Friars headed to Italy
10-day trip will include four exhibition games
PROVIDENCE – Between dining on fine Italian cuisine and viewing the rich history of Rome, Milan, and Florence, there exists a prime opportunity for the Providence Friars to lay the foundation for the 2018-19 season.
Getting down to brass tacks, the upcoming four exhibition games against Italian competition should provide coach Ed Cooley with some answers regarding the roster and minutes allocation. The biggest area of focus figures to be point guard, a spot that for the first time in Cooley’s tenure at PC is a bit of an unknown after a steady stream of known commodities, from Vincent Council, to Bryce Cotton, to Kris Dunn, to Kyron Cartwright.
“Hopefully this gives us a jumpstart on the season,” Cooley said on Monday, one day before PC departs from New York’s JFK Airport for a 10-day Italy sojourn. “I’m excited to take our young group over there.”
At one time, the NCAA frowned upon allowing incoming freshmen to participate in foreign trips during the summer months. With Cooley welcoming four first-year players, the plan in Italy is to get an extensive look at David Duke, A.J. Reeves, Jimmy Nichols, and Kris Monroe.
“I think they can learn about rhythm, timing, chemistry, and style of play. Just getting them on the court and used to playing with one another,” Cooley said about the benefits of exposing the Friar newbies to scenarios that hopefully won’t seem as foreign to them when the regular season arrives in November. “I think all of the freshmen we’ve brought in have all come prepared, but just like anything else, they don’t know how to react until you put them in a situation where they struggle and you’ve got to build them back up.”
It sounds like Friar veterans Emmitt Holt, Isaiah Jackson, and Drew Edwards will take a back seat in favor of giving more run to the newcomers and second-year contributors Nate Watson and Makai Ashton-Langford.
“We want those four freshmen to get a lot of playing time. They’ll play in every game but some of the guys, we’re only going to play them in two games,” Cooley said. “At the same time, we don’t want to hinder the growth of the veterans.”
Cooley confirmed that Holt will play in at least two of the games in Italy but has already ruled out the fifthyear senior from the one leg of the trip that will see the Friars play on consecutive days. PC’s first game on foreign soil is Thursday in Milan with the remaining contests scheduled for Aug. 18 (in Pesaro), Aug. 22 (in Rome), and Aug. 23 (also in Rome).
“He’s come a long way, but he still has a long way to go,” Cooley said about Holt, who sat out last season after undergoing abdominal surgery. “I would say Emmitt is about 60-70 percent of what he was a year and a half ago.”
Speaking before Monday’s practice, which featured five-on-zero drills and emphasized shooting, Holt said he’s “extremely excited” to step on the court in a competitive setting.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Holt added. “All of my teammates have had my back, but now it’s time to get ready for the journey. Not a lot of teams have an opportunity like this. We’ve got to make sure we take advantage of it.”
For a number of PC players, this will mark their first overseas experience. Last Au- gust, Edwards and junior-tobe Maliek White were afforded the chance to spend some time in Spain for a basketball tournament. In an attempt to further foster chemistry, the Friars will have a different roommate during each stop in Italy.
“That’s going to be good for us. I’m really looking forward to getting under the surface with some of these guys,” Holt said.
When the Friars last visited Italy as a basketball operation in 2014, they had just seven players at their disposal. During that previous visit, Cooley let his as- sistants handle the in-game coaching while he observed from his perch in the stands. This time, he plans to be at the helm for at least one of the contests.
“It’s important that all voices are heard but at the same time, it’ll allow me to take a step back and evaluate everything from our culture, our intensity, and execution,” Cooley said. “I’m looking to forward spending time with my family and the families on the trip. Italy is a special place.”