Jamel Thomas rings in 1999
as an All-American Candidate.
| |
Men's Basketball Prepares for West Virginia
Jamel Thomas needs three 3-pointers to become PC's all-time leader.
January 4, 1999
PROVIDENCE COLLEGE (9-4/2-2) vs. WEST VIRGINIA (7-6/2-2)
Tuesday, January 5, 1999 - 7:05 p.m.
Providence Civic Center (12,993) - Providence, Rhode Island
FRIARS VERSUS MOUNTAINEERS...Tonight's game is the ninth meeting between the two schools with the Friars leading the series, 6-2. The two teams have played four times in BIG EAST regular season play with the series tied 2-2. PC has won the only BIG EAST Tournament game, a 76-69 win in 1997. The Friars are 4-0 against WVU at the Providence Civic Center. The two teams met just once last year in Morgantown with the Mountaineers winning, 81-63. The Friars travel to Morgantown for the second game this season on Wednesday, February 3rd.
PROBABLE STARTERS
Pos. No. Name Pts/Reb. Ht. Wt. Class Hometown
F 22 Sean CONNOLLY 12.6/3.5 6-4 180 Fr. Peabody, Mass.
F 33 Jamel THOMAS 23.2/7.3 6-6 215 Sr. Brooklyn, N.Y.
C 24 Erron MAXEY 10.5/5.8 6-6 195 So. Lake Elsinore, Cal.
G 3 Kendrick MOORE 11.3/1.8 6-3 180 Sr. Hartford, Conn.
G 12 John LINEHAN 4.0/1.6 5-9 165 So. Chester, Pa.
OFF THE BENCH
Pos. No. Name Pts/Reb. Ht. Wt. Class Hometown
G 5 Jamaal CAMAH 4.7/1.8 6-4 195 So. Salem., Mass.
G 10 Corey WRIGHT 6.0/2.2 5-8 160 Sr. New York, N.Y.
F 15 Peter FARRELL- 0.0/0.5 6-5 195 So. Hanover, Mass.
MARCELLINO
G 21 Kareem HAYLETTS 0.0/0.0 6-0 160 Fr. Bergenfield, N.J.
F 25 Ben PERKINS 0.8/0.5 6-7 205 So. Vinton, La.
F 32 Leon BRISPORT 2.5/2.0 6-9 220 Jr. New York, N.Y.
F 40 Justin FARLEY 5.2/2.9 6-6 205 Sr. Indianapolis, Ind.
F 42 Llewellyn COLE 6.5/3.5 6-7 220 Jr. New York, N.Y.
F 50 Ryan McAULIFFE 0.0/0.0 6-5 205 Sr. Essex Jct., Vt.
FRIARS VERSUS TOP TEAMS...With the Friars' 83-68 win at #23/#23 Pittsburgh on December 3, the PC has won back-to-back games against ranked opponents for the first time since the 1994-95 season. The Friars had also defeated #9/#8 ranked Purdue, 87-82 on December 27th. It was also the second time this season that PC played back-to-back games against ranked teams. In the first week of the season, PC lost to then #25-ranked TCU, 79-77 and defeated then #23-ranked Rhode Island, 87-63. PC is 3-1 this season against ranked opponents. As of January 4th, PC has nine games left against teams that are ranked or received votes in the Associated Press poll: UConn (1), St. John's (2), Arkansas (1), Syracuse (1), Pitt (1), Villanova (2), Miami (1).
JAMEL FOR THREE...Jamel Thomas, the Friars' All-BIG EAST and All-American candidate needs just three, three-point field goals to become PC's all-time leader in that category. He currently has made 167 to tie Michael Brown for second. He needs three to pass Friar great Eric Murdock (169) for first on the list. On Saturday, against Seton Hall, Thomas became PC's all-time leader in three-point attempts with 478 passing Michael Brown.
NUMBERS GAME...After starting the season 0-2 (the worst start since 1932-33), the Friars have now won nine of their last 11 games. Last Saturday's 65-49 win over Seton Hall gives PC a three-game winning streak.
NEXT GAME...The Friars start a three-game road swing that will take them to Georgetown on Saturday, January 9th for a 12:00 noon tip-off against the Hoyas. That game will be the BIG EAST Game of the Week and will be televised on WJAR-TV 10 and broadcast on WPRO Radio with John Rooke and Joe Hassett calling the shots.
TONIGHT IN THE BIG EAST
PC ON THE AIR
Syracuse at Villanova 7:30 p.m.
WPRO Radio - 630 AM with John Rooke and Pittsburgh at Notre Dame
8:00 p.m. Joe Hassett calling the shots.
The game is televised by the New England Sports Network (NESN) with John Sanders and Ron Perry calling the action.
HEAD COACH TIM WELSH
FIRST YEAR AT PC: 9-4/2-2
Overall at PC: 9-4/2-2
IONA: 70-22 (.761)
4-YEAR CAREER: 79-26 (.752)
BIG EAST TOURNAMENT:
BIG EAST GAMES: 2-2
NON-LEAGUE GAMES: 7-2
VERSUS WEST VIRGINIA: First Meeting
NCAA TOURNAMENT: 0 -1 (1997-98)
NIT: 0 - 2 (1995-96, 1996-97)
1998-99 (9-4/2-2)...Won first game as a Friars' head coach upsetting #23 Rhode Island, 87-63...Coached 100th career game against Brown University (12/5)...Upset #9 Purdue, 87-82...Won first BIG EAST game at #23/#23 Pittsburgh, 83-68...
1997-98 (27-6/10-4)...Led Iona to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship...Coached Iona to first NCAA appearance since 1985...MAAC Coach of the Year...Metropolitan Area's Division I Coach of the Year...Jack Bruen Award as New York State Coach of the Year...Team won school record 27 games...
1996-97 (22-8/11-3)...Led Iona to first place finish in MAAC...Made second consecutive NIT appearance...MAAC Coach of the Year...NABC District II Coach of the Year...
1995-96 (21-8/15-3)...Won first of three MAAC regular season titles...Took Iona to first NIT appearance since 1983...Winner of Peter A. Carlesimo Award as Metropolitan Area Division I Coach of the Year...
The Welsh Facts File
Full Name - Tim Welsh
Birthdate - October 4, 1960
Birthplace - Massena, New York
Family - Single
High School - Massena High School
College - Potsdam State University '84
Coaching Experience -
1998 Head Coach, Providence College
1995-98 Head Coach, Iona College
1994-95 Interim Head Coach, Iona College (10 games)
1991-95 Assistant Coach, Iona College
1988-91 Assistant Coach, Syracuse University
1986-88 Assistant Coach, Florida State University
1985-86 Volunteer Assistant Coach, Iona College
Coaching Honors
1998 - Metro Atlantic Athletic Association Coach of the Year
1998 - Peter A. Carlesimo Award - Metropolitan Area Division I
Coach of the Year
1998 - Jack Bruen Award - New York State Coach of the Year
1997 - Metro Atlantic Athletic Association Coach of the Year
1997 - NABC District II Coach of the Year
1996 - Peter A. Carlesimo Award - Metropolitan Area Division I Coach of the Year
FRIARS VS. RANKED TEAMS...Tonight's game against #23/#23 Pittsburgh is the Friars fourth this season against a ranked team. The Friars are 2-1 against ranked teams after defeating #9/#8 Purdue, 87-82 on December 27th. PC was just 1-7 against ranked teams a year ago.
Associated Press USA TODAY/ESPN
RANK TEAM RANK TEAM
#25 Texas Christian Univ. L 79-81 #24 Texas Christian Univ. L 79-81
#23 Rhode Island W 87-63 #25 Rhode Island W 87-63
#9 Purdue W 87-82 #8 Purdue W 87-82
#23 Pittsburgh W 83-68 #23 Pittsburgh W 83-68
PROVIDENCE COLLEGE BASKETBALL
PROVIDENCE...All-time record: 1104-685 (.617) - Second in New England...Home record: 656-207 (.760)...Civic Center record: 332-128 (.722).
PROVIDENCE IN BIG EAST...121-187 in regular season and 135-205 overall in 20 seasons ... Eighth all-time in wins and percentage.
BIG EAST FAXBACK ...(201-947-3918) - Allows you to access PC's short notes (1721); PC's full game notes (1722); PC's statistics (1723) or Box scores (1724). Also the BIG EAST is on the Internet at www.bigeast.org
TOUGH SCHEDULE...Friars' head coach, Tim Welsh has a tough schedule in his first season as PC's basketball bench boss. 16 of the team's 28 games come against teams that played in postseason tournaments a year ago. 12 games come against NCAA Tournament teams (TCU, URI, North Carolina State, Purdue, Connecticut, Syracuse, Miami and two each against West Virginia and St. John's). The other four are against teams that saw NIT action - Vanderbilt, Seton Hall and two with Georgetown.
HOME COOKING...The Friars are now 7-1 at home this season. Over the last six-plus seasons PC is 79-27 (.745) at the Civic Center. The Friars are 41-5 (.870) in their last 46 non-conference home games in Providence dating back to the start of the 1992-93 season. The back-to-back losses against Vanderbilt and TCU are considered neutral site losses since the Friars were not a home team in the CoSIDA CLASSIC. The last time PC lost back-to-back non-league games at the Civic Center was the 1984-85 season when the Friars dropped home games to Assumption and Dayton on November 29 and December 1.
NAIL BITERS...The 87-82 win over Purdue improved PC to 1-3 this season in "close" games - games decided by five or less points. The losses were to TCU, 79-77, Notre Dame, 83-80 and Rutgers, 72-67. The Friars were 5-3 last season in "close" games.
MONTH BY MONTH...PC's November 9th opening date marks the earliest any Friar team has ever started the season. The most any PC team has ever played in November is five and that was during the 1996-97 season when PC played in the Top of the World Classic in Fairbanks. PC was 5-2 in November, 3-2 in December and is 1-0 in January.
CIVIC CENTER RECORD...PC owns a 332-128 (.722) record at the Providence Civic Center since the building opened in 1972. The Friars recorded their 300th win on January 8, 1996 against Canisius (91-63).
FRIARS IN SEASON OPENERS...With the season opening loss to Vanderbilt, the Friars' all-time record in season opening games goes to 63-9. When that season opening game is at home, PC is 49-4. When the first game is on the road, the Friars are 14-5. In home openers, the Friars are 66-6 all-time. Last night's loss snapped a four-year streak of wins in season openers and a string of 13 straight home openers dating back to November 29, 1984 when they lost a 70-67 decision to Assumption at the Civic Center. PC's last season opening loss came on November 26, 1993 - a 113-102 overtime loss.
BIG EAST OPENERS...The Friars' 83-80 loss to Notre Dame on December 8th extended their BIG EAST season opener's losing streak to nine straight. PC's last win to open the BIG EAST schedule came in December of 1989 against Boston College at home. The Friars are now 3-17 in BIG EAST season openers and 8-12 in their first league contest at home.
FRIARS IN THE NBA...Providence College had eight players and one coach in the NBA the last time that league played games. They are:
Otis Thorpe - Washington Wizards
Austin Croshere - Indiana Pacers
Eric Murdock - Miami Heat
God Shammgod - Washington Wizards
Dickey Simpkins - Chicago Bulls
Michael Smith - Vancouver Grizzlies
Eric Williams - Denver Nuggets
Marty Conlon - Miami Heat
Also, Atlanta Hawks coach Lenny Wilkens, is one of Providence College's all-time greatest players.
FAMOUS RELATIVES...Senior standout Jamel Thomas is the cousin of the Minnesota Timberwolves' Stephon Marbury.
NEW HOOP STAFF...Joining Tim Welsh at Providence College are three new assistant coaches. Steve DeMeo joined Welsh on April 2nd after the two worked together at Iona. King Rice, a former standout point guard at North Carolina joins the staff after spending five years at Illinois State as an assistant. Bob Walsh comes to Providence after a year at San Diego State. He had served as a graduate assistant to Welsh at Iona for two years prior to taking an assistants job in San Diego. Vince Cautero takes over as the administrative assistant. He has been an assistant coach at Florida State (1988-1992) and Florida International (1992-1998).
KENDRICK MOORE SELECTED...Providence College senior guard Kendrick Moore (Hartford, Conn.) has been selected to the NCAA Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) for the 1998-99 school year. The SAAC is made up of dedicated, hard working student-athletes who are the voice of their fellow student-athletes within the NCAA. The committee meets three times a year in January, March and August. Moore's appointment began on September 1st.
TWO YEAR SENIORS...Two key members to the 1998-99 Friars are seniors Kendrick Moore and Justin Farley. Both close out PC careers this season after transferring two years ago from Missouri. Moore, who graduated in the spring and is currently a graduate student working on his MBA led the Friars with 3.3 assists per game last year and was third in scoring with 9.2 points per game. Moore is like a coach on the floor and can play either guard spot. Farley joined the Friars before Christmas last season after transferring from Evansville. The 6-6, 205-pound forward worked his way into a starting role in January and was second on the team with 9.5 points per game. In his last eight games of the season he averaged 14.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. Both players are excellent students and are candidates for Academic All-America honors this season.
SLOW START...The Friars' 0-2 start marked the first time since 1932-33 that PC had opened the year with two losses. The Friars have never lost three games in a row to start the season.
NEW FRIARS...The Friars have received national letters of intent from three players for the 1999-2000 season:
##Leon Brisport F 6-9, 220
Brooklyn, N.Y./Erasmus Hall/Los Angeles Valley CC
Mark Jarrell-Wright G/F 6-5, 180 Fr.
Newark, N.J./St. Benedict's
David Murray F 6-9, 220 Jr.
New York, N.Y./All Hallows/Mesa (AZ)
##Brisport is eligible to play in second semester of 1998-99 season.
JAMEL THOMAS - ALL-AMERICA and ALL-BIG EAST Candidate
Senior forward Jamel Thomas came into his own during the 1997-98 season and will once again be the Friars' team leader on and off the floor. As a junior, Thomas scored over 500 points for the second time in his career to become only the ninth Providence player in school history to reach that plateau. He joins: Jimmy Walker (three times), Marvin Barnes (three times), Joey Hassett (three times), Bruce Campbell, Ernie DiGregorio, John Thompson, John Egan and Kevin Stacom.
The Friars team MVP in 1997-98, Thomas finished the regular season averaging 18.5 points and 6.9 rebounds to lead the team in both categories. He had career highs in three points attempted (178); free throws (156); free throws attempted (200); free throw percentage (.780); rebounds (200) and steals (44).
In the BIG EAST, Thomas was third in scoring averaging 19.2 points (346) in league games. Eric Murdock (1990-91) is the only PC Friar to score more points (435) or have a better scoring average (27.2) than Thomas in BIG EAST play.
1998-99 PRESEASON HONORS FOR JAMEL THOMAS - FIRST TEAM All-BIG EAST
Basketball News First Team All-BIG EAST
Dick Vitale's College Basketball Second Team All-BIG EAST
Dick Vitale's Sixth Best Swing Forward in Country
Swish Magazine New England Division I Dream Team
1,000 POINT CLUB...Jamel Thomas continues his assault on the Providence College record book. On December 8th, he moved into eighth on PC's all-time scoring list passing John Thompson (1,520) and Austin Croshere (1,523). The talented scorer now has 1,612 career points and leads the BIG EAST in scoring with a 23.2 points per game average. Here are the Top 10 scorers in PC history:
NO PLAYER GP POINTS
1 Jimmy Walker 81 2,045
2 Eric Murdock 117 2,021
3 Marvin Barnes 89 1,839
4 Joe Hassett 124 1,828
5 Bruce Campbell 122 1,809
6 Ernie DiGregorio 86 1,760
7 Otis Thorpe 113 1,625
8 JAMEL THOMAS 107 1,612
9 Austin Croshere 121 1,523
10 John Thompson 79 1,520
DOUBLE FIGURES...Jamel Thomas has now scored in double figures in 46 consecutive games dating back to the final four games of his sophomore year.
DOUBLE-DOUBLES...Thomas has recorded four double-doubles this season including two in a row against Maine and Brown.
J. Thomas TCU 21 pts/11 rebs
J. Thomas MAINE 25 pts/11 rebs
J. Thomas BROWN 30 pts/10 rebs
J. Thomas @Pitt 25 pts/11 rebs
REBOUNDER TOO... Thomas led the Friars in rebounding last season with 200 rebounds in 29 games for a 6.9 rebound per game average. He became the first Friar to lead the team in scoring and rebounds since Steve Wright did it in 1987-88. Since 1956-57 only Jim Hadnot (3 times), John Thompson, Marvin Barnes (twice), Rudy Williams, Rich Hunger, Otis Thorpe, Wright and Thomas have led the Friars in both scoring and rebounding in a single season. Thomas currently leads the Friars in scoring (302 pts.) and rebounding (95) through 13 games.
BIG EAST SCORING...Jamel Thomas is third on the Friars' all-time BIG EAST scoring list with 850 points in 58 league games. Here's the list and who is ahead of him:
NO PLAYER GP POINTS
1 Eric Murdock 63 1,145
2 Otis Thorpe 55 897
3 JAMEL THOMAS 58 850
BIG EAST PLAYER OF THE WEEK...PART II...For the second time this season, Jamel Thomas has been named the BIG EAST Player of the Week. Thomas had a pair of double-doubles in PC's wins over Maine (79-72) and Brown (81-60). Versus Maine, the Friars' All-America and All-BIG EAST candidate had 25 points and 11 rebounds. Against Brown, Thomas tied his season high with 30 points and added ten rebounds. He was also named BIG EAST Player of the Week for the opening week of the season. This is the fourth time in his career that he has received this honor.
RECORDS WATCH...Thomas became PC's all-time leader in three point attempts against SETON HALL. He now has 478 attempts, one more than Michael Brown. Thomas needs just three more three-point field goals to become the all-time leader in that category. He currently has 167 to tie for second with Michael Brown. Eric Murdock is the all-time leader with 169.
1998-99 GAME-BY-GAME...
Game Min Pts Reb Asts Steals
vs. Vandy 33 22 8 2 0
vs. TCU 34 21 11 3 1
URI 30 30 6 2 2
UTPA 35 29 7 2 0
NCSU 34 18 7 1 0
@ CSU 32 28 3 1 0
MAINE 34 25 11 1 2
BROWN 30 30 10 4 1
ND 35 21 2 3 1
@ Rutgers 35 13 5 2 0
PURDUE 33 22 5 4 2
@ Pitt 31 25 11 5 3
SETON HALL 34 18 9 3 2
FRIARS VERSUS 1998-99 FOES...
Vanderbilt University: 0-1
Texas Christian Univ: 0-1
Rhode Island: 60-49
Texas Pan-American: 1-0
North Carolina State: 1-2
Cleveland State: 3-0
Maine: 6-0
Brown: 83-24
Purdue: 2-5
Arkansas: 0-0
Boston College: 50-37
Georgetown: 14-30
Syracuse: 7-34
Pittsburgh: 15-18
St. John's: 30-50
West Virginia: 6-2
Connecticut: 20-32
Seton Hall: 40-33
Miami: 11-8
Rutgers: 4-2
Villanova: 26-39
Notre Dame: 7-4
BOARD GAMES...Despite the Friars lack of size (one player over 6-7), PC is 7-6 in winning the battle of the boards through 13 games. PC outrebounded Seton Hall, 37-31, for their second rebounding advantage game in a row. Through the first 13 games of the season, the Friars have been outrebounded by a 452-433 margin.
GAME PC OPP DIFF
vs. VANDY 28 35 - 7.0
vs. TCU 30 36 - 6.0
URI 34 42 - 8.0
UTPA 36 32 + 4.0
NCSU 29 32 - 3.0
@CSU 32 30 + 2.0
MAINE 42 41 + 1.0
BROWN 37 27 +10.0
ND 28 31 - 3.0
@Rutgers 37 36 +1.0
PURDUE 25 43 -18.0
@Pittsburgh 38 36 +2.0
SETON HALL 37 31 +6.0
TOTALS 433 452 -19.0
DOUBLE-DOUBLES....Friars with double-doubles this season:
PLAYER GAME
J. Thomas TCU 21 pts/11 rebs
E. Maxey UTPA 20 pts/11 rebs
J. Thomas MAINE 25 pts/11 rebs
J. Thomas BROWN 30 pts/10 rebs
E. Maxey @Rutgers 13 pts/13 rebs
J. Thomas @Pitt 25 pts/11 rebs
SUPERPESTS...Keep an eye on Friar guards John Linehan and Corey Wright. Despite their size (5-9 and 5-8 respectively), they have a way of getting under their opponents skin. The duo combined for 105 steals last season with Linehan getting 50 and Wright 55. Linehan set a BIG EAST freshman record with nine steals in a game against Pittsburgh. The duo have already combined for 66 steals this season (5.1 per game). With 29 steals in the first 13 games, Corey Wright moved into eighth on the Friar' all-time steals list with 157 in 77 games.
1. Eric Murdock 117 376
2. Carlton Screen 109 226
3. Harold Starks 117 207
4. Joe Hassett 124 176
5. Michael Brown 123 174
6. Billy Donovan 122 170
7. Bill Eason 116 159
8. Corey Wright 77 157
MORE WRIGHT...Senior guard Corey Wright has become a scoring threat for the Friars this season. Through 13 games, Wright has scored 78 points, seven more than all of last year. He is averaging six points per game with a career highs in back-to-back games against TEXAS-PAN AMERICAN and NORTH CAROLINA STATE. On November 21 against TEXAS-PAN AMERICAN, Wright had a career best 12 points including a 5-6 (.833) shooting mark from the floor. He also had four assists and four steals in the win. In the November 24th win over North Carolina State, Wright poured in a career high 14 points going 3-4 from the floor with a career high seven free throws in a career high eight attempts. He also had a career high seven assists in the win with three steals. For the season, Wright is shooting 53.3% (24-53). He came into the season shooting just 31.1% for his career.
MAXEY EFFORT...Sophomore center Erron Maxey picked up his second double-double of the season (13 points and 13 rebounds) in the loss at Rutgers. The 13 rebounds were a career high for the 6-6 high jumper. For Maxey it was the third double-double of his career.
12/11/98 @ Rutgers 13 pts/13 rebs.
11/21/98 TEXAS-PAN AM 20 pts/11rebs.
1/5/98 IONA 12 pts/11 rebs.
HALFTIME LEADS...The Friars have led at halftime in 11 of their first 13 games this season. Only Maine (35-32) and Notrre Dame (39-31) led against the Friars at the intermission. PC is 8-3 when the Friars lead at halftime.
FAST STARTS...The Friars' pressure defense and running offense have helped Providence get out to big leads in nine of the first 13 games this season. The Rutgers game marked the first game this season where the Friars didn't take a big lead early. Here's the list of fast starts:
Game Score Time Elapsed
Vanderbilt 17-2 5:42
TCU 21-9 7:36
URI 20-10 10:27
UTPA 23-7 8:00
NC State 26-10 10:08
@ Cleveland St. 14-2 3:18
MAINE 7-0 2:06
BROWN 17-4 5:52
ND 11-0 2:42
The Friars used a fast second half start agains SETON HALL to break that game open. Leading 26-23 at the half, PC opened the second half with an 8-0 run in the first 1:31 on the way to a 21-4 run over the first 6:54 for a 47-27 lead.
STINGY DEFENSE...The Friars played their best defensive game of the season against Seton Hall limiting the Pirates to a season low 49 points. The Friars forced Seton Hall to shoot a season low 73.7% (20-53) from the floor. The 20 field goals were also a season best defensively.
ROSTER ADDITION...Junior forward Leon Brisport (6-9, 225 lbs., New York, N.Y.) has joined the Friars' roster for the second semester. Brisport was signed in the November signing period after playing two seasons at Los Angeles Valley Community College. An All-California JC selection last season, Brisport averaged 22.5 points and eight rebounds per game last year. He did not play against Purdue but has played against Pittsburgh and Seton Hall.
WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS GAME... Purdue shot 57.1% from the floor, outrebounded the Friars by 18 (43-25) yet lost the game, 87-82. The Boilermakers shot 71.4% (15-21) in the first half yet trailed, 46-43. PC forced 27 turnovers and took 18 more shots in the game.
GUARDING PURDUE...PC's three guards, Corey Wright, John Linehan and Kendrick Moore combined for 10 assists, no turnovers and seven steals in the win against Purdue.
STARTERS VS. BENCH...The Friars use ten players in their regular rotation. Here's a breakdown through ten games:
GAME STARTERS BENCH
Pts./Rebs Pts./Rebs.
Vanderbilt 51/18 15/9
TCU 61/22 18/6
URI 62/21 25/11
UTPA 74/25 14/8
NCSU 46/17 34/8
@CSU 72/18 15/11
MAINE 55/23 24/14
BROWN 56/18 25/15
ND 59/16 21/9
@ Rutgers 50/24 17/8
PURDUE 66/12 21/11
@Pitt 56/23 27/14
SETON HALL 52/22 13/11
HOT SHOTS...Notre Dame shot an incredible .592 (29-49) for the game against the Friars including .682 (15-22) in the second half. A year ago, the Friars almost set a BIG EAST record when West Virginia shot .611 (35-54) for the game at Morgantown.
REBOUNDING MARKS...Both Jamel Thomas and Jamaal Camah set personal bests on the boards at Pittsburgh. Thomas' 11 rebounds against the Panters were his best ever against a BIG EAST team. Camah pulled down a personal best four rebounds in the win at Pittsburgh.
THE LAST TIME...PC won back-to-back games against ranked teams came late in the 1994-95 season when the Friars beat #4 Connecticut (Feb. 27) and #11 Villanova (3/4) to end the regular season. They went on to defeat #21 Syracuse in the BIG EAST Tournament before falling to #13 Villanova in the semi-finals giving them four games against ranked teams in 13 days.
KENDRICK'S BACK...Since returning to the lineup against Purdue, Kendrick Moore has scored 39 points (13.0 ppg) with ten assists (3.3 apg) and just two turnovers (0.67 tpg). Overall, he is third in scoring with 11.3 ppg with 20 assists and seven turnovers in six games this season. He missed seven games between 11/15 and 12/27 with a stress fracture in his right foot.
HIGH SCORERS....Notre Dame freshman Troy Murphy joined Cleveland State's James Madison and TCU's Lee Nailon as players that have scored 30 or more points against the Friars this season. Murphy had 30 pts and 11 rebounds in Notre Dame's 83-80 win over PC. Cleveland State sharpshooter James Madison scored 33 versus the Friars on November 28th while TCU's All-American candidate, Lee Nailon scored 30 points and pulled down 10 rebounds in the 79-77 win on November 10th in the CoSIDA Classic. Madison is the first player to score 33 or more points on the Friars since December 21, 1995 when Reggie Freeman lit the Friars up for 37 points in a 92-83 loss at Texas.
BIG EAST STARTS...The Friars have started the BIG EAST schedule with an 0-2 mark in three of the last four seasons. PC was 0-3 in the league last year before winning in the fourth league game. The Friars have started the BIG EAST schedule with an 0-2 record or worse in 14 of the BIG EAST's 20 seasons.
TOUGH PLACE....The Friars win at the Fitzgerald Field House at Pittsburgh was just the Friars third against Pittsburgh on the Panthers home court. PC is now 3-13 at Pitt.
CHANGING TIMES...Please note the following time changes on the Friars' schedule.
February 15 at St. John's - Originally a 7:00 p.m. game, this game will be moved to 7:30 p.m. and will be televised by ESPN2.
PRESEASON PICKS...The Friars were picked to finish 10th in the BIG EAST this season in voting done by the league's coaches. Senior Jamel Thomas was selected to the Preseason First All-BIG EAST team by the coaches. Here's a look at both polls:
BIG EAST COACHES' POLL
1. Connecticut (12) 144
2. Syracuse (1) 130
3. Miami 116
4. St. John's 102
5. Georgetown 98
6. Villanova 79
7. Pittsburgh 78
8. Rutgers 72
9. Seton Hall 60
10. PROVIDENCE 54
11. West Virginia 42
12. Notre Dame 26
13. Boston College 14
FIRST TEAM ALL-BIG EAST...
Richard Hamilton - Connecticut
Tim James - Miami
Vonteego Cummings - Pittsburgh
Khalid El-Amin - Connecticut
JAMEL THOMAS - Providence
SECOND TEAM
Shernard Long - Georgetown
Geoff Billet - Rutgers
Ron Artest - St. John's
Ryan Blackwell - Syracuse
Etan Thomas - Syracuse
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Richard Hamilton - Connecticut
CO-ROOKIES OF THE YEAR
Anthony Perry - Georgetown
Erick Barkley - St. John's
FRIAR LEADS AND DEFICITS
BIGGEST LEAD: 29 (80-51/3:33 left in second half) vs. RHODE ISLAND
Biggest lead lost: 17 (42-25/2:01 left in first half to 14:29 left in second half) vs. Cleveland State
BIGGEST DEFICIT: 15 (24-39/1:57 left in first half) vs. NOTRE DAME
Biggest deficit overcome: 4 (0-4/19:04 left in first half) vs. TEXAS-PAN AM
4 (4-8/15:06 left in first half) vs. NO. CAROLINA STATE
4 (31-35/:34 left in first half) vs. MAINE
BIGGEST RUN: 24 (40-16 /18:39 - from start of game to 1:21 left in first half) vs. BROWN
BIGGEST RUN ALLOWED: 27 (5-32 - 10:42 /12:39 left in first half to 1:57 left in first half) vs. NOTRE DAME
COMEBACKS AND LOST LEADS
OPPONENT SCORE LED/TRAILED TIME LEFT
Vanderbilt $ 66 - 72 - Led 33 - 32 17:45 left in second half
Texas Christian $ 77 - 79 - Led 75 - 73 4:16 left in second half
RHODE ISLAND 87 - 63 Trailed 0-2 18:25 left in first half
TEXAS-PAN AM 88 - 78 Trailed 0-4 19:04 left in first half
NO. CAROLINA STATE 80 - 69 Trailed 4-8 15:06 left in first half
Cleveland State 87 - 81 Trailed 59-60 10:43 left in second half
MAINE 79 - 72 Trailed 31-35 34 left in first half
BROWN 81 - 60 Never trailed
NOTRE DAME 80 - 83 - Led 19-7 12:21 left in the first half
Rutgers 67 - 72 - Led 40-31 18:19 left in second half
PURDUE 87 - 82 Trailed 58-59 13:53 left in second half
Pittsburgh 83 - 68 Trailed 43-44 14:55 left in second half
SETON HALL 65 - 49 Trailed 13-15 6:35 left in first half
$ CoSIDA CLASSIC
FRIARS' FOUL SHOOTING
FREE THROW SHOOTING IN THE FINAL THREE MINUTES (Game score 10 or fewer)
PLAYER 1998-99 CAREER PLAYER 1998-99 CAREER
Jamaal Camah 0 - 0 0 - 0 Erron Maxey 3 - 6 (.500) 4 - 8 (.500)
Llewellyn Cole 0 - 0 2 - 6 (.333) Kendrick Moore 4 - 4 (1.000) 20 - 21 (.952)
Sean Connolly 2 - 2 (1.000) 2 - 2 (1.000) Ben Perkins 0 - 0 (.000) 3 - 4 (.750)
Justin Farley 0 - 0 4 - 8 (500) Jamel Thomas 11 - 14 (.786) 58 - 76 (.763)
Rahim Johnson 0 - 0 0 - 0 Corey Wright 6 - 12 (.500) 21 - 37 (.568)
John Linehan 4 - 4 (1.000) 20 -22 (.909)
PROVIDENCE 30 - 42 (.714) OPPONENTS 28 - 44 (.636)
FRIAR GAME KEYS:
6 - 4 in games shooting under 50%
3 - 0 in games shooting over 50%
4 - 1 when PC has better FG%
3 - 3 when PC is outrebounded
1 - 1 when committing more turnovers
6 - 2 when opponent held to 75 or less
8 - 3 when PC leads at the half
FRIARS BY THE NUMBERS....
CURRENT STREAK: Won 3
OVERALL RECORD: 9-4
LAST FIVE GAMES: 3-2
LAST TEN GAMES: 8-2
HOME: 7-1
ROAD: 2-1
NEUTRAL: 0-2
OVERTIME GAMES: 0-0
BIG EAST RECORD: 2-2
BIG EAST HOME: 1-1
BIG EAST AWAY: 1-1
LONGEST WIN STREAK: 6 (11/14 - 12/8)
HOME WIN STREAK: 5
BIG EAST HOME
WIN STREAK: 1
LONGEST LOSING STREAK: 2 Twice
WHEN LEADING AT HALFTIME: 8-3
AWAY: 2-1
HOME: 6-0 NEUTRAL: 0-2
WHEN TRAILING AT HALFTIME: 1-1
HOME: 1-0
AWAY: 0-0
NEUTRAL: 0-0
RECORD AFTER 13 GAMES IN 1997-98: 6-7
1998-99 PROVIDENCE COLLEGE WINS AND LOSSES
FRIARS RECORD WHEN....
Providence shoots 50% or better from the floor.... 3 - 0
Providence shoots less than 50% from the floor... 6 - 4
Providence holds opponent to 50% or less from the floor.... 7 - 3
Providence opponent shoots 50% or better from the floor... 2 - 1
Providence outrebounds opponent...... 6 - 1
Opponent outrebounds Providence.... 3 - 3
Providence makes 40% of three point tries. 4 - 1
Providence makes less than 40% of three point tries.. 5 - 3
Providence scores less than 60 points... 0 - 0
Providence scores 60 or more points... 9 - 4
Providence scores 70 or more points.... 8 - 2
Providence scores 80 or more points.... 7 - 1
Opponent held to less than 60 points... 1 - 0
Opponent scores 60 or more points.... 8 - 4
Opponent scores 70 or more points.... 4 - 4
Opponent scores 80 or more points.... 1 - 2
FRIARS WHEN AHEAD, TIED AND TRAILING....
WHEN AHEAD WHEN TIED WHEN TRAILING
Halftime 8 - 3 ----- 1 - 1
10 Minutes Left 7 - 0 0 - 0 2 - 4
5 Minutes Left 8 - 1 0 - 0 1 - 3
STARTING LINEUPS RECORDS:
3 - 2: Linehan-Moore-Maxey- Thomas- Connolly
6 - 2: Linehan-Camah-Maxey-Thomas-Connolly
RECORDS AS STARTERS
0 - 0: Leon Brisport
5 - 2: Jamaal Camah
0 - 0: Llewellyn Cole
9 - 4: Sean Connolly
0 - 0: Justin Farley
9 - 4: John Linehan
9 - 4: Erron Maxey
4 - 2 Kendrick Moore
0 - 0: Ben Perkins
9 - 4: Jamel Thomas
0 - 0: Corey Wright
GAMES LOST - INJURY/ILLNESS/ACADEMICS (16)
Kareem Hayletts - Arthroscopic surgery - cartilage right knee (VU, TCU, URI, UTPA, NCST, CSU, ME, BR, ND)
Kendrick Moore - Stress fracture - left foot (UTPA, NCST, CSU, ME, BR, ND, Rut)
GAMES LED PC IN:
Scoring: Thomas (11.5), Connolly (1.5)
Rebounding: Thomas (8.0), Maxey (5.0)
Scoring and Rebounding: Thomas (8.0)
DOUBLE/DOUBLES: Thomas (4), Maxey (2)
20-POINT GAMES: Thomas (10), Maxey (1), Connolly (1)
30-POINT GAMES: Thomas (2)
FRIARS' MARGIN DIFFERENTIAL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16-20 21-25 26-30 31-35 35+ Won 1 1 1 1 1 2 2
Lost 1 1 1 1
Average Win: (115): 12.8
Average Loss: (16): 4.00
Overall: (+99.0): +7.6
PROVIDENCE - WEST VIRGINIA
SERIES FACTS
Series Record: 9th meeting - PC leads, 6-2
BIG EAST Series: Series tied, 2-2
At Morgantown: PC trails, 0-2
At Providence: PC leads, 4-0
Neutral Courts: PC leads, 2-0
Last Meeting: 1/24/98 - at WVU 81 PC 63
Last PC win overall: 3/6/97 @ BE PC 76, WVU 69
Last West Virginia win: 1/24/98
Current Streak: West Virginia won the last meeting and two of the past three meetings in this series.
STATISTICAL COMPARISON
PC WVU
9-4 Overall Record 7-6
2-2 BIG EAST Record 2-2
.455 Field Goal Pct. .459
.338 3-Pt. Field Goal Pct. .311
.753 Free Throw Pct. .681
.468 Opp. FG Pct. .442
.308 Opp. 3-Pt. FG Pct. .348
.668 Opp. FT Pct. .716
33.3 Rebound Average 33.8
-1.5 Rebound Margin +1.9
17.3 Assists/Game 14.8
15.1 Turnovers/Game 16.1
2.2 Blocks/Game 3.8
10.2 Steals/Game 9.0
79.0 Points/Game 68.2
71.4 Pts Allowed/Game 68.3
SERIES NOTES
Streaks: West Virginia has won two of the last three meetings in this series. Their two wins have come at Morgantown, a 90-78 win in overtime in the 1996-97 season and an 81-63 win last January. PC's win came in the 1996-97 BIG EAST Tournament. PC is 4-0 against the Mountaineers in Providence.
Notes: WVU had a three-game winning streak snapped Saturday at Syracuse in an 83-67 loss. WVU's BIG EAST wins have come at home against Syracuse and Rutgers. The second loss was at Villanova.
FRIARS CAREER STATS VS. WEST VIRGINIA
No. Player GP PPG RPG APG
3 Moore 1 13.0 6.0 1.0
Career Best - 1/24/98 - 13 pts./6 rebs./1 ast.
5 Camah First Meeting
10 Wright 4 2.5 2.2 2.0
Career Best - 3/6/97 - 5 pts./1 rebs./2 ast.
12 Linehan 1 10.0 0.0 3.0
Career Best - 1/24/98 - 10 pts./3 asts.
15 F-Marcellino Has not played
21 Hayletts First Meeting
22 Connolly First Meeting
24 Maxey 1 0.0 3.0 0.0
25 Perkins 1 13.0 2.0 2.0
Career Best - 1/24/98 - 13 pts./2 rebs./2 asts.
32 Brisport First Meeting
33 Thomas 5 12.2 4.8 2.8
Career Best - 3/6/97 - 11 pts./12 rebs./2 asts.
40 Farley 1 4.0 1.0 2.0
42 Cole 2 3.0 1.5 0.0
Career Best - 1/24/98 - 4 pts./1reb.
League Overall
W L PCT W L PCT
Connecticut 3 0 1.000 11 0 1.000
St. John's 3 0 1.000 11 2 .846
Miami 2 0 1.000 8 2 .800
Seton Hall 3 1 .750 9 4 .692
Syracuse 2 2 .500 10 3 .769
Rutgers 2 2 .500 9 4 .692
Providence 2 2 .500 9 4 .692
West Virginia 2 2 .500 7 6 .538
Notre Dame 1 1 .500 7 6 .538
Villanova 1 2 .333 10 3 .769
Georgetown 0 3 .000 7 5 .583
Pittsburgh 0 3 .000 8 5 .615
Boston College 0 3 .000 3 8 .273
THIS WEEK IN THE BIG EAST
Monday, January 4
Niagara at St. John's 7:30 p.m.
Georgetown at Seton Hall 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, January 5
West Virginia at Providence 7:00 p.m.
Syracuse at Villanova 7:30 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Notre Dame 8:00 p.m.
Wednesday, January 6
St. John's at Miami 7:00 pm
Connecticut at Boston College 7:30 pm
Saturday, January 9
Providence at Georgetown Noon
Villanova at Rutgers Noon
Notre Dame at Miami 7:30 pm
Seton Hall at St. John's 8:00 pm
Connecticut at West Virginia 8:00 pm
Sunday, January 10
Boston College at Pittsburgh 1:00 pm
Georgetown at Connecticut 8:00 pm
Villanova at Notre Dame 8:00 pm
St. John's at Rutgers 8:00 pm
1998-99 BIG EAST HONORS
Co-PLAYER OF THE WEEK (Jan. 4)
Johnny Hemsley, G, Jr. - Miami
Scored career high 35 points in 64-63 win at Georgetown. Included in 35 points was game winning basket with 17 seconds left. He is averaging 17.1 points per game this season.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK (Jan. 4)
Anthony Perry, Fr., G - Georgetown
Scored a career high 24 points with eight rebounds in 87-64 loss to Connecticut. Also had 11 points and five steals in 64-63 loss to Georgetown during the week. Perry is averaging 15.5 points per game as a freshman.
FRIAR STATISTICAL LEADERS
(as of January 4, 1999)
INDIVIDUAL
POINTS OVERALL BIG EAST
Jamel Thomas 23.2 (1st) 19.3 (3rd)
FIELD GOAL %
Jamel Thomas .456 (13th)
FREE THROW %
Jamel Thomas .857 (2nd) 1.000 (t1st)
3PT FG MADE
Sean Connolly 2.46 (1st) 2.75 (4th)
Jamel Thomas 1.85 (7th)
3PT FG %
Sean Connolly .386 (11th) .500 (5th)
REBOUNDS
Jamel Thomas 7.3 (7th)
Erron Maxey 7.0 (1st)
OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS
Erron Maxey 2.62 (13th)
DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS
Jamel Thomas 5.08 (6th) 4.33 (t12th)
Erron Maxey 4.75 (7th)
STEALS
John Linehan 2.85 (t3rd) 2.00 (10th)
Corey Wright 2.23 (11th)
ASSIST/TO RATIO
John Linehan 2.50 (2nd)
Corey Wright 3.00 (1st) 3.67 (2nd)
ASSISTS
Corey Wright 4.38 (9th) 5.50 (t6th)
John Linehan 3.46 (15th)
TEAM
CATEGORY OVERALL BIG EAST
Scoring 79.0 (2nd) 73.8 (3rd)
Opp. Scoring 71.4 (12th) 68.0 (5th)
Scoring Margin +7.6 (7th) +5.8 (5th)
Field Goal % .455 (8th) .432 (8th)
Opp. FG % .469 (13th) .448 (8th)
3PT % .338 (6th) .397 (4th)
Opp 3 PT% .308 (6th) .258 (1st)
Free Throw % .753 (1st) .829 (1st)
Rebounds 33.3 (11th) 35.0 (t9th)
Opp. Rebounds 34.8 (10th) 33.5 (5th)
Rebound Margin -1.5 (12th) +1.5 (6th)
Assists 17.3 (3rd) 18.5 (t2nd)
Steals 10.2 (7th) 7.3 (t9th)
Blocked Shots 2.2 (13th) 2.5 (11th)
Turnover Margin 5.08 (1st) +2.0 (4th)
Assist/Turnover 1.15 (2nd) 1.17 (2nd)
CAREER SCORING
Name (Years) GP PTS
1. Jimmy Walker (1964-67) 81 2,045
2. Eric Murdock (1987-91) 117 2,021
3. Marvin Barnes (1971-74) 89 1,839
4. Joe Hassett (1973-77) 124 1,828
5. Bruce Campbell (1974-78) 122 1,809
6. Ernie DiGregorio (1970-73) 86 1,760
7. Otis Thorpe (1980-84) 113 1,625
8. Jamel Thomas (1995- ) 107 1,612
SEASON SCORING AVERAGE
Name (Year) PTS(Gms) AVG
1. Jimmy Walker (1966-67) 851(28) 30.39
2. John Thompson (1963-64) 681(26) 26.19
3. Eric Murdock (1990-91) 818(32) 25.58
4. Ernie DiGregorio (1972-73) 761(31) 24.55
5. Jimmy Walker (1965-66) 662(27) 24.52
6. Jamel Thomas (1998-99) 284(12) 23.20
CAREER FIELD GOALS
Name (Year) GP FG
1. Joe Hassett (1973-77) 124 840
2. Jimmy Walker (1964-67) 81 781
3. Marvin Barnes (1971-74) 89 770
4. Ernie DiGregorio (1970-73) 86 757
5. Bruce Campbell (1974-78) 122 726
6. Eric Murdock (1987-91) 117 687
7. Otis Thorpe (1980-84) 113 624
8. Bob Cooper (1973-77) 123 596
9. John Thompson (1961-64) 79 584
10. Jim Hadnot (1959-62) 84 582
11. Jamel Thomas (1995- ) 107 555
CAREER FIELD GOAL ATTEMPTS
Name (Year) GP FG Att
1. Joe Hassett (1973-77) 124 1703
2. Ernie DiGregorio (1970-73) 86 1619
3. Jimmy Walker (1964-67) 81 1591
4. Eric Murdock (1987-91) 117 1575
5. Marvin Barnes (1971-74) 89 1494
6. Bruce Campbell (1974-78 122 1475
7. Jamel Thomas (1995- ) 107 1340
CAREER 3 POINT FIELD GOALS
Name (Year) GP 3-FG
1. Eric Murdock (1987-91) 117 169
2. Michael Brown (1992-96) 123 167
Jamel Thomas (1995 -) 107 167
CAREER 3 PT FIELD GOAL ATTEMPTS
Name (Year) GP 3-FGA
1. Jamel Thomas (1995 - ) 107 478
2. Eric Murdock (1987-91) 117 477
CAREER OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS
Name (Year) REB
1. Michael Smith (1991-94) 382
2. Dickey Simpkins (1990-94) 312
3. Marques Bragg (1988-92) 288
4. Austin Croshere (1993-97) 230
5. Marty Conlon (1986-90) 221
6. Steve Wright (1984-88) 211
7. Jamel Thomas (1995 - ) 210
CAREER ASSIST-TO RATIO
Name (Year) AST/TO RATIO
1. Abdul Abdullah (1992-94) 422/163 2.59-1
2. Paul Oristaglio (1975-78) 122/50 2.44-1
3. Carlton Screen (1986-90) 532/237 2.24-1
4. Gary Bello (1972-75) 257/118 2.18-1
5. God Shammgod (1995-97) 428/197 2.17-1
6. John Linehan (1997- ) 123/58 2.12-1
7. Corey Wright (1996- ) 238/118 2.02-1
8. Billy Donovan (1983-87) 546/271 2.01-1
CAREER STEALS
Name (Year) GP STLS
1. Eric Murdock (1987-91) 117 376
2. Carlton Screen (1986-90) 109 226
3. Harold Starks (1982-86) 117 207
4. Joe Hassett (1973-77) 124 176
5. Michael Brown (1992-96) 123 174
6. Billy Donovan (1983-87) 122 170
7. Bill Eason (1974-78) 116 159
8. Corey Wright (1996- ) 78 157
CAREER STEALS AVERAGE
Name (Year) GP/ST AVG
1. Eric Murdock (1987-91) 117/376 3.21
2. Dwight Williams (1976-78) 61/150 2.46
3. Delray Brooks (1986-88) 56/130 2.32
4. Carlton Screen (1986-90) 109/226 2.07
5. Corey Wright (1996-) 78/157 2.01
BIG EAST CAREER SCORING
Name (Years) PTS
1. Eric Murdock (1987-91) 1,145
2. Otis Thorpe (1980-84) 897
3. Jamel Thomas (1995-) 850
BIG EAST CAREER FIELD GOALS
Name (Year) FG
1. Eric Murdock (1987-91) 390
2. Otis Thorpe (1980-84) 337
3. Jamel Thomas (1995-) 291
BIG EAST CAREER FIELD GOAL ATT
Name (Year) FGA
1. Eric Murdock (1987-91) 884
2. Jamel Thomas (1995-) 698
BIG EAST CAREER 3 POINT FG
Name (Year) 3-FG
1. Michael Brown (1992-96) 115
2. Eric Murdock (1987-91) 102
3. Jamel Thomas (1995-) 101
BIG EAST CAREER 3 POINT FG ATT
Name (Year) 3-FGA
1. Michael Brown (1992-96) 288
2. Jamel Thomas (1995-) 275
BIG EAST CAREER FREE THROWS
Name (Year) FT
1. Eric Murdock (1987-91) 263
2. Otis Thorpe (1981-84) 223
3. Michael Smith (1992-94) 203
4. Eric Williams (1994-96) 186
5. Carlton Screen (1986-90) 185
6. Dickey Simpkins (1991-94) 183
7. Austin Croshere (1993-97) 167
8. Jamel Thomas (1995- ) 165
BIG EAST CAREER FREE THROW ATT.
Name (Year) FTA
1. Michael Smith (1991-94) 340
2. Eric Murdock (1987-91) 339
3. Otis Thorpe (1980-84) 328
4. Dickey Simpkins (1990-94) 290
5. Eric Williams (1994-96) 259
6. Marques Bragg (1988-92) 236
7. Carlton Screen (1986-90) 227
8. Jamel Thomas (1995-) 217
BIG EAST CAREER MINUTES
Name (Year) MIN
1. Michael Brown (1992-96) 2178
2. Otis Thorpe (1980-84) 1958
3. Eric Murdock (1987-91) 1948
4. Dickey Simpkins (1990-94) 1799
5. Jamel Thomas (1995-) 1705
BIG EAST CAREER STEALS
Name (Year) STEALS
1. Eric Murdock (1987-91) 199
2. Carlton Screen (1986-90) 108
3. Michael Brown (1992-96) 107
4. Harold Starks (1982-86) 96
5. Jamel Thomas (1995-) 85
6. Corey Wright (1996- ) 78
