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Looking back at a crazy night at The Dunk |
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Monday, 19 January 2009 |
By BRENDAN McGAIR
Trying to make sense of Saturday’s zaniness at The Dunk…
Given the sometimes compacted nature of the Big East schedule, not much time is afforded to lick one’s wounds. Games can sneak up, and with the way this heavily populated top-25 league is shaping up, it’s best that coaches and players have short-term memories.
Providence College returns to the court tonight against Cincinnati not even 48 hours removed from a stinging 91-82 loss to No. 14 Marquette late Saturday night. The good news is that the Friars need no introductions to the Bearcats, which won at De Paul Saturday and comes to town winners of two straight. Providence won in Cincy not even two weeks ago, so the scouting reports should still be fresh for Keno Davis.
Davis, PC’s first-year coach, was asked shortly after Saturday’s disheartening outcome whether it helps or hinders the Friars to return to the hardwood as soon as possible. Davis’ response suggests there’s a litany of reasons why sometimes games get stacked atop each other like an order of pancakes at IHOP.
“You’d rather have two or three days. Sometimes when you’re dealing with that many teams, scheduling and facilities, it’s tough,” said Davis. “I think the players love it because they want to play games. They don’t want to come to practice for 4-5 days in a row. We know we can get better from the experience of the games, but the practice court is where we can really improve as a team.”
Davis is quickly coming to grips with the issues that were omnipresent in Tim Welsh’s final seasons. The Friars’ inability to finish the job has been a prevailing issue for sometime, Saturday’s game against the Golden Eagles being the latest hard-to-swallow painful chapter.
Once again the Friars teased us with their potential. To surge ahead by 13 points in the second half and wind up losing by nine is something good Big East teams simply don’t do, yet it’s hard to close out games when everything goes inexplicably wrong at the same time. All the mishandled passes, the missed free throws and the inability to get a hand in the face of Marquette shooters, all add up to what has dogged this particular Friar team.
Now it becomes Davis’ job to pick up the pieces and sprinkle in a little psychology with his basketball teachings. Granted moving on from a top-15 member in Marquette to one that’s sub-.500 (Cincinnati) should be a welcome sign, but in the Big East, with games at times bunched together, thinking like that can be dangerous.
“If you’re fortunate enough to come back and grab a victory on Monday, guys will forget about (Marquette) pretty quickly,” said Davis.
***
The scene of Jeff Xavier’s brother, Jonathan, walking onto the court, unfolding at the 17:12 mark of the second half, was a rare – if not nerve-racking – sight.
The wheels were set in motion when Xavier drove to the basket and caught an elbow to his right eye by Marquette’s Joseph Fulce. It didn’t appear to be malicious (no foul was whistled), just the side affect of a physical encounter. Xavier was writhing in pain on the floor for several minutes before eventually stumbling to the bench with a towel covering his face.
Jonathan Xavier got up from his seat in Section 125, managed to pass one guard sitting next to the PC bench, then hop over the Friar players and onto the playing surface before expressing his opinion to an official in the form of a timeout sign. His actions caught everyone off guard with ESPN cameras capturing the entire bizarre scene.
You have to feel for Jeff Xavier, who Davis said “looked like he had been in a fight.” PC officials stated Sunday night that Xavier’s status is “day to day,” though it’s highly unlikely he’ll suit up tonight against the Bearcats.
Marquette head coach Buzz Williams wasted little time in rounding up his players. “I've never seen anything like that. I just wanted to pull my team off the court and get them away from that,” he said.
Davis was equally nervous for his team’s safety. “You never know what’s going to happen in a situation like that,” said the Providence coach. “I’m sure that the staff in The Dunk will be better prepared. Just like we go through a game, you try to get better for the next time. We've got to make sure that we increase the security and how they are going to handle things (next time). It's just unique.”
***
Xavier did not return and was sorely missed on the defensive end, particularly along the perimeter. The Golden Eagles canned five 3-pointers in the guard’s absence, three coming in a three-minute stretch off the hands of Lazar Hayward.
“Jeff is a very calming influence, we want him on the court at the end of games,” said Davis. “Even if he’s not the guy breaking down the defense, he spreads the court and doesn’t have unforced turnovers. On the defensive end he gets us in our flow of how we want to matchup. It would have been nice to have him late.”
***
Golden Eagles senior Jerel McNeal, who like Hayward scored 25 points, could see the expressions on the Friars’ faces shift as Marquette seized control.
“Their demeanor changed as the game got tight, and it’s something we all noticed,” said McNeal. “I don’t know if it was a game that they felt they should have won, they had complete control, but we kept fighting.”
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Last Updated ( Friday, 27 February 2009 )
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Saturday night I attended the semi-final girls basketball
game vs Townies Girls team as an aunt of one of the EP players. It was an exciting
all-around game for both teams, and I give credit to my niece and the Townie girls
too for a great season. <br />I just have to say though, that I was
particularly impressed with the talent, poise and unflappable playing style of this
Tolman girls team! It can only speak well of a great coaching staff, and their love
and encouragement of these talented girls. After the game, the low-key humilty that
the Tolman girls displayed, showed real sportsmanship and class. I have a feeling
that this season is the "Year of the Tiger" and hope that they go straight on to
victory in the championship. No matter what the outcome though, they've gained a new
loyal fan in me, and I look forward to following the next seasons with real
interest. This is the way that high school sports should be played! You go Tolman
girls! - Regina Orio
THANK YOU TO THE PAWTUCKET TIMES AND THE WOONSOCKET CALL
FORV THEIR GREAT COVERAGE OF HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING IN YOUR PAPERS IT IS VERY MUCH APPERICATED!! A SPECIAL THANKS TO TERRY NEAU FOR HIS EXCELLENT COVERAGE OF CUMBERLAND CLIPPERS WRESTLING AND FOP ALL THE GREAT PICTURES YOU PUT IN THE CALL THEY ARE AWESOME!!!THANKS AGAIN!!! - Dawn Lariviere
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