PC’s Cooley: UConn ‘should be No. 1’
Providence coach Ed Cooley pumped up UConn, his team’s Big East tournament quarterfinal opponent, on Monday.
Upon learning the Huskies were ranked No. 11 in Monday’s Associated Press Top 25 poll, Cooley said: “They should be No. 1. They really should be.”
Cooley wasn’t finished throwing flowers at UConn’s feet.
“There’s no team in the country playing better than them right now,” Cooley said before practice on Monday at the Ruane Friar Development Center in Providence. “They’ve got a lot of confidence. They have two first team all-conference players. I think they have a first round pick in (Jordan) Hawkins, so it’s going to be a real tough game for us. … We’ve got a lot to play for.”
All just part of the build-up for the first Big East tournament game between neighboring Big East rivals since 1998.
It’s not a surprise that Cooley is trying to turn fourth-seeded UConn (23-7) into a monster team. The fifth-seeded Friars (21-10) are reeling from dropping two straight home games to end the season while the Huskies have won eight of their last nine.
“We have four days to prepare emotionally, mentally and physically for a team like Connecticut,” Cooley said. “And you need that time to prepare. They’re really, really good.”
The two teams split regular season meetings, each winning at home before supportive and vocal home crowds.
The Huskies will be the clear favorite on Thursday. The Friars will be looking to recapture the magic that they had earlier in the Big East season and rediscover their defensive edge.
“I live for adversity,” Cooley said. “I’m a living example of adversity. You can’t complain about it and you embrace it. And most of the time you face it the right way, you come out on top. We’re challenging our guys as best as we can. A lot of people are down on us, and that’s OK. There are a lot of people that support us that continue to support us.
“It’s not the end. We’ve still got a lot of basketball left to play and I’m excited to coach this group.”
UConn coach Dan Hurley believes
the Friars are a dangerous team. He also dished out some compliments.
“They’ve won a lot of games,” Hurley said on Monday after practice in Storrs. “Ed’s done a great job there. And the game has got a lot of juice to it. That’s what makes college basketball fun.”
Cooley has done his part to spice up the rivalry and rile up the UConn fan base.
After losing at UConn on Feb. 22, Cooley called the fans “extremely spoiled,” and “to appreciate winning. … Don’t get arrogant with it.”
Expect Thursday afternoon’s game to be as entertaining on the court as in the stands.
A 2:30 p.m. start time will give plenty of time for both fan bases to get to Madison Square Garden.
“It is what the Big East tournament is all about,” Cooley said. “There won’t be an empty seat in that building. Pretty sure Amtrak, the trains, everything will be filled. There will be a lot of emotion, and a lot of pride in the building.
“You have two fan bases that absolutely hate one another. And that’s what it is all about. There’s not a lot of love lost between Providence and Connecticut. It should be a good game. They hope we’re bad and I hope they’re bad. And I hope the Friars can win.”
News and notes
• UConn’s Big East award winners – Hawkins (first team), Adama Sanogo (first team), Alex Karaban (freshman team) and Donovan Clingan (freshman team) met with the media after practice Monday. They all credited their teammates for helping them earn the honors, especially Andre Jackson.
“If anybody, he’s the player of the year of this team,” Hawkins said. “He’s the MVP. He’s the heartbeat of this team. Without him, none of this is possible.”
• Clingan sat out Monday’s practice to recover from spraining his ankle late in the Villanova game on Saturday. He plans on playing Thursday. “I’ll be good. I’ll take an extra rest day tomorrow and I’ll be back at practice. It’s March, so I have no choice but to be good, so I’ll be good.”
• The photo of the Big East trophy that UConn has carried around all season has been replaced by the one for winning the Big East tournament title,“Hurley said. “We punted the regular season (one) as soon as we got eliminated. We trashed it. We got a new one, which we’re going to carry around. It’s the ultimate goal.”
• Hurley predicted before the season that Hawkins would average 16.5 points. He’s averaging 16.4 overall, 17.3 in league play. “He did and it happened,” Hawkins said. “He’s a genius.