For Friars, trip to Italy revealed power of team's depth
Longtime radio voice Hassett believes coach Ed Cooley has plenty to work with
PROVIDENCE – It took merely four games against Italian competition for longtime Providence College basketball radio voice Joe Hassett to conjure up a nickname for one of the first-year Friars.
Given Hassett’s well-known status within Big East circles, Jimmy Nichols may have little choice but to grin and bear it when it comes to a label that has a pretty good chance of sticking. Perhaps the student section at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center will catch wind of Nichols’ on-court alter ego and dress appro- priately this winter.
“He was like Spiderman out there … I think that’s what I’m going to call him,” Hassett said.
Hassett was part of Providence’s travel party that recently visited Italy. For coach Ed Cooley, his assistants, and players, the experience boiled down to a 10-day working vacation that featured four games. Generally speaking, Hassett’s biggest takeaway was that Cooley has plenty to work with, a luxury that hasn’t always been the case despite guiding PC to the past five NCAA Tournaments.
“Ed’s got a situation now where he’s got a lot of talented players at all different spots,” Hassett said when reached Monday. “There’s a lot of flexibility but you’ve also got a lot of youth. I think they’ll be a lot of growing pains early on, but the talent is definitely there. We’ll see how they develop.”
The 6-foot-6 Nichols is one of the central figures in Providence’s youth movement. During the Italy trek, he was utilized in a number of different ways.
“Nichols was terrific. He can make threes and when they pressed, they would put him on the ball. He was deflecting passes and trapping all over the pace,” Hassett said. “His arms are long and he has a good feel for the game. Ed
over his coaching career here likes to go with small lineups. (Nichols) can play the center position and use his quickness to his advantage. He fits in extremely well with the style Providence likes to play. He’s going to be a really good player. I really like his game.”
For those wondering if PC has enough three-point shooting to keep defenses honest, Hassett was encouraged what he saw from Nichols and two of his classmates, A.J. Reeves and Kris Monroe. Of the group, Reeves owns the most potential to light it up from deep on a regular basis.
“He’s a pure shooter. He catches it, goes up with no hesitation, and knocks it down. That’s nice to see. You need that in college basketball now more than ever,” Hassett said about Reeves.
Cooley said the plan going into Italy was to rely heavily on the newcomers. That formula led to a 3-1 record with three blowout wins and the lone loss coming by four points (7066) against a team made up of former Division I players. Even in defeat, Hassett was encouraged by the poise the Friars showed in the face of physical and at times chippy play.
The setback to the Rosetto Sharks represented one of the two games that fifth-year senior Emmitt Holt appeared in. In the other game, he pulled down 11 rebounds. For a player who’s not even a year removed from abdominal surgery, Holt’s showing in Italy offered plenty of encouragement.
“Emmitt played well in the toughest game the Friars had over there,” Hassett said. “Hopefully he keeps getting stronger. If he can play significant minutes this year, he’ll be a big help.”
Youth will be the order of the day in the Friars’ backcourt, particularly at the ultra-critical point guard spot. Amidst uncertainty that goes with the territory with neophyte types, Hassett believes based on what he saw in Italy that sophomore Makai Ashton-Langford and freshman David Duke are fully capable of running the offense up to Cooley’s standards.
“In college as well as the pros, you need experience at point guard. That’s the most important position right now. There’s no question they have plenty of talent but they’re very young,” Hassett said. “Duke is going to be a good one. It just depends on how far along he gets as the year goes on.”
Hassett liked what he saw from junior Alpha Diallo, who can play all five positions, as well as from fellow returnees Isaiah Jackson, Drew Edwards, and Maliek White. The presence of big men Kalif Young and Nate Watson provide Cooley with another interesting layer as far as style of play.
“You have so many guys and you’re trying to mix and match different lineups while getting everyone the same amount of playing time,” Hassett said.
“Alpha owns a ton of flexibility. Maliek is a scorer, not a true point guard. Jackson will be part of the mix.”
Besides an up-close look at the Friars against actual competition, Hassett was also afforded the chance to spend time around the players as they took in the sights and enjoyed some world-class meals. His general takeaway is that this particular outfit is worthy of the community’s support based on the demeanor they displayed in a foreign country.
“Excellent group off the court. They’re all quality guys. Very polite. I like ‘em all. All good kids,” Hassett said.
It’s a group that also enjoyed the benefit of getting a head start on preparing for the upcoming season. To Hassett, Italy is a springboard that figures to prove to be a major asset sooner rather than later.
“Having this Italy trip was a stroke of smart planning. You couldn’t practice in the way they’ve been practicing if you didn’t have this trip. Ed got to put in a lot of his drills during the summer so when they start practicing for real, they’re a little ahead of the curve,” Hassett said. “They definitely have a talented group of guys. How Ed puts all the pieces together will be his task. It will be interesting to see how each guy develops based on their role on the team.”