Thinking out loud…while wondering if I agreed with you, wouldn’t we both be wrong?
Happy New Year. Hoops are here.
In two DII exhibitions, PC showed they have the ability to score, rebound and block a few shots. The rest of the defense will be a Work in Progress. But the potential is there, with length and athleticism, to be very disruptive by the time conference play rolls around.
But that’s not unusual for a team that’s relatively new to each other. One thing these Friars have, is talent. Can it mesh as well as last year's team did? It might take a while.
It sez here, however, that for Providence to return to the level of play they achieved a year ago…Bryce Hopkins will need to be ‘the man.’ He’ll have to learn that role, accept it and develop it.
What in the wild, wild world of Kentucky basketball was John Calipari thinking when he couldn’t peel this kid off the bench? Maybe all Hopkins needed was for his fire to be lit. BHop has skills and a physical presence that are mindful of Carmelo Anthony, without the selfishness…former Friar coach Tim Welsh and I compared notes on this last week.
If he continues to improve his shooting, watch out. Hopkins will be a matchup nightmare to defend – too big for the quicks, too quick for the bigs.
On this week’s Ed Cooley Radio Show, NCAA VP for Basketball, ex-Bryant AD and ex-PC coach Dan Gavitt suggested what most of us are hoping – that membership won’t mess with the NCAA Tournament and expand the field.
But…never say never.
ICYMI – former Friar walk-on (Class of ’99) Rick Cordella was promoted to programming president of NBC Sports, while continuing to oversee NBC’s streaming service Peacock this week. Hey Rick, can a Friar get a gig?
The MAAC preseason player of the year, Jose Perez, won’t be suiting up for Manhattan this season – and thus won’t be facing the Friars next month. Perez has transferred to West Virginia in the wake of Steve Masiello’s dismissal as the Jaspers’ head coach.
Within the Big East as season openers near next week, Creighton continues to gain momentum and attention. A super soph class, combined with transfer Baylor Scheierman, should have the Blue Jays ranked in the Top 10 most of the season.
You want to see future pros play this year? Watch Creighton.
Two expectations early: 1) Villanova will struggle a bit, for them, until they straighten out their injury situation. Cam Whitmore does not yet have a time frame for his return; 2) Xavier will be tough and may very well be the league’s second-best team during the non-conference slate.
Call me crazy, but PC has the size and length inside to make life difficult for UConn’s Big East preseason player of the year, Adama Sanogo. The Huskies’ transfer guards are the unknown. And they will miss RJ Cole and Tyrese Martin…even if Jordan Hawkins is the expected ‘go-to’ guy.
Louisville avoided potentially big punishment from the NCAA this week through the IARP (Independent Accountability Review Process), fining the Cardinals a mere $5K, putting them on a two-year probation and restricting recruiting. And while Rick Pitino was claiming his exoneration, the probe snagged someone else.
Assistant coach Kenny Johnson – now with URI – and Jordan Fair were assessed two-year show-cause penalties. Johnson cannot recruit during the next two years, but Rhody is keeping him on staff.
Seems like there might be some things for the NCAA to continue working on while attempting to clean up college hoops’ mess.
Does this now make Pitino a prime candidate – again – for a high-major gig? Thought Iona was going to be his last stop.
Anticipating a potential hammer from the IARP, Kansas suspended coach Bill Self this week for the first four games of the season. But that’s the extent of the Jayhawks’ mea culpa thus far.
Big opening week for Rhode Island’s four Division I teams: While PC hosts Rider at the AMP Tuesday, URI opens Monday against Quinnipiac and should get a test.
Bryant is preseason ranked #23 among national college mid-majors, and opens Monday against DIII Thomas College of Maine.
Brown also opens Monday but has the toughest task at hand among the four – traveling to preseason America East favorite and perennial NCAA tourney contender Vermont. The Bears’ home opener at the Pizzitola Sports Center is next Thursday against the Colgate Fighting Toothpaste.
I kid, of course. They’re really the Fighting Joe Castigliones.
As much as we try to malign the Patriots, they’ve evened their record at 4-4. Rookestradamus told me if they get to the bye week above .500, they’ll be in the postseason hunt to the bitter end.
Ol’ ugly gets it done against the J-E-T-S. ‘Cuz they were uglier. Zach Wilson must have been seeing Sam Darnold’s ghosts.
Like: The offense going up tempo. It’s nothing new, of course, but it certainly seems to slow aggressive defenders. Something to consider with future struggles.
Also Like: Rhamondre Stevenson. What’s not to like, other than the fact he attended Oklahoma?
Really Like: Big Kick Nick Folk. He was the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week. Again. The 8th such honor in his career, the 4th as a Patriot.
Dislike: Pick an offensive tackle. Any offensive tackle. They’ve largely been, well, offensive.
BB appreciation note: He passed Papa Bear George Halas for second on the all-time NFL coaching wins list. Pretty significant if you ask me…and many others. Our tendency is to forget what we have while we have it.
The Colts fired their offensive coordinator this week, after demoting starting QB Matt Ryan a week ago. So that means Indy will come in here Sunday and roll like they’re on the Indianapolis Speedway, amiright?
Moves were made up to and just before the NFL trade deadline by everyone in the AFC East. Except New England. The Dolphins brought in edge rusher Bradley Chubb from Denver. Think up tempo might be the way to go when the Pats get the Fins again.
Pro Football Focus sez the Pats have the toughest remaining schedule of any team in the NFL.
Heard from a few folks the Patriots should have moved to pick up new Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith from Chicago – the NFL’s leading tackler. My response…wait
til’ next year when he’ll be available to sign…if you really want or need him.
Or can afford him. He’s rumored to be asking for about $20 mill per year.
Halfway through the year, you are what you are. The Patriots are 4-4, which is meh. Halftime adjustments are everything.
Most expensive NFL teams to follow? Found that out this week from the group at Sidelines.io – the Las Vegas Raiders are the most expensive to follow, which includes the average cost of a ticket, a jersey, a beer, and a hotdog.
The Raidahs come in at a whopping $273.47 per person, with the highest average ticket price ($153.47) and highest average parking price ($100). A hot dog is eight bucks. Whoa. Hit the tables first and try to get lucky there.
The 49ers are Number Two on the expensive list at $241.71 per person. Then…come your New England Patriots at #3, with an average cost of $224.35 per person to see a game at Gillette.
The cheapest to follow? Believe it or not, it’s the LA Chargers at $182.13 per person. It’s almost as if they’re begging for fans.
Providence’s Gilbane Building Company is taking the lead on the construction of the Buffalo Bills’ new stadium. Can we get a little intel sent this way, fellas?
My buddy “Big E” sez relationships are a lot like algebra – “have you ever looked at your X and wondered Y?”
On the college gridiron – the locals are still hot. 7th ranked Holy Cross is now 8-0 with a walk-off, 53-32 OT win over nationally ranked Fordham in front of more than 17K fans in Worcester…the largest crowd for a Crusader game in 32 years. Lehigh is up next Saturday at Fitton Field.
But wait, there’s more: URI dropped a 31-30 nail-biter on the road at #10 William & Mary but stays ranked at #23 nationally with a 5-3 record…and a Saturday date with Maine in Kingston.
Brown beat previously unbeaten Penn 34-31, and senior QB Aidan Gilman was named the Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week. The Bears go to Yale Saturday for a noon kickoff.
Bryant’s Zevi Eckhaus threw for a program record 450 yards last week against Gardner-Webb but lost in a 48-40 shootout. The Bulldogs host Campbell Saturday at 2pm.
And UConn beat Boston College. Not in basketball, but in football. Qualifies as a “wow” in this book. Five takeaways for the Huskies in a 13-3 fistfight, and a first-ever football win over BC.
Not for nuthin’, but the Eagles are still flush with ACC cash. UConn is still broke.
The Big 12 was given up for dead a year ago when Texas and Oklahoma announced they would pull out and join the SEC. This week, the league announced a new media rights deal that should eventually pay each remaining member school up to $50 million per year.
They’re saying ‘thank you’ prayers in Cincinnati, Houston, Orlando and Provo, Utah today…and every day. Thank you cards to Austin and Norman, Oklahoma are probably on the way, too.
But keep an eye out for this – Fox and FS1 are piling up their inventory as a part of the new Big 12 deal…might this spell trouble for a future Big East deal? The Big East media contract with Fox runs through 2025 and pays member schools $4.6 million annually.
Oh, and ESPN reported this week the Big 12 is having conversations with Gonzaga about joining the conference, as is the Pac-12…and The Athletic reported the Big East has also had preliminary conversations with the Zags.
Any move by Gonzaga would need to be for all sports, and not just for basketball. Certainly can see where that could be a Big East dealbreaker. But with a slice of B12 TV money? It could be quite the comeback for the Big 12 if this works out for a league once on life support.
This week’s Sign of the Apocalypse: Auburn is paying two guys $36 million not to coach football, after firing Bryan Harsin this week.
After sweeping UNH in a home-and-home last weekend (game one on the road was an OT shootout win) PC’s 13th ranked Hockey Friars get a home and home with 5th ranked UMass this weekend. Hockey East has some serious cache skating this season.
And congrats to CCRI’s men’s soccer team, making their first appearance in the NJCAA DIII national tournament in more than two decades next week.
When the Celtics D up, they can beat anyone. When they don’t, they can lose to anyone. And have.
Kyrie is spewing his nonsense again. The trouble here is not his right to free speech…but that too many knuckleheads believe what he apparently believes. His apology is forced, and only because he was suspended in the first place.
The Celtics getting zero in return for allowing Ime Udoka to depart, while under contract, is business-stupid. This is a business, regardless of how things “look.”
Then again, it may also show how much they’ve decided they really want him out of there.
If I’m a married man (or woman) working in the Brooklyn Nets’ front office, I might be slightly concerned right about now. Just sayin’.
And congratulations to Steve Nash – fired earlier this week in Brooklyn – who is no longer the head coach of the biggest tone-deaf dumpster fire in American professional sports.
All who thought Bruins’ GM Don Sweeney didn’t know what he was doing when he let go Bruce Cassidy…raise your hand. I’m raising mine.
It’s early yet. But a franchise best 10-1 out of the gate certainly lends some credence to the fresh face-fresh start idea, doesn’t it?
Solid goaltending and getting a higher percentage of quality shots at the opponents’ net also counts a lot – and the Bruins are presently getting both of those as well.
Hold onto your vuvuzelas – Messi might be coming to America to play. His current contract with Paris Saint-Germain is due to expire, and the Argentine superstar is seriously considering a move to MLS, with Miami (where David Beckham is a co-owner) a likely landing spot.
1000 lifetime World Series home runs, and a combined no-hitter (just the second no-no ever thrown in a Series) in the same World Series? Cool accomplishments, sure, but I’d settle for a cool, crisp two-hour, 15-minute game any day.
What a year it has been for Providence’s Jeremy Pena. It was announced this week the rookie can add a Gold Glove at shortstop to his accolades. Hit another WS tater in Game 5, too.
Once the Oakland A’s and Tampa Bay Rays stadium situations settle, which they have not – you can expect baseball to expand. The word out there is two new teams are on the docket for 2028 or thereabouts, with Charlotte, Portland, Vegas, and Montreal playing front runner roles.
The last major sports equinox – where teams in the four major sports (sorry, soccer and auto racing) all played on the same day – was supposed to have been Halloween Monday this week.
It would have been just the 29th time in history for such an occurrence. But the World Series was rained out…so Thursday became the big day.
November is the biggest betting month in history? With the four major sports, plus World Cup soccer being played, it’s what casinos and sports books are expecting. But not in Massachusetts yet.
If Elon Musk really wanted to revolutionize social media…and change Twitter for the better, he’d figure out a way to make everyone verified…rather than charge eight bucks for a blue checkmark and then fire thousands of employees. That just potentially makes a multi-billionaire more billions.
Tweet of the Week, from @SethDavisHoops: “If anyone can just pay to buy a blue check, what’s the point of having a blue check?”
CBS Sports and The Athletic’s Seth Davis, awakening from his summer-long slumber this week. Must be hoop season.
Interested in having your questions on local Rhode Island sports (and yes, that includes the Patriots, Red Sox, Bruins and Celtics) answered in a somewhat timely fashion? It’s your chance to “think out loud,” so send your questions, comments, and local stories to jrbroadcaster@gmail.com. We’ll share mailbag comments/Facebook posts/Tweets right here! Would appreciate the follow on Twitter, @JRbroadcaster…and join in on Facebook, www.facebook.com/john.rooke ...
Don’t forget to tune into Providence’s 103.7 FM, every Saturday from 7:00-9:00 am for Cordischi and Coit! Call in at 401-737-1287 or text at 37937.