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The Providence Friars men's basketball team represents Providence College in NCAA Division I competition, in which they are a member of the Big East Conference. They play their home games at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island. Keno Davis has been the head coach of the Friars since the 2008-09 season. The Friars have made two final four appearances in the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, in 1973 and 1987. Three former players or coaches are enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame: Dave Gavitt, John Thompson, and Lenny Wilkens.
[edit] History[edit] Early years: 1921–1955Providence Friars basketball can be traced back to 1921, when the four-year old school fielded its first basketball team on an informal basis. This first team only lasted two years, however, and did not return until the 1926–27 season when Archie Golembeski, the school's football coach, led to the team to a win over St. John's before devoting his time to football the next year. He was replaced by Al McClellan, who coached the team to four New England championships – 1929, 1930, 1932, and 1935 – and had an overall winning percentage over .700. In 1938, McClellan left and was replaced by Ed Crotty, who led the team to a a 15–5 record in 1942–43 before the team suspended play the next year after the outbreak of World War II. After the war, the NCAA divided its teams into two divisions, the University Division and the College Division; with a smaller enrollment and no home court (the team played in an on-campus auditorium and then local high school gyms), the Friars were placed into the College Division and no longer faced the opponents they once played. [edit] 1955-1969: Mullaney eraIn 1949, Vin Cuddy was hired as the team's head coach, leading the team to a 14–9 record in his first season and qualified for the NAIB regional tournament in 1951, behind the school's first 1,000-point scorer, Jim Schlimm. By 1955, Cuddy's record fell to 9–12 and he was replaced by Joe Mullaney; at the same time, the school opened its first on-campus gym, Alumni Hall. In 1959, Mullaney and the Friars defeated ranked Villanova on the road, leading to their first-ever National Invitational Tournament bid. The Friars reached the NIT Finals in 1960 before winning the tournament in 1961 behind future hall of famer Lenny Wilkens. Two years later, led by another future hall of famer, John Thompson, as well as future Boston Mayor Ray Flynn, the Friars won their second NIT title. With a 24–2 record in 1964–65, the number four ranked Friars reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament. In 1966–67, Jimmy Walker led the nation in scoring and became the school's first 2,000-point scorer as well as the first New England player selected first overall in the NBA Draft. That season also marked the last in Mullaney's run of nine consecutive 20-win seasons. Two years later, Mullaney was hired as the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA. [edit] 1969–1979: Gavitt eraFollowing Mullaney's departure, Dave Gavitt, an assistant under Mullaney who then became head coach at Dartmouth, took over as the Friars' head coach. In his second year, Gavitt began a string of eight consecutive 20-win seasons. For the 1972–73 season, the team began playing in downtown Providence at the brand-new 12,000-seat arena, the Providence Civic Center (renamed the Dunkin' Donuts Center in 2001). That season was the Friars' best to date; led by Ernie DiGregorio and Marvin Barnes, the team went on a 17-team game winning streak that ended in a Final Four loss to Memphis State. The next year, the Friars posted a 28–4 record and had their second straight Sweet Sixteen appearence. The team continued its top-flight status with back-to-back 20-win seasons in 1976–77 and 1977–78, earning NCAA Tournament bids each year, one coming after defeating top-ranked Michigan in 1976. After a 10–16 season in 1978–79, Gavitt left Providence to become the first commissioner of the Providence-based Big East Conference. He finished his 10-year career at Providence with a 209–84 (.713) record. [edit] 1979–1985After spending the first six decades of their existence as an independent, the Friars joined the Big East in its inaugural season, 1979–80. The conference originally consisted of Providence, St. John's, Boston College, Syracuse, Georgetown, Seton Hall, and Connecticut. New head coach Gary Walters led the team to an 11–16 record in 1979–80, and was replaced by Mullaney in 1981. His next stint with the Friars would not be as successful, and consisted of only one winning season (1983–84) against three losing. [edit] 1985–1987: Pitino eraIn 1985, New York Knicks assistant coach Rick Pitino was hired as the latest Friars head coach. In his first season the Friars compiled a 17–14 record and made their fist NIT appearence in a decade. The next year, 1986–87, the Friars posted a 25–9 record behind Billy Donovan and made their second ever Final Four appearence in the 1987 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. After losing to Syracuse, Pitino left the school and re-joined the Knicks as their head coach in 1987. [edit] 1987–1998In 1987–88, the Friars posted a losing record under new head coach Gordie Chiesea, who was replaced by Rick Barnes after the season. Behind Barnes and 2,000-point scorer Eric Murdock, the Friars made back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearences in 1989 and 1990. The team had an NIT semifinal appearence in 1993 and an NCAA tournament appearence in 1994, while also capturing the school's first Big East Tournament title. Following back-to-back 20-win seasons, Barnes left to become the head coach at Clemson in 1994. He was replaced by Pete Gillen. Led by Eric Williams, the Friars made consecutive NIT appearences in 1995 and 1996. In 1996–97, the Friars posted a 24–12 record, led by Austin Croshere and Jamel Thomas. After defeating Duke in the 1997 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, the Friars reached the Elite Eight before losing to eventual champion Arizona. Following a losing season in 1997–98, Gillen departed to become the head coach at Virginia. [edit] 1998–2008: Welsh eraGillen was replaced by Iona head coach Tim Welsh in 1998. Led by Thomas, the Friars made an NIT bid in 1999. The team returned to the NCAA Tournament two years later, posting a 21–10 record behind John Linehan. While the Friars posted a losing record in Linehan's senior season in 2001–02, the guard broke Allen Iverson's single-season Big East steals record of 67 as well as Murdock's NCAA career steals record of 377. Led by Ryan Gomes, the Friars returned to the NIT with an 18–14 record in 2002–03 and made another NCAA appearence in 2003–04 with a 20–9 record. However, Welsh's teams, without Gomes after 2004–05, recorded one winning season out of four, and Welsh was fired following the 2007–08 season. [edit] 2008–present: Davis eraIn 2008, the Friars hired Drake head coach Keno Davis, who won the National Coach of the Year Award in his first and only season as Drake's head coach. Davis' team posted a 19–14 record, including a win at home over top-ranked Pittsburgh, in 2008–09 en route to an NIT appearence. [edit] Coaching staff
[edit] Current roster
[edit] Season-by-season[edit] References[edit] External links
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