Providence Friars No. 13 Men's Basketball NCAA Second Round Game Notes Vs. Richmond

Friar Tid Bits:

*The Friars are making their 21st NCAA Tournament appearance and first since 2018.

*The Friars have advanced to the NCAA Second Round for the first time since 2016.

*The Friars are 16-21 all time in the NCAA Tournament with two trips to the Final Four (1973 and 1987).

*Ed Cooleyhas led the Friars toSIXNCAA Tourneys in 11 years, which is more than any other coach at PC.

*The Friars are making theirFIRSTappearance as a No. 4 seed, which is the highest seed they have achieved.

*The Friars won the BIG EAST regular season title for theFIRSTtime ever in 2022.

*The Friars won 14 games in BIG EAST play for theFIRSTtime ever in 2022.

*The Friars are 11-2 in games decided by five points or less.

*Since the 2013-14 season (nine years), the Friars are 68-27 (.716) in games decided by 5 points or less.

*Friars are 4-2 vs. ranked teams - (Wins at No. 20 UConn, vs. No. 15 Seton Hall, at No. 21 Xavier, vs. No. 22 Marquette).

*The Friars are 3-0 in overtime games this season.

*As of March 15, the Friars had a Net Ranking of32, which includes a 5-3 record versus Quad 1 teams.

*The Friars have earned 26 wins in a season for the for the frist time since 1973-74.

*The Friars are attempting to reach 27 wins in a season for the first time since 1973-74 (28-4).

*The Friars have earned 20 wins in a season for the first time since 2017-18 and the sixth time underEd Cooley.

*The Friars have won 20 or more games in a season for the 28th time.

*The Friars finished the season with a 16-1 mark at home, which is the best mark since 1973-74 (16-0).

*Jared Bynumis the 1st BIG EAST player in 25 years with 3 games of 25+ points off the bench in the same season.

*Friars' top 7 players (Watson, Durham, Reeves, Horchler, Minaya, Bynum, Croswell) have played 828 college games.

*On March 10,Ed Cooleywas named a Naismith Coach of the Year Semifinalist.

*The Friars are ranked#13/#13(13th week being ranked).The Friars entered the polls at #22/#23 on Dec. 20.

*The highest the Friars have been ranked this season was #8/#9 on Feb. 14 and #9/#8 on Feb. 28

*Prior to entering the poll on Dec. 20, 2021, the last time the Friars had been ranked was Feb. 22, 2016.

*AJ Reeves returned vs. Marquette on Jan. 30.He missed five games with a finger injury.

*Jared Bynumreturned vs. UConn (Dec. 18) after missing four games with an ankle injury.

*Al Durhamhas missed two games due to an abdominal injury.

*Al Durhamleads the BIG EAST in free throws made (160) and attempted (189).

*Record in unis this season: white (11-1); black (5-1); grey (4-0); retro white (3-1); retro black (3-1); pinkout (0-1).

*The Friars missed three games with a Covid pause (12 days) before defeating Georgetown on Jan. 20.

*Nate WatsonandJared Bynumwere named All-BIG EAST Second Team.

*Jared Bynumearned the BIG EAST Sixth Man Award.

*Ed Cooleywas named BIG EAST Coach of the Year.

*On March. 1 at Villanova,Nate Watson(1,738 points) became the 11th player at PC to score 1,700 or more points.

*On Jan. 23 in PC's win over Butler,Ed Cooleysurpassed Dave Gavitt as he posted his 210th win.

*Ed Cooley(220-140) trails Joe Mullaney (319-164) for all-time wins as a head coach at Providence.

*The Friars posted a 6-1 mark in Nov., a 6-0 mark in Dec., a 6-1 record in Jan. and a 6-1 mark in Feb.

*On Jan. 8 versus St. John's,Ed Cooleyearned his 300th victory (312-209) as a head coach.

*The Friars are 1-0 vs. the Big 12 this season.The Friars are 2-0 vs. the Big Ten this season.

*It marks the first time ever that the Friars have posted two wins over Big Ten teams in the same season.

*The Friars' win over Wisconsin on Nov. 15 was just the fourth time PC has won a road game versus a Big Ten team and the first since winning at Wisconsin on December 23, 1996.

*The Friars win over No. 20/22 UConn on Dec. 18 was the team's 700th win over a New England team (700-307).

*With the win over Marquette on Jan. 30,Ed Cooleyposted the 100th BIG EAST win (106-92) of his career.

*The Friars have a team record of five graduate students on the roster this season.

*The average age of the Friars' top seven players is 23.0 years.

*Andrew andLuke Fontsare the first brothers to suit up at the same time for the Friars in 70 years.

How The Friars Got To The NCAA Tournament:The Friars earned an at-large bid as a four seed to their 21st NCAA Tournament overall and sixth in 11 years under Head CoachEd Cooley.Providence has posted a 26-5 mark and a 14-3 record in BIG EAST play.The Friarswon the BIG EAST Regular Season Title for the first time in the 43-year history of the league.Providence has a NET Ranking of32entering the NCAA Tournament.

Friars All-Time In The NCAA Tourney:The Friars are making their 21st appearance all-time in the NCAA Tournament in 2022.It is the Friars' sixth trip to the NCAA Tournament under Head CoachEd Cooley(2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2022).The Friars have posted a 16-21 mark all-time in NCAA Tournament play.The team has made two trips to the Final Four (1973 and 1987), four appearances in the Elite Eight (1965, 1973, 1987 and 1997) and five trips to the Sweet Sixteen (1965, 1973, 1974, 1987 and 1997).

Friars Versus The Tournament Field:The Friars have faced nine teams in the NCAA Tournament field this season and have posted an 9-4 mark against those teams. The Friars faced South Dakota State (1-0), Wisconsin (1-0), Saint Peter's (1-0), Texas Tech (1-0), Vermont (1-0), Connecticut (1-0), Seton Hall (1-0), Marquette (1-1), Creighton (1-1) and Villanova (0-2). All time, the Friars have faced 51 of the 68 teams in this year's NCAA Tournament Field. Providence has registered a 290-306 record all-time against those 50 teams, including a 5-9 mark in NCAA play.

Friars Vs. Richmond:The Friars and the Spiders are meeting for sixth time ever on Saturday and the first time in the NCAA Tournament.The Friars have posted a 3-2 mark all-time versus Richmond.The Friars are 1-1 at home versus the Spiders and 2-1 on the road versus Richmond. In the first game ever between the two teams, Richmond defeated the Friars, 55-54, on February 19, 1983 in Richmond.The last time the two teams met, the Friars earned a 57-56 win at Richmond on December 23, 2003.In the only post-season game between the two teams, the Friars earned a 67-49 win in the NIT at Richmond on March 19, 2003.

Friars Earn Highest Seed All-Time In The NCAA Tournament:Providence's No. 4 seed is the highest in program history since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985. The Friars' highest seed prior to this year's tournament was a No. 5 seed in 2015.

Head CoachEd CooleyBreaks Dave Gavitt's Mark Of Five Friar NCAA Tournament Apperances:The Friars are making their sixth appearance in the NCAA Tournament under Head CoachEd Cooleyin 2022.With this season's appearance, Cooley eclipsed former Friar Head Coach Dave Gavitt's mark of five tournament appearances - which was the most for any Friar head coach all-time.Other former Friar head coaches who reached the NCAA Tournament are Joe Mullaney (three NCAA appearance), Rick Pitino (one NCAA appearance), Rick Barnes (three NCAA appearance), Pete Gillen (one NCAA appearance),and Tim Welsh (two NCAA appearances).

Watson And Bynum Named All-BIG EAST Second Team:It was announced on March 6 that graduate student centerNate Watson(Portsmouth, Va.) and junior guardJared Bynum(Largo, Md.) each earned All-BIG EAST Second Team honors.It marks the second consecutive year that the Friars have had two players earn all-league honors as Watson andDavid Dukereceived Second Team accolades last season.

Bynum Earns BIG EAST Sixth Man Award:It was announced on March 7 that Providence junior guardJared Bynum(Largo, Md.) earned the BIG EAST Sixth Man Award.Bynum becomes the first Friar to earn the honor.

Cooley Named BIG EAST Coach Of The Year:It was announced on March 9 at Madison Square Garden in New York that Providence'sEd Cooleywas named BIG EAST Coach Of The Year.Cooley, who is the first Friar coach in the 43-year history of the league to earn the honor, has guided the Friars to a 24-4 mark.In BIG EAST league play, the Friars set a team record for wins after registering a 14-3 mark and capturing the program's first BIG EAST Regular Season title.The Friars, who finished in first place, were picked to finish seventh in the annual BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll which was released in October.

Ed CooleyNamed A Semifinalist for Naismith Coach Of The Year:It was announced today on March 10 that Providence'sEd Cooleywas named one of 10 Semifinalist for the Werner Ladder Naismith Coach Of The Year Award.Cooley joins Mark Adams (Texas Tech), John Calipari (Kentucky), Scott Drew (Baylor), Steve Forbes (Wake Forest), Greg Gard (Wisconsin), Tommy Lloyd (Arizona), Matt McMahon (Murray State), Bruce Pearl (Auburn), and Kelvin Sampson (Houston) as Semifinalists.On March 23, the list of 10 Semifinalist will be cut to four Finalist with the winner being announced on April 3.

Friars Ranked No. 13/13 In The Nation:The Providence College men's basketball team is ranked No. 13 in the Associated Press Poll (March 14) and No. 13 in the most recent Coaches Poll (March 13). The Friars, who entered the polls on December 20 at No. 22/23, have been ranked for 13-consecutive weeks. The Friars were ranked No. 11/10 in both polls last week.

Friars In Overtime:The Friars recorded a 3-0 record in overtime games this season.On February 23, the Friars defeated Xavier, 99-92, in triple overtime.They have registered a 71-67 mark all-time in overtime games.

After Nine Years, Friars Have Fourth Best Record In BIG EAST Action:Since the formation of the new BIG EAST, the Friars have posted the fourth best mark in league play over the last nine years.The Friars' 93-69 mark (.574) trails only Villanova's 130-31 record (.808), UConn's 24-12 record (.667) and Creighton's 95-70 record (.576).

Providence College Basketball:The 2021-22 campaign marks the 95thseason of basketball at Providence College. Since the program started in 1926-27, Providence has posted a1,521-1,013mark, good for a .600 winning percentage. The Friars have made the NCAA Tournament 21 times and the National Invitation Tournament on 20 occasions.

PC Hoops With Coach Cooley Show:The Providence College men's basketball program has partnered with FOX Providence for PC Hoops with Coach Cooley.The 30-minute show will air the following Sundays this season (Feb. 27, March 6, March 13, and March 20) on FOX Providence at 10:30 p.m.WPRI 12 Sports Director Morey Hershgordon will host the show that will feature an exclusive interview each week with Friar Head CoachEd Cooley, as well as features on the Friars.

Friars Earn 20 Wins For The First Time Since 2018:With the Friars' 71-52 win at Georgetown on February 6, the team posted its 20th victory of the season.It marks the first time the team earned 20 wins in a season since 2017-18 and the sixth time underEd Cooley(2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2022).It also marked, the 28th time the Friars have won 20 or more games in a season.In 2016 and 2022, the Friars registered 24 victories, which is the most wins by the Friars underEd Cooley.

Athletic Director Bob Driscoll Announces Retirement:Providence College Athletic Director Bob Driscoll announced on January 21 that he will retire in June after serving the College for 21 years.Driscoll has worked in collegiate athletics for 47 years.

Steve NapolilloNamed Next Athletic Director:It was announced on January 26 thatSteve Napolillowould be the 11th athletic director in the history of Providence College.On July 1, Napolillo will replace Bob Driscoll, who announced his retirement on January 21.Napolillo, who is the senior associate athletic director/assistant vice president for external relations, has worked at the College since 2004.

Ed CooleyRanks Second On The PC All-Time Win List:With the Friars' win versus Butler on January 23, 2022,Ed Cooleyrecorded his 210th victory as the Friar Head Coach and moved into second place on the all-time win list for PC Head Coaches.The the top three all-time winningest Friar head coaches are: Joe Mullaney (319-164),Ed Cooley(220-140, 11 seasons) and Dave Gavitt (209-84).

Friars All-Time Versus Top-25 Teams:The Friars have posted a 127-273 (.318) mark all-time versus top-25 teams, including a 4-2 mark this season.

Friars Play Their First Game In 12 Days After Covid Pause:On January 8, the Friars defeated St. John's, 83-73.The team then went on a 12-day pause due to Covid within the program.It marked the first time in the last two seasons the Friars have had to pause due to Covid within the team.The Friars returned from the Covid pause to defeat Georgetown, 83-75, on January 20.

Friars Ranked For First Time Since 2016:When the Friars entered the polls on December 20 at No. 22/23, it marked the first time the Friars had been ranked since they were No. 24 in the Coaches Poll on February 22, 2016.It also marked the first time the team has been ranked in both polls since February 15, 2016 when the Friars were 23rd in the Associated Press Poll and 20th in the Coaches Poll.

Friars At The Dunkin' Donuts Center:All-time, the Friars have recorded a 603-236 (.718) mark in 49 seasons of games at the Dunkin' Donuts Center.The Dunkin' Donuts Center, formerly the Providence Civic Center, opened on November 3, 1972. The Friars had played their home games there for 48 consecutive seasons, prior to the 2020-21 season when the team played on campus at Alumni Hall with no fans in attendance due to the pandemic.PC posted a 16-1 mark at the Dunk' this season, the team's best record at home since 1973-74.

Veteran Lineup:The Friars' roster features five graduate students.It marks the first time ever the Friars have had five graduate students on the roster.The Friars' top seven players -Nate Watson(152 games),Noah Horchler(117 games),Al Durham(151 games), AJ Reeves (104 games),Jared Bynum(76 games),Justin Minaya(108 games) andEd Croswell(113 games) have combined to play 828 collegiate games.

Brothers In The Lineup:For the first time since 1941 when Eddie and John Lee of Attleboro, Mass. suited up for the Friars, the Providence men's basketball team will have brothers playing together.Graduate studentAndrew Fonts(Portsmouth, R.I.) and his brother, freshmanLuke Fonts, are the first sibling combo for the Friars in 81 years.

Essandoko, Berry and Pierre Sign NLIs To Attend PC:Ed Cooleyannounced on Nov. 16 that student-athletes Christ Essandoko (Paris, France), Quante Berry (Cleveland, Tenn.) and Jayden Pierre (Elizabeth, N.J.) each have signed a National Letter of Intent to attend Providence College beginning in September 2022.Essandoko, a 6-foot-11-inch, 260-pound center is in his senior year at Winston-Salem Prep (N.C.).He is coached by Antonio Lowe at Winston-Salem Prep.Essandoko played for Boo Williams on the EYBL Nike Circuit. He averaged 7.2 points and 5.4 rebounds, while shooting 62.5 percent from the field. He is ranked as the 20th best center in the country (134 overall) and the sixth best player in France, according to 247Sports.com. Rivals.com ranked Essandoko as the 150th best player in the country and the No. 23 center.Berry, a 6-foot-4-inch, 175-pound guard, also attends Winston-Salem Prep.Berry played AAU basketball for B. Maze Elite on the UAA circuit.As a sophomore, Berry averaged 17 points, six rebounds and five assists and earned All-State honors at Bradley Central High School in Tennessee, before transferring to Winston-Salem Prep. Berry is the 33rd ranked guard in the nation, according to 247Sports.com. Pierre, a 6-foot-1-inch, 170-pound point guard, is in his senior year at Long Island Lutheran. He is coached by John Buck at Long Island Lutheran. Pierre played AAU basketball for Team Rio.He is ranked as the 15th-best point guard in the country and the top-ranked point guard in New Jersey, according to 247Sports.com. ESPN.com has Pierre ranked as the 39th point guard in the nation and sixth best player in New Jersey.

Nate WatsonRegisters His 1,000th Career Point:Nate Watson(Portsmouth, Va.) scored his 1,000th career point on December 20, 2020 in the Friars' win at Seton Hall.He became the 51st Friar all-time to register 1,000 career points.In 153 career games, Watson has registered 1,738 points (11.4 ppg).He ranks 11th all-time in scoring at Providence College.

Horchler Registers His 1,000th Career Point:Noah Horchler(Melbourne Beach, Fla.) scored his 1,000th career point on March 10, 2021 in the Friars' BIG EAST Tournament game versus DePaul.In 117 career games (61 at North Florida and 57 at Providence), Horchler has registered 1,296 points (11.1 ppg).

Friars Are 79-5 In Non-Conference Home Games UnderEd Cooley:The Friars have posted a 79-5 mark in 11 seasons underEd Cooleyin non-conference home games.

"DG" Patch On Friar Uniforms:In memory of former Friar Head Coach Dave Gavitt the Friars have worn a "DG" patch on their uniforms since the 2011-12 season.Gavitt led PC and Eastern basketball into the modern age.In 10 seasons as the head coach of the Friars, Gavitt led PC to 209 wins, including eight consecutive 20-win seasons, five NCAA appearances, three NIT appearances and five New England Coach of the Year honors.He led the Friars to 23 wins over Top-20 teams.His 1973 team made it to Final Four.In 1971, Gavitt was named Director of Athletics at PC, a position he held until 1982 when he resigned to be the director of the BIG EAST Conference.He also was named Head Coach of the 1980 USA Olympic basketball team.He was elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.