By BRENDAN McGAIR

Sports writer

HARTFORD – For the better part of last few seasons, Tim Welsh has been preaching the gospel of defense to his Providence College basketball squad. Apparently something has clicked, for PC has turned in solid showings over the last two games, the kind Welsh has thirsted for.

While the majority of the Friars have jumped on-board recently in transforming Welsh’s long sought-after desires into fruitful results, the truth is that the Providence coach was afforded the luxury of someone on the roster already understanding the concept – someone who learned the hard way that minutes played and defense are interwoven.

For Jeff Xavier, defense now comes naturally to him. That wasn’t always the case, for the Pawtucket native understood what necessitates getting on the floor are during his freshman year at Manhattan; Bobby Gonzalez providing the instruction.

"The first half of the season I averaged three minutes a game. I approached (Gonzalez, the current Seton Hall coach) and asked him why. He said that I needed to learn how to play defense," said Xavier. "[At St. Raphael] I never really played defense, but once I got the concept down of playing hard every single day, that’s when I started playing.

"I’m a tough-nosed guy and it’s my nature to go out and out-tough my opponents."

Thanks in large part to his sweet 3-point stroke, Xavier is quickly developing into a Friar favorite. Yet it’s the slinky guard’s play on the other end of the floor that has Welsh a buzz as Providence heads to the recently renamed XL Center (formerly the Hartford Civic Center) to face Connecticut tonight in a matchup of 2-2 Big East squads.

Because of Gonzalez’s tutelage at Manhattan, Xavier was light years ahead of the rest of the Friars as Welsh attempted during the preseason to seek a cure for what’s been a glaring weak spot the previous two campaigns. PC rated dead-last (2006) and 15th (2007), in the points allowed, little wonder as to why defense became a focal point of the weeks leading up to the season-opening trip to Puerto Rico.

Given his pedigree (Xavier racked up six or more steals on three occasions with the Jaspers), Xavier appeared the quintessential rock in which Welsh could base his schemes around and say to the rest of the Friars to follow his lead. Pressuring the point of attack, an attribute any college coach will tell you is essential, was now in sturdy hands, for Xavier gained a starting role with the Friars in large part for his reputation of getting down and dirty.

"One of the things I marvel at Jeff when he was at Manhattan was when I was watching the MAAC Tournament (his sophomore year) was when he dove into the first row at the Pepsi Center in Albany and cracked his two front teeth and blood was everywhere," remembers Welsh. "He ran into the locker room and I said that was it. About six minutes later he was back in the game. I don’t know what they did, they stitched him up or something, but that guy is nails."

With Xavier providing the belt-tightening on the perimeter, Welsh hoped the rest of the Friars would follow suit. When a rough stretch of allowing 90 points in three of four games resulted, the same questions that have surfaced time and time again once again came into play, and that’s whether the Friars could possibly shut anybody down.

The solution was right in Welsh’s face, which was to extend the Friars’ pressure with Xavier serving as the primary catalyst. Granted two games isn’t enough of a sample size to say the Friars are now a defensive juggernaut, but after getting poached on a regular basis, it’s certainly a start in the right direction.

A new page was turned in the second half of last Wednesday’s game against Rutgers, who connected on just two field goals in losing by 16 points. Three days later, PC harassed South Florida and in particular Big East performer Kantrel Gransberry to the tune of 44 percent shooting, a number inflated thanks to the second half turning into extended garbage time.

Combined the Friars held the Bulls and Scarlet Knights to 38 percent shooting. Those are the numbers, and here’s why: Welsh has shifted between full and half-court traps with Xavier pairing up with sophomore Brian McKenzie for the initial wave of attack.

With Geoff McDermott roaming the back end of the press a la a free safety, Providence may have unearthed something that bodes well moving deeper into Big East play.

"I’m not saying we’re playing 40 minutes of great defense right now, but we’re getting close," said Xavier, currently fourth in the Big East with a 2.13 steals average. "I thought we weren’t close in the beginning of the season, but now we’re trying to out-tough people, and in the Big East you have to do that," he said. "Hopefully we can start our defense with intensity and that works out."

Welsh has noticed Xavier rubbing off in a positive manor, in particular with McKenzie, his new running mate.

"That type of energy transforms to other guys. Jeff and Brian run and play off of each other. With McDermott out there, you have three hard-nosed guys," said Welsh. "Everybody picks that up as well."

If you ask Xavier which end of the floor he prefers to shine on, the answer may shock you. But to those who have watched him single-handily bring sweeping changes to a shaky defense, his response shouldn’t come as a shocker.

"I feel defense is my thing and I try to instill that into the team," said Xavier.