Bentil’s absence will be felt
Friars hoping right ankle heals in time for Saturday’s game
Friars will need scoring support from other players
PROVIDENCE – Not to rub additional salt in the wounds, but the day-to-day status concerning Ben Bentil and the most important right ankle in the Providence College basketball program can’t help but leave folks holding their breath – again.
If Bentil is unable to post Saturday against third-ranked Villanova at what’s expected to be a sold-out Dunkin’ Donuts Center, he will become the fifth different Friar to miss a game this season. Read into this what you may, but Ed Cooley wasn’t ready to rule out the Big East’s leading scorer (19.7 ppg) even though Bentil didn’t join his teammates for yesterday afternoon’s practice.
“He told me he’s really sore,” said Cooley before adding some good news that Bentil’s xray came back negative. Bentil hurt his ankle while getting tangled up in a scrum for a loose ball during the first half of Tuesday’s 77-70 loss at DePaul.
Just another piece of unsettling news for a Friar outfit that’s been dealing with on-and-off visits from the injury department for some time now.
To date, PC has lost 14 games due to injury/illness. The latest addition came earlier in the week when Jalen Lindsey missed the DePaul game with the flu. Cooley said the sophomore’s illness is in the past and that he will be in action against the Wildcats.
If it seems to fans that the Friars haven’t featured a full compliment of the players that Cooley envisioned having at his disposal at the season’s onset, they’re probably not alone. Freshman Quadree Smith sat out eight straight games, though officially the burly forward missed five games after breaking his hand shortly before the start of Big East play.
Another first-year Friar (Ryan Fazekas) was out of the equation for six straight contests after suffering from a case of mononucleosis. Fazekas reportedly ended up losing 20 pounds, which helps to explain why it’s taken him a while to re-establish his sea legs, not to mention his shooting stroke.
The fact that Fazekas (13 points, three 3pointers) and Smith (career-high seven points) put forth solid contributions against the Blue Demons showed Cooley that what hindered their availability is hopefully behind them. This positive twist shouldn’t be downplayed, not after the coach put it out there that it’s all hands on deck for a group that’s been challenged by a lack of depth from the get-go.
“We’re going to need everyone over these last eight games (of the regular season) because they’re brutal,” said Cooley. “You have to prepare for the unknown, but every team deals with injuries. The tough ones get through it and hopefully you’re more mentally tough than physically tough.”
No visit to the Friars’ MASH unit would be complete without referencing the two games and 20-plus minutes in another contest that Kris Dunn ended up missing back in December (stomach bug). When you factor in the amount of manpower that’s been spotted on the bench in sweats rather than proper basketball attire, it’s amazing that we’re talking about a team that’s closing on solidifying a third straight NCAA Tournament berth and has appeared in the national polls in each of the past 10 weeks.
“This team has taken on such a game-bygame approach. Not having Ben and Jalen in the last game is the most different we’ve been. We’re already short on size and not having those guys made us a totally different group,” said Cooley. “When Kris was out, we do have a seasoned point guard (Kyron Cartwright) where we don’t have a seasoned big man. But that’s why we need to keep them focused and hungry.”
“What I like about this team is that they keep fighting. Alot of teams are faced with adversity. We just have to find a way to keep winning games,” said Dunn.
In a season where “next man up” has become something along the line of a battle cry for Dunn and his Friar teammates, it’s important to remember that the round table is not exactly bursting with knights. Opportunity is knocking, however, though Dunn doesn’t feel its necessary to up the ante and expect only one person to replicate Bentil and his indispensable nature providing the sophomore doesn’t suit up Saturday.
“You’ve got to go out there and play. Ben is a key part of our team and everybody knows that, but there shouldn’t be any additional pressure,” said Dunn. “Losing Ben like we did the other night, it reminds us that we need to lock in and be disciplined.”
A tender ankle isn’t exactly new territory for Bentil. Back on Dec. 9 against Boston College, he hobbled off the court late in the first half and did not return. His absence was short-lived as Bentil played in PC’s next game, which came three days after rolling his left ankle.
This time around, the Friars have the luxury of an extra day between their last game and the next one. Whether the additional time for rest and recuperation proves beneficial to Bentil’s recovery remains to be seen. Yet in a season where it’s felt as if the Friars are always on the mend, Cooley has to be wondering when will enough prove to be enough?