Ed Cooley

[Jerry1714]

Friars problem isn't the conference tournament.....

Not its problem is winning 1 NCAAT game in two decades......

 

[mauconnfan]

ESPN had him as a 4 star. He's been a joy to watch this year. Always seems to be in the right place and grabs every loose ball and clutch rebound.

Alpha Diallo - Basketball Recruiting - Player Profiles - ESPN

That makes sense. Like his game a lot, as you say always in the right place.

 

[NewEnglandCB]

Providence obviously benefited being in the NBE. In their short existence, Big East teams have entered league play with good RPI's, and their round robin format takes advantage of starting league play with a majority of good RPI teams. One result is they've done well in getting a good % of their teams to the Dance. Either 60% or 70% this year. But so far they've done poorly once there, the league as a whole, with the exception of Villanova, and only last year even for them. Early exits for Nova until they ran the table in 2016.

If Cooley gets them in this year, that's actually the first time since the 70's they go 4 straight years. The advantage of Providence being able to be a somewhat bigger fish in a smaller pond. I think he's been a good coach to do that. They were picked 9th this year, and are the 3rd seed in their tourney. He's done a good job. I think he can sustain it, if the league can sustain it. He may leave for a job in the NBA some day, that may be an aspiration, not sure, but otherwise I suspect he's a lifer for Providence. An actual run in the tourney would generate interest obviously. Always does. If he keeps getting his teams to the tourney, he'll likely have a run eventually. If the league survives, and I hope it does, Providence is in a good place with Cooley as their coach. They've always just been a stepping stone after Mullaney and Gavitt coached them, Rick Barnes and Rick Pitino grew there, and Cooley seems to be the first coach that let's them forget Pitino, lol.

If the Big East can survive, Cooley has shown his teams can compete in that league, and the league has shown it can compete for bids. Providence clearly is in a far better place then they were in the old BE, and even with only one win to show for it, 4 straight bids is a big step forward for that program. He just needs to have a run. Overall, he seems a perfect fit for that program and a fine coach.

Let's not forget Pete Gillen (HC after Barnes and before Tim Welsh. He had some success as PC head coach. Almost equivalent to Pitino's success. He brought the school to the elite eight one year and was on the brink of making the final four. I remember this because I watch them upset Duke in the tournament before losing in overtime to eventual champion Arizona.

 

[chickenhead]

Big East Coach of the Year per NBC Sports

Big East Conference Tournament Preview, Bracket and Conference Postseason Awards

 

[4in16]

Big East Coach of the Year per NBC Sports

Big East Conference Tournament Preview, Bracket and Conference Postseason Awards

According to rothstein, Holtman from Butler won COY.

 

[chickenhead]

According to rothstein, Holtman from Butler won COY.

Yeah 6th to 2nd trumps 9th to 3rd

 

[superjohn]

That is one of my all-time non Uconn favorite teams. Garces was a monster, Croshere was great, Shamgodd and Jamel Thomas but my favorite player was Derrick Flight Brown. I remember the game against Zona well, it was a shame the ball was in Corey Wright's hands at the end.

 

[Fishy]

What is Diallo then? That kid was a nice player in prep, would have loved him in Storrs. I know he's "only" a 5/3/1 guy now but he understands the game and his type are invaluable. He is a poor mans Chris Clarke but could very well turn out to be very similar. He was a 3 star, just an underrated one.

Diallo is fine, but not sweating that - you don't recruit him in a class where you have Larrier and Jackson coming in. I understand why they didn't pursue him.

Chris Clarke, though, was a miss. Somehow, his official visit was a disaster.

Between him and Bruce Brown, there was some fumbling in Storrs.

 

[mauconnfan]

Diallo is fine, but not sweating that - you don't recruit him in a class where you have Larrier and Jackson coming in. I understand why they didn't pursue him.

Chris Clarke, though, was a miss. Somehow, his official visit was a disaster.

Between him and Bruce Brown, there was some fumbling in Storrs.

Either one of them would have been wonderful. I really like Clarke but as it would have occurred in Storrs, he's hurt again this year and the late ACL will make it tough on him next year. But his game is so perfect for almost any team, what a motor.

 

[Deepster]

Well, throw another one and done on the pile for Ed Cooley.

 

[Deepster]

It was more of a dig at his general postseason failures....if you must know.

 

[SirHypeAlot]

Clinical first half for Ed and Friars.

...Must be nice

 

[Jerry1714]

Clinical first half for Ed and Friars.

...Must be nice

I wish we had a HC with only 1 NCAAT too, oh wait no I don't

 

[SirHypeAlot]

I wish we had a HC with only 1 NCAAT too, oh wait no I don't

they've made the tourney 4 years in a row and what the team has accomplished this year with the current roster is rather remarkable.

 

[Jerry1714]

they've made the tourney 4 years in a row and what the team has accomplished this year with the current roster is rather remarkable.

And in the previous 3 years he won a whopping 1 game with 2 NBA drafts and an All - American. But sure take him over the guy who has a NC and another tournament win over that same period.

 

[SirHypeAlot]

You're suggesting I would take him over Ollie. My point was it would be nice to be playing right now and to also acknowledge the success he's had at a program that hadn't sniffed the tourney in over 10 years. Sorry to stir your hyper sensitivity

 

[BoatShow]

PC putting it on USC

 

[A10 fan]

PAC 10 is always overrated.

 

[BUConn10]

PAC 10 is always overrated.

So overrated they changed their name years ago and you never got the memo.

 

[Jerry1714]

PAC 10 is always overrated.

1 pac 12 team is losing a little over half way through game 3 of the tournament and the whole conference is over rated. God I hate that people have turned into that idiot Skip Bayless

 

[Scoe]

Still a lot of time.

 

[tcf15]

USC up 3 after being down 17. 6 minutes to go.