The Providence Friars men's basketball team represents Providence College in

NCAA Division I NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest level of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major collegiate athletic ...

competition. They were a founding member of the original

Big East Conference The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletic conference that competes in NCAA Division I in ten men's sports and twelve women's sports. Headquartered in New York City, the eleven full-member schools are primarily located in Northeast and ...

from 1979 until 2013, and are now a member of the current

. They play their home games at the Amica Mutual Pavilion in

Providence, Rhode Island Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts ...

. Since 2011, the head coach is

Ed Cooley Ed Cooley (born September 10, 1969) is an American college basketball coach and the current head coach of the Providence College Friars men's basketball team. Cooley held the same position at Fairfield University from 2006 to 2011. He received ...

. The Friars have made two Final Four appearances in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, in 1973 and 1987. Four former players or coaches — Dave Gavitt, John Thompson,

Rick Pitino Richard Andrew Pitino (born September 18, 1952) is an American college basketball coach who is the head coach for Iona College. He was also the head coach of Greece's senior national team. He has been the head coach of several teams in NCAA ...

, and

Lenny Wilkens Leonard Randolph Wilkens (born October 28, 1937) is an American former basketball player and coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has been inducted three times into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, first in 1989 as ...

— are enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. In addition, two-time NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament champion, current

Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded on January ...

head coach Billy Donovan, helped lead the Friars (as a player) to the Final Four in 1987.

History

Early years: 1921-1955

Providence Friars basketball can be traced back to 1921, when the four-year-old school fielded its first basketball team on an informal basis. This first team only lasted two years, however, and did not return until the 1926–27 season when

Archie Golembeski Anthony Edward Golembeski (May 25, 1900 – March 9, 1976) was an American professional football player and coach in the National Football League for the Providence Steam Roller. He also played at the college level and became an All-East football ...

, the school's football coach, led to the team to a win over St. John's before devoting his time to football the next year. He was replaced by Al McClellan, who coached the team to four New England championships — 1929, 1930, 1932, and 1935 — and had an overall winning percentage over .700. In 1938, McClellan left and was replaced by Ed Crotty, who led the team to a 15–5 record in 1942–43 before the team suspended play the next year after the outbreak of World War II. After the war, the NCAA divided its teams into two divisions, the University Division and the College Division; with a smaller enrollment and no home court (the team played in an on-campus auditorium and then local high school gyms), the Friars were placed into the College Division and no longer faced the opponents they once played.

Mullaney era: 1955-1969

In 1949, Vin Cuddy was hired as the team's head coach, leading the team to a 14–9 record in his first season and qualified for the NAIB regional tournament in 1951, behind the school's first 1,000-point scorer, Jim Schlimm. By 1955, Cuddy's record fell to 9–12 and he was replaced by Joe Mullaney; at the same time, the school opened its first on-campus gym, Alumni Hall. In 1959, Mullaney and the Friars defeated ranked Villanova on the road, leading to their first-ever National Invitational Tournament bid. The Friars reached the NIT Finals in 1960 with future hall-of-famer

being named MVP in his senior season before winning the tournament in 1961 behind Vin Ernst, John Egan, and Jim Hadnot. Two years later, led by another future hall of famer, John Thompson, as well as future

Boston Mayor The mayor of Boston is the head of the municipal government in Boston, Massachusetts. Boston has a mayor–council government. Boston's mayoral elections are nonpartisan (as are all municipal elections in Boston), and elect a mayor to a four-y ...

Ray Flynn, the Friars won their second NIT title. With a 24–2 record in 1964–65, the number four ranked Friars reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. In 1966–67,

Jimmy Walker James John Walker (June 19, 1881November 18, 1946), known colloquially as Beau James, was mayor of New York City from 1926 to 1932. A flamboyant politician, he was a liberal Democrat and part of the powerful Tammany Hall machine. He was forced t ...

led the nation in scoring and became the school's first 2,000-point scorer as well as the first

New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the Can ...

player selected first overall in the NBA draft. That season also marked the last in Mullaney's run of nine consecutive 20-win seasons. Two years later, Mullaney was hired as the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA.

Gavitt era: 1969-1979

Following Mullaney's departure, Dave Gavitt, an assistant under Mullaney who then became head coach at Dartmouth, took over as the Friars' head coach in 1969. In his second year, Gavitt began a string of eight consecutive 20-win seasons. For the 1972–73 season, the team began playing in downtown Providence at the brand-new 12,000-seat arena, the

Providence Civic Center The Amica Mutual Pavilion (originally Providence Civic Center and formerly Dunkin' Donuts Center) is an indoor arena located in downtown Providence, Rhode Island. It was built in 1972, as a home court for the emerging Providence College men's ba ...

(renamed the Dunkin' Donuts Center in 2001). That season was the Friars' best to date; led by Ernie DiGregorio and the troubled center

Marvin Barnes Marvin Jerome "Bad News" Barnes (July 27, 1952 – September 8, 2014) was an American professional basketball player. A forward, he was an All-American at Providence College, and played professionally in both the American Basketball Association ...

, the team went on a 17-team game winning streak that ended in a Final Four loss to Memphis State. The next year, the Friars posted a 28–4 record and made their second straight Sweet Sixteen appearance. The team continued its top-flight status with back-to-back 20-win seasons in 1976–77 and 1977–78, earning NCAA Tournament bids each year, one coming after defeating top-ranked

Michigan Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...

in 1976. After a 10–16 season in 1978–79, Gavitt left Providence to become the first commissioner of the Providence-based

. He finished his 10-year career at Providence with a 209–84 (.713) record.

Mullaney returns: 1979-1985

After spending the first six decades of their existence as an independent, the Friars joined the Big East in its inaugural season, 1979–80. The conference originally consisted of Providence, Boston College, Georgetown, St. John's,

Seton Hall Seton Hall University (SHU) is a private Catholic research university in South Orange, New Jersey. Founded in 1856 by then-Bishop James Roosevelt Bayley and named after his aunt, Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Seton Hall is the oldest diocesa ...

, Syracuse, and

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...

. New head coach Gary Walters led the team to an 11–16 record in 1979–80, and was replaced by Mullaney in 1981. His next stint with the Friars would not be as successful, and consisted of only one winning season (1983–84, behind Otis Thorpe) against three losing.

Pitino era: 1985-1987

In 1985, New York Knicks assistant coach

was hired as the latest Friars head coach. In his first season the Friars compiled a 17–14 record and made their first NIT appearance in a decade. The next year, 1986–87, the Friars posted a 25–9 record behind Billy Donovan and made their second-ever Final Four appearance in the

1987 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament The 1987 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 12, 1987, and ended with the champions ...

. After losing to Syracuse, Pitino left the school and re-joined the Knicks as their head coach in 1987. The Friars have not returned to the Final Four since Pitino's departure.

Chiesa, Barnes, Gillen: 1987-1998

In 1987–88, the Friars posted a losing record under new head coach Gordie Chiesa, who was replaced by

Rick Barnes Rick may refer to: People *Rick (given name), a list of people with the given name *Alan Rick (born 1976), Brazilian politician, journalist, pastor and television personality *Johannes Rick (1869–1946), Austrian-born Brazilian priest and mycol ...

after the season. Behind Barnes and 2,000-point scorer Eric Murdock, the Friars made back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 1989 and 1990, as well as an NIT bid in 1991. Following Murdock's departure and a losing season in 1991–92, the team had an NIT semifinal appearance in 1993 and an NCAA tournament appearance in 1994, while also capturing the school's first Big East Tournament title. Following back-to-back 20-win seasons, Barnes left to become the head coach at Clemson in 1994. He was replaced by Pete Gillen. Led by

Eric Williams Eric Eustace Williams (25 September 1911 – 29 March 1981) was a Trinidad and Tobago politician who is regarded by some as the " Father of the Nation", having led the then British Colony of Trinidad and Tobago to majority rule on 28 October ...

, the Friars made consecutive NIT appearances in 1995 and 1996. In 1996–97, the Friars posted a 24–12 record, led by Austin Croshere and Jamel Thomas. After defeating

Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are rank ...

in the

1997 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament The 1997 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 13, 1997, and ended with the champion ...

, the Friars reached the Elite Eight before losing, in overtime, to eventual champion

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

. Following a losing season in 1997–98, Gillen departed to become the head coach at

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

Welsh era: 1998-2008

Gillen was replaced by Iona head coach Tim Welsh in 1998. Led by Thomas, the Friars made an NIT bid in 1999. The team returned to the NCAA tournament two years later, posting a 21–10 record behind John Linehan. While the Friars posted a losing record in Linehan's senior season in 2001–02, the guard broke Allen Iverson's single-season Big East steals record of 67 as well as Murdock's NCAA career steals record of 377. Led by Ryan Gomes, the Friars returned to the NIT with an 18–14 record in 2002–03 and made another NCAA appearance in 2003–04 with a 20–9 record. However, Welsh's next four teams, without Gomes after 2004–05, recorded one winning season, and Welsh was fired following the 2007–08 season.

Davis era: 2008-2011

In 2008, the Friars hired

Drake Drake may refer to: Animals * A male duck People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name * Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * ...

head coach Keno Davis, who won the National Coach of the Year Award in his first and only season as Drake's head coach. Davis' team posted a 19–14 record, including a win at home over top-ranked

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...

, in 2008–09 en route to an NIT appearance. In 2009–10, Davis' team lost their final 11 games to finish 15th in the Big East. The Friars averaged 82 points per game, the fourth highest in Division I, while also surrendering 85 points per conference game, the worst statistical performance in Big East history. In Davis' third season,

2010–11 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. ...

, the Friars finished 14th in the conference despite having Division I's second-leading scorer in

Marshon Brooks MarShon Scitif Brooks (born January 26, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for the Guangdong Southern Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). Standing at , he plays at shooting guard and small forward positions. Origi ...

. Davis was fired after the 2010–11 season.

Cooley era: 2011-present

On March 22, 2011, the Friars hired Fairfield head coach

, as the 15th head coach in program history. A Providence native, Cooley brought a reinvigorated energy surrounding the program and recruited six consensus Top 100 recruits in his first three years.

2011–12 Season

In his first season at Providence, Cooley led the Friars to a 15–17 mark overall, posting an 11–3 mark (8–0 at home) in non-conference action and going 4–14 in the Big East. That season, point guard Vincent Council was named All-Big East Third Team and forward LaDontae Henton earned Big East All-Rookie Team accolades.

2012–13 Season — NIT Quarterfinals

In his second season, Cooley led the Friars to a 19–15 record overall and a 9–9 mark in league play. Included in the 9–9 Big East record in 2012–13 was a 7–2 mark over the last nine games of the conference season, marking the second best turnaround over second half of the season in Big East history. The Friars played the season with a short roster with transfers Carson Desrosier and Tyler Harris having to sit out the year per NCAA transfer rules, five star Freshman shooting guard and Providence native Ricky Ledo sitting our per NCAA eligibility issues, and five star Freshman point guard Kris Dunn sitting out the first semester with a shoulder injury. Friars Freshman guard Josh Fortune, was the only incoming player in 2012–2013 season eligible to compete. Cooley guided the Friars to the NIT where the squad posted a 2–1 record, beating

Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...

and Robert Morris before losing in the quarterfinals to eventual NIT Champion Baylor. That season, combo guard Bryce Cotton was named All-Big East First Team and Kadeem Batts was recognized as a co-winner of the league's Most Improved Award and earned All-Big East Honorable Mention accolades. After spending one year at Providence without being able to play, Ledo declared for the 2013 NBA Draft and was drafted by the

Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. Founded in 19 ...

, eventually being traded to the Dallas Mavericks.

2013–14 Season — Big East tournament champions / NCAA tournament 1st round

In his third season at Providence, Cooley led the Friars to a 10–8 mark in the Big East Conference and finished tied for 3rd with Xavier and St. John's. Transfers, Junior forward Carson Desrosiers and Sophomore forward Tyler Harris, were eligible to play their first season in black and white, having sat out the NCAA-enforced one-year period. However, in addition to former Senior point guard Vincent Council's graduation and Ricky Ledo entering the draft, Sophomore point guard Kris Dunn faced another shoulder injury and had to sit out almost the entire year as a medical

redshirt Redshirt, Red Shirt, or Redshirts may refer to: Entertainment * ''Red Shirts'' (film), a 1952 film about Anita Garibaldi by Franco Rossi * Redshirt (stock character), originally derived from ''Star Trek'', a stock character who dies soon after ...

, Cleveland State transfer Sophomore guard Junior Lamomba had to sit out the NCAA-enforced one-year period, and incoming Freshmen Brandon Austin and Rodney Bullock were suspended for the entire season due to an unspecified violation of team rules. The Friars finished the season at 23–12 overall, the most wins in a season since 1996–1997. Two players received regular season honors, Senior point guard Bryce Cotton was named All-Big East First Team and Senior forward Kadeem Batts earned All-Big East Second Team accolades. Entering the Big East Tournament, the Friars played as the 4th seed due to losing the tie-breaker with Xavier. They defeated St. John's in the Quarterfinals,

in the semifinals, and Creighton in the thrilling final at Madison Square Garden, claiming PC's second tournament title in Big East history. By winning the Big East Tournament the team earned an automatic bid, removing any "bubble" fears. On their way to making history as the first tournament champion of the reconfigured league, Junior forward Ladontae Henton was named to the All-Tournament Team and Senior guard Bryce Cotton was named the tournaments Most Outstanding Player. On selection Sunday, the Friars were given the 11th seed in the 2014 NCAA tournament East Regional and faced the UNC. The Friars lost 77–79, but en route Bryce Cotton scored a career high 36 points, making him the 4th all-time leading scorer in Providence College basketball history. Despite the loss, the season marked yet another major step forward by

& Co. in rebuilding the PC basketball program.

2021–2022 Season — Big East regular season champions / NCAA tournament

After a disappointing campaign the previous season marred by a Covid-19 shortened schedule and no fans, Ed Cooley led the Friars to their first regular season championship in Big East History with an overall record of 24-4 and 14-3 within the conference. The Friars clinched the title at home in front of a sold out Dunkin Donut's Center crowd. The Friars spent most of this season ranked in the AP and Coaches top 25 Polls reaching as high as 8/9 on Feb 14, 2022.

Current team

Roster

Coaching Staff

Season-by-season

Postseason

NCAA tournament results

The Friars have appeared in the NCAA tournament 21 times. Their combined record is 17–22.

NIT results

The Friars have appeared in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) 20 times. Their combined record is 32–21. They are two time NIT Champions (1961, 1963).

NAIA tournament results

The Friars have appeared in the NAIA Tournament once. Their record is 0–1.

Former Friars

NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans

NBA

*G Kris Dunn,

* G David Duke Jr.,

Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. The ...

NBA G League

*G Brandon Austin,

Reno Bighorns Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada-California border, about north from Lake Tahoe, known as "The Biggest Little City in the World". Known for its casino and tourism industry, Reno is the ...

— G League affiliate of

Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...

*G LaDontae Henton, Agua Caliente Clippers — G League affiliate of

Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clipper ...

*F Tyler Harris,

Windy City Bulls The Windy City Bulls are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, and are affiliated with the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls play their home games at Now Arena, from Chicago. It became the thir ...

— G League affiliate of

*G Ricardo Ledo,

Wisconsin Herd The Wisconsin Herd are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and are affiliated with the Milwaukee Bucks. The Herd play their home games at Oshkosh Arena. History On June 29, 2016, it was annou ...

— G League affiliate of

Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 1968 ...

*G Duke Mondy,

Texas Legends The Texas Legends are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Frisco, Texas, and are affiliated with the Dallas Mavericks. The Legends play their home games at the Comerica Center. The team began as the Colorado ...

— G League affiliate of Dallas Mavericks

Playing abroad

*F Ben Bentil,

Bilbao Basket Club Basket Bilbao Berri S.A.D., commonly known as Bilbao Basket (), also known as Surne Bilbao Basket for sponsorship reasons, is a professional basketball club based in Bilbao, Spain. The team plays in the Liga ACB. Their home arena is the Bilba ...

*G Bryce Cotton,

Perth Wildcats The Perth Wildcats are an Australian professional basketball team based in Perth, Western Australia. The Wildcats compete in the National Basketball League (Australia), National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at Perth Arena, ...

*G Vincent Council, BC Nokia *G Sharaud Curry, Poitiers Basket 86 *G Josh Fortune, SZTE-Szedeák *F Lee Goldsbrough, Manchester Magic *F Herbert Hill,

Nishinomiya Storks The Nishinomiya Storks (西宮ストークス) are a professional basketball team based in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan that competes in the Japanese B.League . History The club was formed in 2011 as the Hyogo Storks (兵庫ストーク� ...

*F Tuukka Kotti, Helsinki Seagulls *G Junior Lomomba, APOP Paphos B.C. *G Donnie McGrath,

CB Sevilla Real Betis Baloncesto S.A.D., simply known as Real Betis, is a professional basketball team based in Seville, Spain. The team plays in the Liga ACB. It plays its home games at San Pablo. History Club Deportivo de Baloncesto Sevilla was foun ...

*G Jeff Xavier, UJAP Quimper 29 Alpha Diallo. Monaco Basket

All-time NBA draft

1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Jan ...

, Round 1, Pick 6:

(

St. Louis Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays its home games at ...

) *

1961 Events January * January 3 ** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and consular relations with Cuba (Cuba–United States relations are restored in 2015). ** Aero Flight 311 (K ...

, Round 2, Pick 12: Johnny Egan (

Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at L ...

) *

1962 Events January * January 1 – Western Samoa becomes independent from New Zealand. * January 3 – Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro for preaching communism. * January 8 – Harmelen train disaster: 93 die in the wor ...

, Round 3, Pick 25: Jim Hadnot ( Boston Celtics) *

1963 Events January * January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Co ...

, Round 4, Pick 33: Raymond Flynn ( Syracuse Nats) *1963, Round 6, Pick 53: Vin Ernst (Boston Celtics) *

1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarc ...

, Round 3, Pick 27: John Thompson (Boston Celtics) *

1967 Events January * January 1 – Canada begins a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of Confederation, featuring the Expo 67 World's Fair. * January 5 ** Spain and Romania sign an agreement in Paris, establishing full consular and ...

, Round 1, Pick 1:

(Detroit Pistons) *1967, Round 5, Pick 44: Dexter Westbrook ( Baltimore Bullets) *1967, Round 12, Pick 128: Mike Riordan ( New York Knicks) * 1971, Round 6, Pick 96: Jim Larranaga (Detroit Pistons) *

1973 Events January * January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark 1973 enlargement of the European Communities, enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 15 – Vietnam War: ...

, Round 1, Pick 3: Ernie DiGregorio (

Buffalo Braves The Buffalo Braves were an American professional basketball franchise based in Buffalo, New York. The Braves competed in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member club of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division from 1970 ...

) *1973, Round 2, Pick 24: Kevin Stacom (

) *1973, Round 5, Pick 71: Fran Costello (

Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Con ...

) * 1974, Round 1, Pick 2:

( Philadelphia 76ers) *1974, Round 2, Pick 35: Kevin Stacom (Boston Celtics) *

1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...

, Round 9, Pick 154: Steve Strother ( Houston Rockets) *

1976 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 ...

, Round 8, Pick 136: Mark McAndrew (Buffalo Braves) *

1977 Events January * January 8 – Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group. * January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (now the Democrat ...

, Round 3, Pick 52: Joe Hassett (

Seattle SuperSonics The Seattle SuperSonics (commonly known as the Seattle Sonics) were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle. The SuperSonics competed in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member club of the league's Western Confe ...

) *1977, Round 6, Pick 119: Bob Cooper (

Kansas City Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference Pacific Division ( ...

) * 1978, Round 6, Pick 112: Bob Misevicius (Buffalo Braves) *1978, Round 8, Pick 153: Bruce Campbell (

New Jersey Nets New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator ...

) *

1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the '' International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the '' Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the so ...

, Round 6, Pick 121: Dwight Williams (

Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays its home games at ...

) * 1980, Round 10, Pick 214: John Nolan (Boston Celtics) *

1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensiv ...

, Round 9, Pick 186: Rudy Williams (New Jersey Nets) *

1983 The year 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call. Events January * January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to TCP/IP is officially completed (this is considered to be the beginning ...

, Round 7, Pick 160: Ron Jackson (Boston Celtics) *

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...

, Round 1, Pick 9: Otis Thorpe (Kansas City Kings) *

1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...

, Round 5, Pick 114: Ray Knight (

) *

1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, ...

, Round 3, Pick 68: Billy Donovan (

Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference, Northwest Division (NBA), ...

) *

1990 File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of humanity on Earth, astrophysicist ...

, Round 2, Pick 54: Abdul Shamsid-Deen (Seattle SuperSonics) *

1991 File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phi ...

, Round 1, Pick 21: Eric Murdock (Utah Jazz) *

1994 File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which sank in the Baltic Sea; Nelson ...

, Round 1, Pick 21:

Dickey Simpkins LuBara Dixon "Dickey" Simpkins (born April 6, 1972) is an American former professional basketball player best known for his tenure with the Chicago Bulls in the late 1990s. He is currently a scout for the Washington Wizards. A 6' 9" forward/ce ...

(Chicago Bulls) *1994, Round 2, Pick 35: Michael Smith (

) *

1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The Great Hanshin earthquake str ...

, Round 1, Pick 14:

(Boston Celtics) *1995, Round 2, Pick 45: Troy Brown (Atlanta Hawks) *

1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of ...

, Round 1, Pick 12: Austin Croshere (Indiana Pacers) *1997, Round 2, Pick 46: God Shammgod (

Washington Wizards The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays ...

) * 2004, Round 2, Pick 56:

Marcus Douthit Marcus Eugene Douthit (born April 15, 1980) is a Filipino-American former basketball player. He graduated from Providence College. After his stint with the Providence Friars, he was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2004 NBA draft. Born i ...

( Los Angeles Lakers) * 2005, Round 2, Pick 50: Ryan Gomes (Boston Celtics) * 2007, Round 2, Pick 55: Herbert Hill (Utah Jazz) * 2011, Round 1, Pick 25:

(Boston Celtics) *

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...

, Round 2, Pick 43: Ricardo Ledo (Milwaukee Bucks) *

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...

, Round 1, Pick 5: Kris Dunn (Minnesota Timberwolves) *

, Round 2, Pick 51: Ben Bentil (Boston Celtics)

Former Friars

*Justin Acker — Executive, WME/IMG * Chris Anrin — former international professional basketball player *

— former NBA and ABA all-star player * Ira Bowman — former NBA player *

Marques Bragg Marques Bragg (born March 24, 1970) is a retired American professional basketball player who played in the NBA with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Bragg was a Providence Friar in college, and co-led the Big East Conference in Field goal percentag ...

— former NBA player *

— NBA player with

* Derrick Brown — former international professional basketball player * Michael Brown — former international professional basketball player * Troy Brown — former NBA player * Marty Conlon — former NBA player * Rick Cordella — Vice President & General Manager, NBC Sports Digital * Austin Croshere — former NBA player * Sharaud Curry — international professional basketball player * Ernie DiGregorio — former NBA player * Billy Donovan — two-time NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship head coach of

Florida Gators men's basketball The Florida Gators men's basketball team represents the University of Florida in the sport of basketball. The Gators compete in NCAA Division I's Southeastern Conference (SEC). Home games are played in the Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Con ...

— NBA and international professional basketball player * Jacek Duda — former international professional basketball player * Weyinmi Efejuku — international professional basketball player * Johnny Egan — former NBA player and coach * Raymond Flynn — former Mayor of

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

* Trent Forbes — international professional basketball player * Rubén Garcés — former NBA and international professional basketball player * Ryan Gomes — NBA player with

* Randall Hanke — international professional basketball player * Eric Harris — former international professional basketball player * Joe Hassett — former NBA player * Herbert Hill — NBA and international professional basketball player * Sheiku Kabba — international professional basketball player * Jonathan Kale — international professional basketball player * Tuukka Kotti — international professional basketball player * Ricky Ledo — current NBA player * Jim Larranaga — head coach of

Miami Hurricanes men's basketball The Miami Hurricanes men's basketball team is the college basketball team of the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. The team competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). The University of Miami men's basketball team was formed i ...

Māris Ļaksa Māris Ļaksa (born 8 September 1981 in Ventspils) is a Latvian professional basketball forward who, as of 2012, is a member of BC Rakvere Tarvas. He is also a member of Latvia national basketball team The Latvia men's national basketball team ...

— international professional basketball player * John Linehan — international professional basketball player * Mike Malone — NBA assistant coach for the

New Orleans Hornets New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator ...

Erron Maxey Erron James Maxey (born December 6, 1978) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Formosa Dreamers of the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL). High school career Maxey attended Temescal Canyon High School for two years ...

— international professional basketball player * Geoff McDermott — international professional basketball player * Ken McDonald — head coach of Western Kentucky Hilltopers men's basketball * Donnie McGrath — international professional basketball player * Brian McKenzie — international professional basketball player * Abdul Mills — former international professional basketball player * Eric Murdock — former NBA player *

Jason Murdock Jason ( ; ) was an ancient Greek mythological hero and leader of the Argonauts, whose quest for the Golden Fleece featured in Greek literature. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcos. He was married to the sorceress Medea. He wa ...

— former international professional basketball player * Jamine Peterson — international professional basketball player * Rob Phelps — former international professional basketball player * Richard Pitino — head basketball coach for

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public land-grant research university in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. ...

* Mike Riordan — former NBA player * Rob Sanders — former international professional basketball player * Karim Shabazz — international professional basketball player * God Shammgod — former NBA player * Abdul Shamsid-Deen — former international professional basketball player *

— former NBA player * Kevin Simpson — former international professional basketball player * Michael Smith — former NBA player * Kevin Stacom — former NBA player * Piotr Szybilski — former international professional basketball player * Jamel Thomas — former NBA player * Garnett Thompson — international professional basketball player * John Thompson — former Basketball Hall of Fame head coach of Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball * Otis Thorpe — former NBA all-star player * Orlando Vega — former international professional basketball player *

— former NBA all-star player * Franklin Western — international professional basketball player *

— Basketball Hall of Fame coach and player *

— former NBA player * Jeff Xavier — international professional basketball player * Maciej Zieliński — former international professional basketball player

All-time leaders

Points

Rebounds

Assists

Steals

Blocks

Arena

The Providence Friars men's basketball team has been playing at the Amica Mutual Pavilion (aka "the AMP") since its inception in 1972, having played almost all of its home basketball games at the arena since it opened. The Amica Mutual Pavilion (formerly Providence Civic Center and Dunkin’ Donuts Center ) is an indoor arena, located in downtown Providence, Rhode Island, and seats approximately 12,400 fans for basketball games. In 2001, the arena was named the Dunkin' Donuts Center as part of a naming-rights deal with Dunkin' Donuts.In December 2005, the Rhode Island Convention Center Authority purchased the building from the city of Providence and spent $80 million on an extensive renovation. Since the renovations, the arena has been touted as one of the most state of the art areas and one of the best atmospheres in the NCAA. Prior to playing at the Amica Mutual Pavilion , the Friars played at Alumni Hall (Providence) from 1955 until moving to the AMP in 1972. Alumni Hall seated approximately 2,600 fans from 1955 until its renovation in 2012, and now seats approximately 1,850 fans. In 2022 Amica Mutual took over the naming rights and the arena was renamed the Amica Mutual Pavilion.

Rivalries

Villanova Wildcats

The two smallest schools in the original Big East, Providence and the

Villanova Wildcats The Villanova Wildcats are the athletic teams of Villanova University. They compete in the Big East (NCAA Division I) for every sport; except football and rowing where they compete in the Colonial Athletic Association ( Football Championship ...

, currently battle at least twice each year during conference play. The two teams first met on February 15, 1936, resulting in a 46–37 Friars victory. Villanova leads the all-time series, 59–38, as of the end of the 2015–16 NCAA basketball season. The rivalry is elevated by the Catholic orders which run the schools; Providence's Dominicans and Villanova's Augustinians.

Boston College Eagles The Boston College Eagles are the athletic teams that represent Boston College, located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. They compete as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level (Football Bowl Subdivisi ...

These two former Big East rivals are in adjacent states with both teams said to have among the most intense fans in New England. Though they now reside in separate conferences, they still meet occasionally during non-conference play.

Connecticut Huskies

The only two New England schools in the old Big East for its final eight seasons, these two schools fought for New England bragging rights each year until the 2013 season, when Providence and 6 other teams in the "Catholic 7" broke away to form the new Big East and UConn remained in the now-called American Athletic Conference. UConn joined the new Big East and started playing in the conference in 2020, renewing the rivalry.

Rhode Island Rams The Rhode Island Rams are the athletic programs of the University of Rhode Island, based in Kingston, Rhode Island, United States. The Rams compete in the NCAA's Division I as a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference. The football team, howev ...

The annual

Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area and the seventh-least populous, with slightly fewer than 1.1 million residents as of 2020, but it ...

State Championship game is played between these schools once a year and is considered often to be the highlight of the schedule for the rams. The annual match-up is usually played in December and has produced many memorable games and moments for both teams over the years.

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Providence Friars Men's Basketball Basketball teams established in 1921 1921 establishments in Rhode Island