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July 16th,
2006
By Joel
Welser
Broadcast Basketball
Providence
Friars
Overall Rank:
#118
Conference
Rank: #15 Big East
2005-06:
12-15, 5-11, 13th (t)
2005-06
postseason: none
 The
post Ryan Gomes era continues at
Providence, and
it will be referred to as that until somebody can come along and
provide a few years of success for the Friars. With only one
impact player heading out, it is reasonable to assume that
Providence will improve. Yet, that one loss is a big one, and
there still isn’t much experience around this year.
Who’s Out:
Guard Donnie McGrath is a huge loss. McGrath averaged a team
high 15.1 points per game as a senior and tacked on 2.7
assists. There is some youth in the backcourt with starting
experience to help ease the pain. Sophomores Sharaud Curry and
Weyinmi Efejuku should pick up the slack. Little used guard
Timothy Englert has also run out of eligibility.
Who’s In:
Point guard
Jamal Barney is the most highly touted recruit of the bunch, and
the squad could use a point guard. Barney can fill up the stat
sheet and will see quite a few minutes off the bench, at first.
The backcourt finds more depth with the addition of shooting
guard Brian McKenzie. The 6-3 Brooklyn native has a nice stroke
from outside and is a solid defender. Big man Ray Hall is
strong and, at the least, provides a big 6-11, 260 pound body to
put under the basket. The Colorado product will be a ways down
the depth chart as a freshman, but should be a contributor in
the years to come.
Who to Watch:
Nobody was a more pleasant surprise for Providence last season
than Geoff McDermott. As a freshman, the 6-7 wing averaged 8.9
points and 9.0 rebounds. Another season like that and the
Friars might start to forget about Gomes. McDermott, who
received some Division I offers to play quarterback, won’t shy
away from contact. He still lists his favorite sports moment as
winning a state championship in football. That may change if
Providence can keep the group of youngsters around campus for a
couple more years.
Final
Projection:
They say that a
player improves the most between their freshmen and sophomore
years. If that holds true for Providence, things might not be
so bad for Coach Tim Welsh and the Friar faithful. The
questions are on the perimeter and Curry, Efejuku and McDermott
are all aiming for improved sophomore campaigns…not that they
all didn’t perform well as freshmen. Watch for Curry to have
the biggest increase in numbers, as he takes over the long range
shooting from the departed McGrath. Randall Hanke has proven to
be a scoring threat under the basket and the depth up front
won’t be an issue with Herbert Hill, Charles Burch and Jonathan
Kale. The possibilities are there for a surprise season, but
it’s still hard to expect much from a 5-11 team that lost their
best player.
Projected
Post-season Tournament:
none
Projected
Starting Five:
Sharaud Curry,
Sophomore, Guard, 11.9 points per game
Weyinmi Efejuku,
Sophomore, Guard, 7.8 points per game
Geoff McDermott,
Sophomore, Guard, 8.9 points per game
Herbert Hill,
Senior, Forward, 9.0 points per game
Randall Henke,
Junior, Center, 13.0 points per game
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