Providence Friars
Record: 22-11, 11-7 Big East
Head Coach: Ed Cooley (4th season)
Season summary: This squad is led by a dominating tandem in forward LaDontae Henton and point guard Kris Dunn. Dunn was named co-Big East Player of the Year and Co- Big East Defensive Player of the Year as he racked up a league-best 2.8 steals and 7.6 assists per game. Last year as a freshman, Dunn was out with an injury when his team fell in the NCAA tournament, but the Friars have plenty of postseason experience, winning the 2014 Big East tournament and falling to Villanova in the semifinals this year by two. Providence has also beaten Georgetown twice and defeated Butler and Notre Dame, but suffered stunning back-to-back losses to Brown and Boston College. Keep in mind, the Friars have beaten six teams in the tournament this season, and they are to be taken quite seriously.
How they make a run: Dunn and Henton get on a roll, and Dunn sets up forward Ben Bentil for easy opportunities in the post to spread opposing defenses thin.
How they falter: An off night from either of the Friars’ stars could be quite costly. The team can beat the best, but it is also susceptible to bad losses. Inconsistency is its demon.
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