Providence Friars

General Information

Conference: Big East

NCAA Division: Division I

City: Providence, RI

Stadium: Dunkin’ Donuts Center

Championships

• National Championships: None
• Conference Titles: 3
• NCAA Tournaments: 21 (1964, 1965, 1966, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1977, 1978, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1994, 1997, 2001, 2004, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022)

Past Conferences:

• Independent

Providence Friars Standings & Analysis

This college basketball team analysis breaks down the team stats that matter and provides insights into the Providence Friars standings for this season, as well as their strengths and weaknesses. Whether you’re a seasoned sports analyst or just starting to follow college basketball, this section has something for everyone.

All-Time Providence Friars Stats & Records

Points Scored

• Ryan Gomes: 2,138
• LaDontae Henton: 2,059
• Jimmy Walker: 2,045

Rebounds

• Marvin Barnes: 1,592
• James Hadnot: 1,299
• John Thompson: 1,061

Assists

• Vincent Council: 725
• Ernie DiGregorio: 662
• Kyron Cartwright: 646

Wins

• Joseph Mullaney: 290.
• Ed Cooley: 221
• Dave Gavitt: 209

Overview of the Providence Friars Standings

Last-Season Standings

The Providence Friars basketball team had a solid season in 2021-2022, finishing with a 20-14 overall record and a 10-8 record in the Big East conference. The Friars finished fourth in the Big East standings, behind Villanova, Creighton, and Seton Hall. Despite falling short of their goal of making the NCAA Tournament, the Friars had several notable victories over ranked opponents, including Wisconsin and Marquette.

Leading the way for the Friars was senior guard Jared Bynum, who averaged 14.1 points, 4.2 assists, and 2.9 rebounds per game. Bynum was named to the All-Big East Second Team for his efforts. Junior forward Noah Horchler also had a standout season, averaging 12.1 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, while senior guard Al Durham contributed 11.1 points and 3.7 rebounds per game.

Despite some ups and downs throughout the season, the Friars showed progress and resilience. They won several close games, including a 57-55 victory over Northwestern and a 77-74 win over DePaul. The Friars also showed that they could compete with some of the top teams in the conference, as evidenced by their close games against Villanova and Seton Hall.

Overall, the Providence Friars standings in the Big East and their performance in the NIT demonstrated that they are a team on the rise. With several key players returning next season, including Horchler and sophomore guard Alyn Breed, the Friars will look to build on their success and make a push for the NCAA Tournament in the upcoming season.

Before Betting on Providence Friars, Check Out These Tips:

 Do Your Research:

Before betting on any team, it’s important to research their recent performance, injury status of key players, and head-to-head record against their opponents. This will help you make informed decisions when placing your bets.

Monitor the Providence Friars Standings:

Keep an eye on the Providence Friars standings in their conference, as well as their overall record. This will give you an idea of how the team is performing in relation to their competitors and their chances of making it to the postseason.

Look for Team Trends:

Pay attention to any patterns or trends in the Providence Friars’ performance. For example, if the team tends to perform well at home but struggles on the road, this information can help inform your betting strategy.

Consider the Opponent:

Take into account the strengths and weaknesses of the opposing team. If the Providence Friars are playing a team that struggles defensively, they may have a better chance of scoring more points and winning the game.

Providence Friars Basketball History

Overall

The program at Providence was slow to take root. The school, founded in 1917, first put together a team in 1921, but there were several interruptions and even years with no team at all through portions of the 1930s and 1940s. It wasn’t until 1955 that the team had an on-campus gym.

Soon thereafter, Joseph Mullaney took over as head coach and embarked on a 12-year run that would include the team’s first three NCAA Tournament berths and six visits to the NIT, including titles in that event in 1961 and 1963.

Mullaney’s first truly great team was the 1964-65 unit, which went 24-2 while being led by Jimmy Walker, a Boston kid who would lead the nation in scoring as a senior with 30.4 points per game.

Walker was a junior on that 1965 squad that won two games in the NCAA Tournament before bowing out to Princeton and star Bill Bradley in the Elite Eight. Walker and Mike Riordan, who would later win an NBA title with the New York Knicks, were part of a 1966 team that again made it to the NCAA Tournament, only to bow out in the opening round.

Walker left, and Mullaney soon thereafter, but the program would have some very notable years once Dave Gavitt took over on the sidelines before the 1969-70 season.

Three-Year Run of Excellence

Gavitt, who later was part of the group that formed the Big East and served as its first commissioner, won 20 games in his second season with the Friars. That team in 1970-71 was led by a flashy guard named Ernie DiGregorio and future Miami head coach Jim Larranaga, reaching the second round of the NIT and setting up a three-year run of excellence.

DiGregorio averaged 17.7 points and newcomer Marvin Barnes had 21.6 points and 15.7 rebounds per game in 1971-72, as Providence returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in six years. Those two would combine for over 42 points per game and Barnes would haul in 19.2 boards per game in 1972-73, leading the Friars to the first of their two all-time Final Four appearances.

That squad, playing its first season in the Providence Civic Center, had a 17-game winning streak going into the national semifinal matchup with Memphis State. Barnes was 10-for-10 from the field in a second-round win over Penn. DiGregorio had 30 points in the next round against Maryland. The Friars were rolling, but a knee injury to Barnes in the Final Four contest vs the Tigers was too much to overcome.

There would be a Sweet 16 appearance in 1974 and two more NCAA Tournament berths under Gavitt before he left to take over the Big East for its inaugural 1979-80 campaign.

Gary Waters and the return of John Mullaney helped to guide the Friars during some rocky seasons in the early-1980s. Rick Pitino, an assistant with the Knicks, was hired in 1985. His first team went to the NIT – its first postseason appearance since 1978 – and his second, in 1986-87, put on the Cinderella slippers in a marvelous NCAA Tournament run.

Led by scrappy guard Billy Donovan, who later coached Florida to multiple national titles and has been coaching in the NBA since 2015, those Friars were a No. 6 seed that nearly lost in the second round to Austin Peay. They then made the most of their second life with wins over No. 2 seed Alabama and top-seeded Georgetown, coached by former Friar John Thompson.

The run came to an end in the semis against a loaded Syracuse team, and Pitino left for the NBA a few months later.

The Model of Mediocrity

Over the next 26 years, Providence was somewhat the model of mediocrity. There were five 20-win teams, six NCAA Tournament appearances and six different head coaches in this span, with one team in 1994 winning the Big East tourney. The 1996-97 squad, led by future Indiana Pacer first-round pick Austin Croshere, reached the Elite Eight. The other five Tournament teams in these 26 years were one-and-done.

Ed Cooley took over before the 2011-12 campaign and led his team to a 15-17 mark, its sixth losing season in eight years. NCAAB odds were not always in Providence’s favor during these lean years. But in Cooley’s third season, the Friars pulled off a surprising run to the Big East tournament championship and gave North Carolina all it could handle in a first-round setback in the NCAA Tournament.

That kicked off a run of five straight NCAA Tournament appearances under Cooley, who led the team back to the dance in 2021-22. Providence Friars team stats exhibited a team with incredibly balanced scoring, as Nate Watson led five players averaging between 9.9 and 13.3 points per game. It helped to garner 27 wins and claim the Big East regular season crown.

The Friars gave eventual champion Kansas a scare in the Sweet 16, their longest NCAA Tournament run in 25 years. Early betting tips suggest that Providence will be among those contending again in the Big East in 2022-23, just behind Connecticut, Creighton and Villanova.

Providence Friars Basketball FAQs