Stamp “case closed” on Keno Davis’ first recruiting class at Providence College.
Russ Permenter, a 6-foot-9 junior college forward from Temple, Texas, accepted the lone remaining scholarship the Friars had on the table. Permenter flew in from the Lone Star State last Friday and was seated behind the PC bench for Saturday’s Big East game against Rutgers.
Before flying home on Sunday morning, Permenter verbalized his desire to become a Friar next season. Permenter ultimately selected Providence over Penn State, Pepperdine and South Alabama.
“The draw to play in the best conference in the country and to compete at the highest level is what drew Russ to Providence,” said Temple head coach Kirby Johnson. “I equate playing in the Big East to, in Texas, playing football in the Big 12, playing in nationally televised games.”
Johnson, in his 22nd season coaching the Leopards, says Providence is getting its hands on a skilled 235-pound big man who continues to refine his game with new ways to score. Permenter is averaging 19 points (on an economical 12.9 shots), 8.7 rebounds and over three blocks per game for a
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Temple squad that likes to play at a fast pace, witnessed by the 99 points the Leopards average. Permenter’s range now stretches beyond the 3-point arc but is yet to test it out in a competitive setting, according to his coach.
“He’s a strong kid and a good athlete. We play full-court the entire game and Russ is usually plays the ball on the press. Not a lot of big kids can do that, but he can,” said Johnson, whose club took a 16-10 record into last night’s game against McLennan Community College. “He has a jump hook as part of his power moves, but he can step out and draw defenders away from the paint and hit that 15-18 footer. I think that’s what Providence was looking for when they saw Russ.”
Permenter returned to his hometown looking to resurrect his basketball profile after enduring hardships in his first and only season at Division I Texas-San Antonio. He suffered a broken hand early last season and was never able to get completely on track. Permenter got limited run with UTSA, appeared in 14 games, averaging 3.1 points in nine minutes.
“I don’t exactly know what happened, but I know Russ wasn’t happy,” said Johnson.
Johnson used the words “overlooked” and “under recruited” to describe Permenter’s prospects coming out of high school.  “He was on the same team as my son (Tanner). When you’re 18 the lure of playing D-I is great, but I always thought Russ could play at a higher level.”
Permenter didn’t remain a JUCO secret for long. Several monster performances (30 points and 19 rebounds in one game, 28 points and nine boards in another) had coaches around the country curious about his potential. Providence assistant Chris Davis flew to Temple’s campus last Wednesday to see Permenter in person. “He showed what he could do,” said Johnson about performing with a D-I coach in the stands.
PC wanted Permenter to fly up and spend the weekend getting a feel for the program and campus life. As it turned out, Temple was idle this weekend, so the courtship was officially on. A strong student with a GPA of 3.5 to boot, Permenter will have two years of eligibility with the Friars.
“We’re excited for Russ. The only concern he had was whether it would be too cold, but that’s the case with everyone from Texas,” said Johnson, mentioning Permenter is the first player he’s sending off to a Big East institution.
With junior college players, it’s all about seeking out that proper fit. Johnson firmly believes that’s the case with Permenter and Providence. “There are two things I ask the guys to think about: find a place where you want to go and find a place where you can play,” said Johnson. “Russ came away impressed with everything PC had to offer.”
What also steered Permenter towards PC was the prospect of instant playing time. The Friars stand to lose three frontcourt players (Geoff McDermott, Jonathan Kale and Randall Hanke) after this season. Permenter will compete for minutes with returning forwards Alex Kellogg, Bilal Dixon and Jamine “Greedy” Peterson.
Permenter is part of a seven-player class Keno Davis will welcome this fall. It’s expected Permenter will sign his letter-of-intent during April’s signing period.