching his game MVP trophy close to his chest. “Miles is a great player, but I made a point to chase him all over around the three-point line, not let him get easy looks.”
Here are some tweets from recruiting analysts in attendance of the tournament.
Austin spoke to Philahoops High after the game:
All the notable news, links, pictures, and video in and around Friartown and college basketball all in one digestible, tasty place
Well done, students.
Next year the PC / URI clash at the Ryan Center is going to be a national story. Great, now the whole country will see the Friars beat the Rams for the 4th time in a row!
Bryce Cotton quote via Woonsocket Call
“Coach, I’ll give whatever I can today. We’ve got to try and get us a win to get to the finish line”
I LOVE ICE COTTON
Game Recaps: ESPN (AP), Friars.com, GoLocalProv, Sun Chronicle, Pawtucket Times, Friar Basketball, Rhody Rampage
Kris Dunn is officially scheduled to play on December 18th according to his father. I CAN’T WAIT UNTIL THE COLGATE GAME. That has to be the first time anyone has uttered those words.
Check out this video by Jaime Boyer featuring Friar signee Brandon Austin in his preparation for his upcoming senior season. Yeah, I noticed the UConn shorts in the beginning too. Can’t we send him some Friar shorts or is that an NCAA violation?
All the notable news, links, pictures, and video in and around Friartown and college basketball all in one digestible, tasty place
I don’t have a hamstring injury, but can I get this treatment? Looks rather comfy.
The early signing period is coming to a close tomorrow, so Brandon Austin wasted no time making it official by signing his National Letter of Intent. Do these kids still really fax in their letters? They must have to go find a Kinko’s or something, because who has a fax machine?
“Brandon Austin is a tremendous athlete and we are excited that he is going to be a Friar. He has been part of winning programs and knows what it takes to have success. Those qualities are important to us as we build Providence College basketball. He will be a key part of our success.” – Ed Cooley
YouTube: Providence College Men’s Basketball Participates in The Program
Wonder why the Friars have been so tough and resilient this year?
2013 recruit Brandon Austin announced he will be attending Providence College per his Twitter account tonight. He picked the Friars over UConn and Texas.
ESPN has the 6-6 point forward ranked #71 in the class of 2013.
Ed Cooley has made Austin a top priority over the last couple of months, and was able to give him something other schools were maybe not willing to — time at the point guard position. With Council graduating this year, Kris Dunn was the only true point guard set to be on the roster (although Bryce Cotton is growing tremendously here). Austin brings not only that skill, but even more length and talent overall. This is truly a monster get for the staff.
Here is the timeline of events that led the talented young man from Philadelphia to Friartown:
9/8/12: Took unofficial visit to Providence
9/10/12: Providence no longer involved (per ZagsBlog)
10/2/12: Providence becomes a serious contender again after a possible in-home visit from Cooley goes very well.
10/12/12: Attended Late Night Madness
What a day for Friartown after all of the doom and gloom with conference realignment. Crumbling BIG EAST? WHO CARES. As of right now, Ed Cooley has all 13 scholarships for next year accounted for. Check out this roster:
2013-2014 Projected Roster
Kris Dunn
Ricardo Ledo
Brandon Austin
Bryce Cotton
Josh Fortune
Kadeem Batts
LaDontae Henton
Carson Desrosiers
Tyler Harris
Sidiki Johnson
Rodney Bullock
Lee Goldsbrough
Brice Kofane
If everyone stays healthy and gets to campus, Ed Cooley will have the exact opposite problem that he has today. The talent will simply be one of the longest, deepest rosters that PC has ever seen.
Former Penn State commit Brandon Austin will decide tonight between Providence, Texas and UConn.
“Providence, Coach [Ed] Cooley. Him and Coach Cooley have developed a rpetty good relationship. Just as far as how he thinks he can help him and help him develop, Brandon is very receptive to it. People have tried to negative recruit by saying they have Kris Dunn and Ricky Ledo. If they have those three [next year], they will be pretty good.”
According to Adam Zagoria, 2013 wing Brandon Austin could decide between Providence, UConn, and Texas sometime this week.
ZagsBlog: Brandon Austin Close to Deciding
“Providence, Coach [Ed] Cooley. Him and Coach Cooley have developed a rpetty good relationship. Just as far as how he thinks he can help him and help him develop, Brandon is very receptive to it. People have tried to negative recruit by saying they have Kris Dunn and Ricky Ledo. If they have those three, they will be pretty good.”
Austin is 6-6 and ranked #71 in the class by ESPN, and #73 by Rivals. Ed Cooley is able to sell immediate time at the point guard position for him, giving the Friars a possible leg up.
Assuming the roster and commits all hold, Ed Cooley has one remaining scholarship for next season. Adding Brandon Austin would create an incredibly deep, long, and talented group for the 2013-2014 season.
