Congrats to Vincent Council, who made the BIG EAST All Rookie team!

All-BIG EAST Men’s Basketball Teams Announced

BIG EAST ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
Lance Stephenson, Cincinnati, G, Fr., 6-5, 210, Brooklyn, N.Y. *
Alex Oriakhi, Connecticut, F/C, Fr., 6-9, 240, Lowell, Mass.
Vincent Council, Providence, G, Fr., 6-2, 180, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Dane Miller, Rutgers, F, Fr., 6-7, 210, Henrietta, N.Y. *
Brandon Triche, Syracuse, G, Fr., 6-4, 198, Jamesville, N.Y.
Maalik Wayns, Villanova, G, Fr., 6-1, 185, Philadelphia, Pa.

After more than a full day of wondering what the heck happened to Vincent Council (come on old media!), we finally have an official story on the matter.

PC’s Vincent Council questionable for `Cuse game

Friar coach Keno Davis just said that Council fell driving to the hoop late in a practice on Saturday

There have been rumors on some PC fan message boards that Council hurt his hand in an off-the-court scuffle Saturday night. Asked to comment on those rumors, Davis said “I don’t spend my time reading those very often. There is no truth to that.”

No details have emerged on how this occurred, but according to his Facebook status, Vincent Council hurt his hand somehow and is getting an x-ray today.

Not good at all.  Even if X-Rays are negative, you think he would most likely miss the Syracuse game on Tuesday and who knows what else.  More details to come hopefully.

UPDATE: He is in a soft case right now.  It may be broken or a just really bad strain, but he will have an MRI tomorrow.

H/T TTAPCBBall

Early in the second half against Marquette, Vincent Council tried going coast to coast for a quick layup after a Golden Eagles basket.  Council would have had an easy hoop, if not for getting the ball absolutely stuffed back by Friar killer and senior forward Lazar Hayward.  Check out the nasty block below.

Ouch.

Figured this was coming after VC’s 24 point performance yesterday against Marquette.  It’s really great to see Council finally get some recognition for how he has played this year.

Reynolds, Council Earn Men’s Basketball Weekly Honors

Council was tabbed as BIG EAST Rookie of the Week after he averaged 14.5 points and 4.0 assists in two games as Providence split a pair of BIG EAST road dates. He scored five points with four assists in a 79-62 win at DePaul and had a career-high 24 points with four assists in a 93-63 loss at Marquette. Council is averaging 8.6 points and 3.7 assists for the Friars.

Vincent Council joins Greedy Peterson and Sharaud Curry as Friars who have made BIG EAST honors this year (they both made the regular Honor Roll).  Let’s hope this is the first of many for our young PG!

I can’t remember off the top of my head who they usually have on the game notes page, or if they just rotate all of the players every game, but I thought this was interesting for the Brown pre-game.  Are we already at the stage “Vincent Council and the Friars”?

Friars nab Patterson guard Vincent Council

ESPN.com Recruiting Coordinator Antonio Williams on Council.

“Vincent has good quickness and effectively combines his jets with the ability to change speeds, keeping defenders off balance while easily getting to the paint,” Williams said. “Once at the rim, he knows how to finish in traffic by adjusting in the air with his good body control.”

Williams expects Council’s speed to be a factor on Friar fastbreaks.

“His quickness makes him a very good fit for up-tempo offensive attacks and he shows solid decision making while running the break,” he said. “Council also has the right temperament for the point guard spot, knowing when to get his teammates involved and when to look for his own shot.

”He also does a very good job of playing pressure defense, a trait that coaches look for in lead guards,” continued Williams.

Council needs to improve his shooting as he prepares for the next level.

“He will have to improve his perimeter shooting as well as work out the hitch that negatively affects his jumper at times,” Williams offered.

Vincent should see action right away for head coach Keno Davis.

Keno Davis landed another good point guard recruit for next season, as Vincent Council gave his verbal commitment to Providence College on Tuesday.

Vincent Council, the 6-2 175 lb point guard, graduated from Lincoln High School in Brooklyn (Stephan Marbury and Sebastian Telfair) last year, but failed to meet the NCAA Clearinghouse eligibility requirements by being one class short.  He is now doing a prep year at Patterson School in North Carolina — the team is currently ranked #1 in the National Prep Poll.

From ZagsBlog:

“I feel comfortable there,” Council said via email.

The 6-foot-2 Council, a New York native playing at The Patterson (NC)
School, chose Providence over Rutgers, UCF and Arkansas.

“I just think he’ll bring experience,”  said Patterson coach Chris Chaney, whose team is ranked No. 1 in the National Prep Poll. “I think he’s one of Keno Davis’ kind of guys. I think he’s a really great fit. He has a great basketball IQ, and he’s a winner type of player. Davis and (Pat) Scurry did a great job recruiting him.”

Council is averaging 12 point sand 10 assists for Patterson, 20-0 on the season. Providence brings in a handful of freshmen next season and Council should compete for the starting point guard spot, although the Friars believe he can play multiple positions.

“He’s one of those guys that surprised everybody early and has just gotten better and better,”  Chaney said. “ I have seen a lot of basketball this year and I havent seen a lot of better point guards than him.”

From Kevin McNamara on the Projo Hoops blog

The Providence Friars have hit the recruiting jackpot for the sixth time this season.

The PC six-player class will be the core of Davis’ program for the next several years. While none of the group is regarded as a must-have recruit on the Big East level, the coaching staff is hoping that with work and seasoning several of the players will mature into high-level talents.

Council will join incoming recruit Johnny Lacy at the point guard position for the 2009 Providence Friars.

Here are some thoughts about Council around web:

Rivals.com Profile

ESPN Profile

Evaluation

2007: Council is a definite Division I point guard prospect. He has a great frame as well as the necessary speed and quickness to exceed at the next level. Most importantly, however, is his overall feel for the game. He sets up his teammates with accurate passes that lead to many scoring opportunities. In addition, he uses his body very well to get shots off against taller players.

Scouts Grade: 90

ZagsBlog Recruiting Update

“[Council] has a very high basketball IQ,” Chaney said. “He really knows how to play. He’s a tough kid. He makes he right plays during the game. He’s one of those guys you can count on. He’s a quarterback who makes the right plays.”

Vincent Council breaks down early impressions of prep school

Now, the bouncy 6-1 guard is a few hundred miles south of “Born Ready’s” shadow, and he’s making his own name with a top national program. Elite college coaches regularly visit preseason Bulldog practices, scanning for talent, and Council made an impression last Friday, dunking over a long-armed teammate on a fast break.

Meyer’s Mailbag

Who are the five (or so) best under-the-radar prospects left unsigned in the nation – players who have not garnered a lot of attention thus far (no 4 or 5 stars) but you feel will be good at the next level?

2. Vincent Council: The Patterson (N.C.) School point guard does everything well except shoot the ball with range.