By BRENDAN McGAIR

Sports writer

For Peterson, being merely practice fodder came with unexpected accountabilities. Providence College head coach Keno Davis often handed the Brooklyn native the assignment of impersonating the opposition’s chief backcourt threat, right down to the player’s number.

“Jimmy Baron [of URI], [Villanova’s] Scottie Reynolds, A.J. Price [from Connecticut],” were just a few of the prime guards Peterson drew. “(The PC coaching staff) told me what to do when running the plays.”

His days of mimicking complete, Peterson is chomping at the bit to show Friar fans just how beneficial last year was to his development. There’s no question that’s good news for a Providence squad replete with question marks relating to where the points and rebounds will come from its frontcourt personnel.

“As athletic as he is, his rebounding is twice as good as it was last year. Even at this early point he’s been dominating the boards in practice,” said Davis when asked where he’s noticed the most evolvement in Peterson’s game. “His perimeter shot has improved. If you’re athletic and can shoot from the outside … he surprises us every day.”

It’s important to illustrate where Peterson stood two years ago to grasp just how far he’s come. His reputation as a bouncy sort accompanied him from Notre Dame Prep – where he was a teammate of current Miami Heat forward Michael Beasley – along with some noticeable flaws, mainly that his outside shot was weak and there was no set-in-stone position then-coach Tim Welsh could lock Peterson in at.

Peterson did make the most of the limited minutes steered his way as a freshman, where his active body concealed most of his weaknesses. He was a major reason why, with 14 points and seven rebounds, Providence grinded out an overtime win against Boston College at the former TD Banknorth Garden. There were the 10 points and five rebounds against both Florida State and Marquette, performances that showed that the talent was present; it just needed to be properly channeled.

“It was tough, sitting on the bench and watching the games, but I think the year off was good for me,” said Peterson looking back. “It helped me get a better flow for the game.”

Peterson was arguably the Friars most athletic forward a season ago, but that classification alone couldn’t help him leapfrog seasoned veterans Geoff McDermott, Jonathan Kale and Randall Hanke. Nor did the fact that Davis employed an eight-man rotation at his first season in Providence, with Hanke and fellow returnees Brian McKenzie and Marshon Brooks serving as the chief reserves.

Instead of attempting to squeeze Peterson into the equation, Davis came to the decision that, from an individual and team standpoint, it would be best to pocket a year of eligibility. Davis mentioned the possibility of redshirting Peterson existed long before official word came down shortly after Big East play began.

“Each year is different as a coach when you talk about redshirting players. If a player can help you win games, you would rather have him on the court than have him sitting,” explained Davis about the variables contemplated when deciding to hold a player back. “Where we were [last season] was that we had a fixed rotation, and though (Peterson) and (fellow redshirt teammate Bilal Dixon) weren’t far away, we thought it would be best for them to sit the year.”

The lag time allowed Peterson to not only improve his own individual skill set, but also gain a deeper perspective of the fast-paced, up-and-down offense Davis employs. With three seasons still staring him in the face, time is definitely on the sophomore’s side to grow and develop into something other than strictly a candidate for the slam dunk competition.

“I want to show more, including stepping out and showing my jump shot,” said Peterson.

Echoed Davis: “There’s no doubt he’s more of a basketball player. He’s more skilled, and that’s just in the year I’ve been here. If he can continue to show that kind of improvement, he can be a special player for us.”

Peterson figures a solid bet to draw a starting nod, given he’s the only frontcourt member on the Friars’ roster with game experience. Where Davis slots him remains up in the air.

“You don’t want to be locked into anything, but right now I see him at the power forward position,” Davis said. “That’s probably his best spot.”

Given Davis’ penchant for shortening his rotation, it’s likely not all 12 scholarship players will figure into the equation. That means a few Friars stand to encounter the same fate befallen Peterson.

“Just stick with it,” said Peterson when asked what advice he would disperse to those Friars awaiting the redshirt tag.