Friars To Host No. 4/5 UConn On Wednesday: The Friars will play No. 4/5 UConn on Wednesday, January 4 at 8:30 p.m. on FS1. It will mark the first time the Huskies have played at Amica Mutual Pavilion since January 31, 2013 when UConn earned an 82-79 win in overtime. Providence holds a 30-45 mark all-time versus Connecticut. The Friars have posted a 15-17 mark all-time versus UConn in Providence, a 12-25 record versus the Huskies at UConn and a 3-3 mark on neutral courts. The Huskies are one of the Friars’ oldest New England rivals with the first match up on January 21, 1928 when UConn won, 29-21, in Storrs. In the last matchup in Providence, the Friars earned a 70-59 win on February 10, 2021 at Alumni Hall on the PC Campus. In the only meeting last season, the Friars earned a 57-53 win in Hartford on December 18, 2021.
Friar Tid Bits:
*The Friars are playing their second BIG EAST home game of the season on Wednesday.
*PC and UConn have not played at the AMP since January 31, 2013 when UConn earned an 82-79 win in OT.
*The Friars have started BIG EAST play 4-0 for the first time ever.
*No. 4/5 UConn is the highest ranked opponent to play at the AMP since PC defeated No. 3/2 Nova on 2/14/18.
*The Friars are 4-1 in road games this season (loss at TCU, wins at Rhode Island, Seton Hall, Butler and DePaul).
*The Friars are 8-0 at home this season, 29-1 in their last 30 games at the AMP and 611-236 (.721) all-time.
*PC is first in the BIG EAST in rebounding margin (+10.0) and blocked shots (5.1) per game.
*Devin Carter was named BIG EAST Honor Roll on Jan. 2.
*Bryce Hopkins leads the team in scoring (15.7) and rebounding (9.5).
*The Friars finished December with a 6-0 mark for the second consecutive season.
*Bryce Hopkins scored 24 points at Seton Hall on 12/17- the most ever by a Friar in his BIG EAST debut.
*PC has posted a 128-274 (.318) mark all-time versus top-25 teams, including a 1-0 mark this season.
*PC has registered two games with 100 + points this season for the first time since the 2009-10 season.
*PC was 20-20 from the free-throw line vs. St. Louis (2/20/22), which was second best all-time for PC.
*PC is 71-29 (.710) under Ed Cooley in games decided by FIVE points or less since the 2013-14 season.
*The Friars are 704-307 all-time versus New England opponents.
*The Friars were picked fifth of 11 teams in the Preseason BIG EAST Coaches Poll.
*Jared Bynum was selected Preseason First Team All-BIG EAST by the league’s coaches.
*The Friars have eight newcomers to the roster this season.
*The Friars have three graduate students on the roster – Jared Bynum, Noah Locke and Clifton Moore.
*The Friars have 14 players on the roster and seven of those players came via a transfer.
*The Friars won the BIG EAST regular season title for the FIRST time ever in 2022.
*The Friars advanced to their sixth NCAA Sweet 16 in 2022.
*Ed Cooley has led the Friars to SIX NCAA Tourneys in 11 years, which is more than any other coach at PC.
*On April 3, Ed Cooley was named Naismith Coach of the Year – FIRST Friar coach to earn the honor.
*Ed Cooley earned 2022 BIG EAST Coach of the Year and became the FIRST Friar coach to earn the honor.
*Ed Cooley (233-144) trails Joe Mullaney (319-164) for all-time wins as a head coach at Providence.
Friars Win At DePaul: The Friars defeated DePaul, 74-59, on Sunday, Jan. 1 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Ill. With the win, the Friars improved to 12-3 overall and 4-0 in the BIG EAST. It marked the first time ever the squad has been 4-0 in BIG EAST play. Sophomore Devin Carter (Miami, Fla.) led the Friars with a career-high 22 points, five steals, and four blocks. Graduate student Jared Bynum (Largo, Md.) added 18 points and four rebounds. Sophomore Bryce Hopkins (Oak Park, Ill) chipped in with 12 points and eight rebounds.
Devin Carter Named To The BIG EAST Honor Roll: Sophomore guard Devin Carter (Miami, Fla.) led the Friars to a 2-0 mark last week as he averaged 21.5 points, 4.5 steals, 3.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.5 blocks as the Friars earned road wins at Butler on December 29 and at DePaul on January 1. He shot 59 percent from the field (17-29), including 50 percent from three-point territory (2-4). Carter recorded a game-high 21 points and four steals in a 72-52 victory at Butler. He also had a game high 22 points and five steals in a 74-59 win at DePaul. For the season, Carter is averaging 12.9 points and 4.3 rebounds.
Friars All-Time Versus Top-25 Teams: The Friars have posted a 128-274 (.318) mark all-time versus top-25 teams, including a 1-0 mark this season.
Bryce Hopkins Named BIG EAST Player Of The Week On Dec. 26: It was announced on December 26 that sophomore Bryce Hopkins (Oak Park, Ill.) was named BIG EAST Player of the Week. Hopkins helped the Friars (10-3, 2-0) earn a 103-98 double-overtime win over then No. 24/25 Marquette on December 20 in the team’s only game last week. Hopkins posted a 29-point, 23-rebound, three-steal effort in the win over Marquette. He played 47 of the 50 minutes in the game. Hopkins’ 20-20 game was the 34th in program history and first since Jamine Peterson, who posted 29 points and 20 rebounds versus Rutgers on Jan. 9, 2010. It also was the first in BIG EAST play since Angel Delgado (21 pts, 20 rbs.) of Seton Hall accomplished the feat on January 22, 2017.
Kyron Cartwright Named Special Assistant To The Head Coach: Head Coach Ed Cooley announced on Dec. 5 that former Friar Kyron Cartwright ’18 has been named the Special Assistant to the Head Coach. As the Special Assistant to the Head Coach, Cartwright will be responsible for assisting Ed Cooley in a number of different areas. Cartwright will mentor current student-athletes off the court in areas such as academics, social media, and community engagement. He also will act as a resource for the student-athletes and the athletic department in the areas of student-athlete development and DEI. Cartwright helped lead the Friars to four NCAA Tournament appearances during his career at Providence. The team won 20 or more games in each of his four seasons of action and he helped the team compile an 87-50 mark (.635). He scored 1,100 points, which ranks 40th all-time. Cartwright recorded 646 assists (4.8 apg) in 136 career games. He ranks third all-time in assists and ninth in assists per game at Providence. As a junior in 2017, Cartwright earned the BIG EAST Most Improved Player Award, Second Team All-BIG EAST honors, USBWA All-District 1 accolades and USBWA District 1 Player of the Year. In his final season with the Friars, he was named All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention, BIG EAST All-Tournament Team member and PC Male Athlete of the Year. After graduating from Providence, Cartwright spent three years playing professional basketball. He began his pro career in Székesferhérvár, Hungary for Albá Ferhévár where he competed in the top domestic league and Fiba Eurocup. He spent his second professional season with the Leicester Riders, in Leicester, England in the British Basketball League. His final season of pro ball was in Hagen, Germany with the Phoenix Hagen in the Pro A league. Cartwright, who grew up in Compton, Calif., began his coaching career in 2021-22 at St. Thomas Academy in Mendota Heights, Minn. He served as an assistant under former UConn guard Khalid El-Amin. Most recently, Cartwright was an assistant coach at University of Minnesota-Crookston (NCAA Div. 2) for Head Coach Bryan Beamish.
Friars Finish 20-20 From Free-Throw Line: The Friars were 20-20 from the free-throw line in a 76-73 loss versus St. Louis on Nov. 20. It marked the second-best performance all-time for the team from the charity stripe. The top performance all time was when the team was 28-28 from the line versus Villanova on January 10, 1987.
Fielder And Santoro Each Sign A NLI: Providence College men’s basketball Head Coach Ed Cooley announced on Nov. 16 that student-athletes Drew Fielder (Meridian, Idaho) and Donovan Santoro (Austin, Texas) each have signed a National Letter of Intent to attend Providence College beginning in September of 2023. Both players attend Southern California Academy in Castaic, Calif., where they play for head coaches Julius Von Hanzlik and Chris Chaney. Fielder, a 6-foot-10-inch, 215-pound center is rated as a four-star recruit. He transferred to Southern California Academy after beginning his high school career in Idaho. Over the summer, Fielder had a strong showing at the Under Armour Association showcase in July. He averaged 10.7 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.2 steals in six games at the UAA. He also shot 47.6 percent from the field, 38.5 percent from three and 71.4 percent from the free-throw line. Fielder is rated as the No. 23 center in the nation in the class of 2023, according to 247Sports.com. Santoro, a 6-foot-8-inch, 185-pound forward transferred to Southern California Academy after playing at Westlake High School in Austin, Texas. Last season, he helped Westlake post a 38-2 mark and advance to the Texas High School Semifinals. His squad recorded a 14-0 record in its district. For his efforts, Santoro earned second team All-District honors.
Bynum Named Preseason All-BIG EAST First Team: It was announced on October 18 that Providence College graduate guard Jared Bynum (Largo, Md.) was named to the 2022-23 Preseason All-BIG EAST First Team. Bynum, who earned 2022 All-BIG EAST Second Team accolades, was named recipient of the BIG EAST Sixth Man Award and received USBWA All-District 1 accolades, had a break out season for the Friars in 2021-22. He led the team in scoring in BIG EAST games, averaging 15.6 ppg in 17 games. His 15.6 points per game ranked fifth in the league. He shot a team-best 46.5 percent (33-71) from behind the three-point arc in league play. Bynum also ranked third in the league in assists per game (4.9) in BIG EAST action. In overall action, he averaged 12.2 ppg and 4.0 assists per game. He was named BIG EAST Player of the Week twice. He scored a career-high 32 points in the Friars’ win at Georgetown on February 6. He was 7-8 from three-point territory and 11-15 from the field. He came off the bench in 14 of the team’s 17 league games and became the first BIG EAST player in 25 years with three games of 25 or more points off the bench in the same season. In addition to the 32 points at Georgetown, he also had 25 points versus DePaul on February 12 and 27 points versus Xavier on February 23.
Friars Have Eight Newcomers Join The Roster: After the Friars posted a 27-6 mark, captured the BIG EAST Regular Season title and advanced to the Sweet 16 in 2022, the team had all five starters graduate. The team returns three players, graduate student Jared Bynum (Largo, Md.), senior Ed Croswell (Philadelphia, Pa.) and junior Alyn Breed (Powder Springs, Ga.), who saw action last season. The squad welcomes eight new players to the lineup – freshman Jayden Pierre (Elizabeth, N.J.), freshman Quante Berry (Cleveland, Tenn.), graduate Noah Locke (Baltimore, Md.), freshman Scott Morozov (Toronto, Ontario), redshirt freshman Corey Floyd, Jr. (Franklin, N.J.), graduate Clifton Moore (Ambler, Pa.), sophomore Devin Carter (Miami, Fla.) and sophomore Bryce Hopkins (Oak Park, Ill.).
How The Friars Got To The NCAA Tournament In 2022: The Friars earned an at-large bid as a four seed to their 21st NCAA Tournament overall and sixth in 11 years under Head Coach Ed Cooley. Providence posted a 27-6 mark and a 14-3 record in BIG EAST play. The Friars won the BIG EAST Regular-Season Title for the first time in the 43-year history of the league. Providence entered the NCAA Tournament with a NET Ranking of 32. The Friars defeated South Dakota State (66-57) in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament on March 17 and Richmond (79-51) in the Second Round to advance to the Sweet 16. The Friars held Richmond to 51 points. It marked the fewest points allowed by the Friars in the NCAA Tournament all-time. The Friars made their first appearance in the Sweet 16 since 1997 and their sixth appearance overall. The team was defeated by No. 3/3 Kansas (1 seed), 66-61, on March 25 in the Midwest Regional.
Ed Cooley Captures 2022 Naismith Coach Of The Year Award: It was announced on April 3 that Providence’s Ed Cooley was named the recipient of the Werner Ladder Naismith Coach Of The Year Award. Cooley is the first Friar coach to earn the prestigious honor. He also is the first Friar coach to earn national coach of the year accolades since Rick Pitino earned NABC Coach of the Year in 1987.
Bynum Earns 2022 BIG EAST Sixth Man Award: It was announced on March 7 that Providence guard Jared Bynum (Largo, Md.) earned the 2022 BIG EAST Sixth Man Award. Bynum became the first Friar to earn the honor.
Cooley Named 2022 BIG EAST Coach Of The Year: It was announced on March 9 at Madison Square Garden in New York that Providence’s Ed Cooley was named BIG EAST Coach Of The Year. Cooley, who became the first Friar coach in the 43-year history of the league to earn the honor, guided the Friars to a 27-6 mark. In BIG EAST league play, the Friars set a team record for wins after registering a 14-3 mark and capturing the program’s first BIG EAST Regular Season title. The Friars, who finished in first place, were picked to finish seventh in the annual BIG EAST Preseason Coaches’ Poll which was released in October.
Ed Cooley Gets The Key To The City: Providence Mayor Jorge O. Elorza joined Former Rhode Island State Senator Harold Metts, Providence Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Javier Montañez and Providence Public School District students to present a Key to the City to Providence College Men’s Basketball Coach Ed Cooley on May 17. Cooley led Providence College to the 2022 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament as a No. 4 seed. The Friars reached the Sweet 16 before losing to eventual national champion Kansas. Cooley was named Werner Ladder Naismith Coach of the Year and BIG EAST Coach of the Year. He is the first Friar coach to win either award. His Friars also won the BIG EAST Regular Season title – the first time ever for a Providence men’s basketball team. Cooley, who grew up in Providence, attended Central High School in the City. He played basketball at Central High School and he was a two-time Rhode Island High School Player of the Year honoree.
Friars In Overtime: The Friars have recorded a 1-0 record in overtime games in 2022-23. On December 20, the Friars defeated Marquette, 103-98, in double overtime. They have registered a 72-67 mark all-time in overtime games, including 8-0 in their last eight games.
Providence College Basketball: The 2022-23 campaign marks the 96th season of basketball at Providence College. Since the program started in 1926-27, Providence has posted a 1,534-1,018 mark, good for a .600 winning percentage. The Friars have made the NCAA Tournament 21 times and the National Invitation Tournament on 20 occasions.
Steve Napolillo Named Athletic Director: It was announced on January 26, 2022 that Steve Napolillo would be the 11th athletic director in the history of Providence College. On July 1, Napolillo replaced Bob Driscoll, who announced his retirement on January 21. Napolillo, who was the senior associate athletic director/assistant vice president for external relations, has worked at the College since 2004.
Ed Cooley Ranks Second On The PC All-Time Win List: With the Friars’ win versus Butler on January 23, 2022, Ed Cooley recorded his 210th victory as the Friar Head Coach and moved into second place on the all-time win list for PC Head Coaches. The the top three all-time winningest Friar head coaches are: Joe Mullaney (319-164), Ed Cooley (233-144, 12 seasons) and Dave Gavitt (209-84).
Friars At The Amica Mutual Pavilion: All-time, the Friars have recorded a 611-236 (.721) mark in 50 seasons of games at the Amica Mutual Pavilion. The AMP, formerly the Providence Civic Center and the Dunkin’ Donuts Center, opened on November 3, 1972. The Friars had played their home games there for 48 consecutive seasons, prior to the 2020-21 season when the team played on campus at Alumni Hall with no fans in attendance due to the pandemic. PC posted a 16-1 mark at the AMP in 2021-22, the team’s best record at home since 1973-74.
Friars Are 86-5 In Non-Conference Home Games Under Ed Cooley: The Friars have posted an 86-5 mark (.944) in 12 seasons under Ed Cooley in non-conference home games.