PC looking to reinforce front court
Friars hope to add forwards with open scholarships
From the backyard of his East Greenwich home, PC men’s basketball head coach Ed Cooley on Wednesday was joined by athletic director Bob Driscoll for a “Conversation with the Coach” discussion that aired on Facebook and was moderated by Friar basketball staffer Bob Walsh.
Here are a few takeaways:
• Of the returnees, Cooley cited junior A.J. Reeves, redshirt sophomore Jimmy Nichols, and second-year Friar Greg Gantt as three players who will need to take a major step forward this coming season in order for Providence to stay in the tophalf of the Big East.
“I think [the 2020-21 season] will be A.J.’s coming-out party. He’s a confident young man. He’s played a lot of minutes. His ballhandling and defense have improved, but we’ve got to keep his confidence high,” said Cooley. “Jimmy had a nagging injury [last season] that we didn’t want to persist. His production is going to have to improve.”
• Citing that it’s been a unique year as far as recruiting, Cooley says the focus has been to attract two front-court players and one guard. To date, the Friars have yet to receive a verbal commitment from a member from the 2021 class.
“Normally, we’re done with [next year’s graduating high school class] by now. It’s been a challenge as young men look at our roster and wonder how they’ll fit,” said Cooley. “Not having human connection is tough. I want [recruits] to feel our energy and vice versa. That’s been difficult via Zoom. There’s a little bit of risk as far as what we’re doing, but if this is the new normal, you have to say to a young man that he may never get to a college campus this year.”
• Not having a gym at one’s disposal proved challenging during the early stages of the pandemic, hence the Friars supplemented by sending weights, jump ropes, and weighted vests to the players. Teleconferences with strength & conditioning coach Ken White also proved essential in the quest to stay fit.
“From the visual of it, their bodies look good,” said Cooley. “We’ve talked a lot about running outside, but one of the biggest things we’ve always discussed is, ‘What’s your routine?’ We as coaches put our kids in such a routine that they get used to. When they get home, what does that routine become? They had to come up with a different routine. Some kids can get lazy, but I think we’re in a good space.”
• The last time Cooley and his staff saw the players in-person was Saturday, March 14 – a few days after the Big East and NCAA tournaments were nixed. FaceTime, text messages, and weekly Zoom calls where the entire team comes together have proven to be lifesavers in the quest to maintain regular dialogue with the players.
“It’s easy to isolate right now and I don’t think that’s the right thing to do. You’ve got to have human connection,” said Cooley. “You try and see their body language and facial expressions when you’re talking to them on Zoom and individually. I always try to FaceTime with the players more than texting or calling so I can see their eyes.”
• Per Driscoll, the plan is to bring the basketball players back to campus in two waves – one in the middle of the current month and another that’s closer to the college’s anticipated first day of classes on Aug. 31.
“We’ll have more than enough time to prepare our group if and when – and that’s a big hopeful as far as when – we get back on the court and start competing for championships again,” said Cooley. “The players, they’re all eager to get back.”