CI.com Newswire01/24 02:05 PM

bomberball accepts head coaching position at Providence. C. Connecticut State searching for replacement...

I applied for this job for a few reasons. CCSU was a fun gig, but they're headed for a significant step back in the upcoming year after making three straight NT's (the three starters that are graduating averaged 40 points and 10 assists per game). Providence is a B prestige program that won an NT game this past season and brings back three starters (including their leading scorer, who I liked when at CCSU but never got a chance to recruit!). In addition, I'm a New York native that grew up watching the Big East before the radical conference realignment, so this hit a soft spot for me.

System-wise, the triangle/M2M is about as different from the motion/FCP I ran at CCSU as possible. That'll be an adjustment, as will recruiting against the big boys. I'm excited to be here, and I can't wait to get started!

Congrats on the new team bomber! Hopefully we can get a game scheduled the following season.

The less said about the on-court play this year, the better. We weren't an NT team to start with, but we've lost nine games by six points or less. This includes two conference games won by a buzzer-beater and free throws with no time left on the clock. Just a brutal year where we're 7-18 at the moment and could be around .500 without too many big swings. On the plus side, we've only got one player graduating, and if we dodge players leaving early for the draft, I think we'll be in a far better position next year.

Recruiting could've gone worse, even though I didn't land my first two primary targets (#1 was a JuCo player who signed with Syracuse, #2 was "very high" for me before A- prestige Boston College swept in and won what turned out to be a coin flip). I only had one scholarship to fill for now, and my first Providence recruit just signed.

Clinton Michael (****, #71 overall, #15 C) - He's certainly overranked by WIS, but Michael will be a very good fit for us. He'll be an excellent rebounder, defender, and shot-blocker once his athleticism catches up with his raw skills, and his insane work ethic will ensure he reaches his potential (and that he does so pretty quickly). He's not a great offensive player, unfortunately, and that won't change. Still, he'll at least be good enough to score on putbacks and be a defensive stopper, and he'll actually be a pretty good ball-handler and free throw shooter for a big guy, too. He's not perfect, and I don't think he'll be an NBA player or anything, but I like him just fine.

Remember when I said I only had one scholarship to fill "for now?" Well, Gerald Servais, our starting power forward, left for the NBA Draft after an 8-19 season that could've just as easily been a .500 campaign with all of the close losses we had. I can't say I blame him, since he'll almost certainly be a first-round pick, but he was "on the fence" the whole season. It would've been really nice to keep him, but c'est la vie.

However, I saw this coming, to an extent, and targeted a potential late signee after Clinton Michael committed. That recruit has now signed.

Allan Thompson (#175 overall, #47 PF) - While Michael is a bit overranked by WIS, Thompson might be a bit underranked. He was ineligible when recruiting started, and his low GPA means he'll need plenty of study hall time when he gets here. He's not a finished product, but there's plenty to like. He's going to turn into a good rebounder/defender (possibly a very good one if his true potential cooperates), and his "wing stats" are solid enough to where he can play some SF in a pinch. Very high potential in ball-handling could make him more valuable, and he already shoots free throws well for a big guy.

Even though we're a bit undermanned in the frontcourt, he might redshirt this year. His good work ethic means he'll get something out of it, and that could mean more playing time for him when he becomes an active part of our roster. He's no star, and his mediocre, low-potential offensive skills are unfortunate, but he should become a very good role-player in due time. As late signees covering for early entries go, I could've done a lot worse.

RECRUITING THOUGHTS

This could've been better, but I didn't embarrass myself. Michael's work ethic means he'll hit his lofty defensive potential pretty quickly. He was my third choice, as I mentioned; Syracuse landing the JuCo top choice was logical, but BC winning the coin flip for my #2 still smarts (even moreso since they landed the #7 center in the country in the late recruiting period; did they REALLY need my guy?!?!). Pain aside, though, he'll be a legitimate starter despite his offensive limitations. Thompson won't be bad, either, but he may need more time, which the redshirt year could certainly give him.

At some point, we're going to need to build an extension on the house rather than patching leaks and holes. However, we didn't whiff here, and I'm okay with that. With one legitimate starter at a B/B+ and a role-player at a C+, B- seems about right.

GRADE: B-.

The lesson here: Once I hit high-D1, my level of enjoyment goes down considerably.

I was pumped for the job when I got it, and we were far better than our record indicated last year. This season, however, we stink. The shortage of backcourt talent in the northeast that caused a few reaches at CCSU also affected Providence. Add in that recruiting isn't going spectacularly, and there's a chance I'm going elsewhere next season. It's a shame, because I love the community of Big East coaches, but if the game ceases to be fun, a change needs to be made.

Anyway, on with what might be my last recruiting class at Providence...

Robert Ring (#60 C) - We don't just need bodies in the frontcourt. We need guys who won't be out of place to get into the rotation right away. The graduation of a really good center leaves us with three frontcourt players for next year, and Ring makes four. He's a JuCo product that probably won't start because he's just not a scorer and comes in not knowing our sets. However, he's an excellent rebounder and a very good shot-blocker, and his on-ball defense still has plenty of room to improve. He won't be a star, but he'll play decent minutes off the bench for two years and fill a gap (promising him 10 minutes was easy/cheap). For what we needed, he checks a box.

Sports Business News03/24 02:13 AM

Columbia names bomberball as new head coach of men's basketball. Providence searching for replacement...

Way back when I first played HD in the late-2000's and early-2010's, I got to high-D1 in a few different worlds. Once I got there, I just didn't enjoy the game nearly as much. I needed to give it another shot, and it was certainly the right time to leave CCSU when I did, but it got less "fun" and more "tiring." This is a real shame, but ultimately, I've gotta do what I can to keep this fun. If it's not fun anymore, why pay to play?

New tracking thread going up shortly!