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Message: [QUOTE="Windsorlocks, post: 2083134, member: 5993"] 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. [/QUOTE]

Verification: First name of men's bb coach

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