Each and every season teams are forced to rebuild due to players entering the NBA draft, transferring and even graduation. There are very seldom instances in division one, where teams have the majority of their starters for a four-year stint. Nowadays teams are fighting for the top recruits and all that is on the recruits’ mind is which college will give them the best opportunity to showcase their skills for the next level. Kentucky has proven that you can go out and win with a bunch of freshman; you do not need four years to create chemistry, just unselfish players. Lower-tiered schools have gotten better at recruiting and the players are starting to go there because they stand out. While bettering their chances of getting drafted early go down by going to a mid-major, the overall competition of the NCAA throughout the country has increased, the division one platform has turned into a level playing field and smaller programs will be making a splash in the future.
Providence College Friars
The Friars have been the bottom-dwellers of the Big East Conference along with Depaul for some time now. Just as the Friars seem to get their act together the Big East starts to fall apart. With one of the top recruiting classes in the country and possibility of bringing in transfers, PC could be a fun team to watch. Ricardo Ledo, an ESPNU top 20 recruit, has signed with Providence as well as the #24 prospect Kris Dunn. Ledo is an explosive 2-guard who can score from anywhere on the floor; there is no stopping him once he starts heating up. Ledo has the ability to break the double team and can make shots in traffic… just what you need to win in the Big East. The Friars also have commitment from 6’5 swingman Josh Fortune who lead his AAU team to finish 5th in nationals. As for Kris Dunn, he is a highly touted point guard prospect, the second-best one in the nation behind UNC-commit, Marcus Paige. Dunn will be able to learn under veteran guard, Vincent Council, which will be better for the Friars in the long run. He is quick, confident and has the ability to make people around him better.
Vincent Council will be happy to finally get some offensive weapons.
Ledo and Dunn are recruited incomers, Providence is also being looked at as a transfer destination by Michigan forward, Evan Smotrycz and Wake Forest center, Carson Desrosiers. Getting either of these two athletes would be a huge asset to a team that lacks size like Providence. Smotrycz is a guy that won’t do a whole lot on the stat sheet but he will make all the hustle plays and he has a great basketball I.Q. Carson Desrosiers is a 7-foot center who is a great interior defender and could help the Friars on the defensive end.
Final Thoughts: With Syracuse and Pittsburgh playing in the ACC and West Virginia moving to the Big 12 as early as next season, the Big East won’t pose the same competition as it used to. Providence should be a team that is playing in March Madness; UCONN is not eligible for post-season play, there will be a dogfight at the top of the Big East standings. After Louisville and Georgetown it is anyone’s game. Next year, PG Vincent Council will be a senior and he will lead this team. Last season he was fourth in the nation in assists and he will make all of the underclassmen better. Soon-to-be sophomores LaDontae Henton and Bryce Kofane will continue to get better and Ledo will be a great weapon for Council to utilize.
Memphis Tigers
The Memphis Tigers have been competing with the elite teams in the country since John Calipari and Derrick Rose were there back in 2007. The Tigers do not play in a power-6 conference but they have still be able to maintain a high level of play. The Memphis organization has begun to build consistency and a great recruiting resume, which will make them one of the top programs in years to come; not to mention they will need to be at their best since they are joining the Big East in 2013. Joe Pastner is one of the younger coaches in the nation and he gets his players to bring their A-game every night. Memphis will be losing their leading scorer, Will Barton, to the NBA Draft and also their leader in Wesely Witherspoon who was a senior this past season. Don’t write Memphis off just yet, they have commitments from power forward Shaq Goodwin (#31 recruit according to ESPNU Top 100) and small forward Damien Wilson, who is a 4-star recruit. Goodwin is a big-bodied athletic forward, which Memphis likes, who can run the floor and finish in traffic as a power forward. Damien Wilson is a 6’6 slasher that can get to the hoop at will and can do a variety of things with the ball in his hand.
Shaq Goodwin was the #2 HS player in Georgia, behind Tony Parker.
Bringing in Goodwin and Wilson will immediately help Memphis make a successful transition to the Big East. These are two types of players that fit in the Big East style of play, rough, tough and with attitude. Goodwin and Wilson won’t have to completely rebuild the program, they will playing with Will Barton’s brother, Antonio and Tarik Black if he does not declare for the NBA draft.
Final Thoughts: The Memphis Tigers have a surplus of athlete and will be swarming with talent next season. Shaq Goodwin fills one of the Tiger’s biggest needs with his presence on the glass. One of their leading 3-point shooters in Antonio Barton will be returning and Tarik Black has matured as a leader. With all that is going for the program of Memphis with top recruits coming in and moving to the Big East there is a lot of positive energy in Memphis. Look for the Tigers to scratch and claw their way to March Madness and have an immediate impact in the big east.
AlexFarnworth 