PC Basketball's 2017-18 Big East Schedule Announced
GoLocalProv Sports Team
PC Basketball's 2017-18 Big East Schedule Announced
The Big East released the schedules on Tuesday via their Facebook and Twitter accounts.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST2017-18 Big East Schedule
For the third straight season, the Friars open Big East play on the road with games at St. John’s and Creighton on December 28 and December 31 respectively.
PC will then open up 2018 with back-to-back home games against Marquette on January 3 and Xavier on January 6.
Following a six day break, Providence visits DePaul on January 12, before returning home for games against Butler on January 15 and Creighton on January 20.
PC then faces the toughest stretch of their schedule when they visit defending Big East champion Villanova on January 23 and Seton Hall on January 31 before capping off the three game road trip with a visit to Marquette on February 3.
Following that road trip, Providence returns home for three straight games starting with a February 6 matchup against Georgetown and new head coach Patrick Ewing.
They then host DePaul on February 10 and Villanova on February 14.
The Friars close their regular season schedule by playing three of their final five games on road.
That stretch begins with a February 17 visit to Butler followed by a February 21 home game against Seton Hall.
PC then visits Georgetown on February 24 and Xavier on February 28 before they wrap up the regular season on Saturday, March 3 at home against St. John’s.
This will be the third straight year in which the Friars and Red Storm will play in the final game of the regular season.
PC Basketball in 2017-18
The Friars went 10-8 in the Big East last season, advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight year
This season, the Friars return their entire starting lineup from last season while adding top recruits Nate Watson, Dajour Dickens and Makai Ashton-Langford.
Providence opens their regular season on Friday, November 10 when they host Houston Baptist at Alumni Hall.
6 Things to Know About the Future of PC Basketball
Bullock Testing NBA Draft
Forward Rodney Bullock is putting his name into the NBA Draft, but is not hiring an agent, meaning that he could return to school.
If Bullock leaves, his spot in the starting lineup would likely come down to incoming freshman Nate Watson or returning senior Emmitt Holt.
If it is Holt taking his spot, incoming freshman Dajour Dickens or returning sophomore Kalif Young would step in at center.
The deadline for Bullock to officially decide whether he is staying or going is May 24, ten days after the NBA combine.
PC Returning Key Players
With the exception of Bullock potentially entering the NBA Draft, the Friars are returning all of their key players from last season.
Kyron Cartwright, Jalen Lindsey, Holt and Bullock (tentatively) will all return for their senior seasons while Alpha Diallo, Maliek White and Kalif Young will return for their sophomore seasons.
PC will likely be one of the favorites in the Big East and will be poised to make their 5th straight NCAA Tournament appearance.
Newcomers
The Providence College Friars will welcome two top recruits to their roster for the 2017-18 season, forward Nate Watson and center Dajour Dickens. These two additions will give PC front court depth, something they have been missing over last couple of seasons.
Dickens is a 6'10" center from Virginia who is rated a four-star recruit by both Rivals.com and ESPN.
He attended and played for Bethel High School, while also playing for the AAU team, Boo Williams.
He had offers from Virginia, Virginia Tech and Creighton.
Watson is a 6'9" forward, also from Virginia, and is rated as a four-star recruit by Rivals.com.
He is listed as the 3rd best player in the state of Virginia.
In his junior season, Watson averaged 13 points and 7.6 rebounds for Bishop O’Connell High School.
He had offers from Marquette, Georgetown and Xavier.
Photo: Dajour Dickens Twitter
Fazekas Transferring
Sophomore Ryan Fazekas announced that he will be transferring out of Providence.
His departure means that the Friars have one scholarship available for the upcoming season to try and fill the roster spot.
Potential replacements include Michigan guard Greg Elliot, who visited PC in February, or a 5th year transfer player.
Fazekas at Providence
Fazekas averaged three points and one rebound in 12 minutes per game this season.
After knocking down nine threes in the first four games, he made just two field goals from February 1 until the end of the season.
This past season's numbers are down from the five points, two rebounds in 19 minutes per game during his freshman season.
Ed Cooley
In an interview on ESPN Radio earlier this week, Ed Cooley was asked about the head coach opening at Georgetown, and other openings that he might be interested in or who might be interested in him.
Here is what Cooley had to say:
"I think you always talk to people that you love, you talk to people that you are comfortable with, it doesn’t hurt to have a conversation. Having a conversation and actually doing something are two totally different things.
Providence has given me an opportunity, it is a place that is home and all you want to do is your best while you are there. You want to continue to build, you know I have to try to get this team to the tournament again and do our best in that tournament."
Cooley went on to say that he has not got a call from Georgetown.
Cooley signed a 10-year deal at Providence in March of 2016 that pays him more than $2 million per year.
The Big East in 2017
PC will likely be picked as one of the favorites in the Big East next season.
Among the teams that will challenge them include defending Big East champion Villanova, Butler and Xavier.
Villanova is losing two key players in Josh Hart and Kris Jenkins, but return Phil Booth and Jalen Brunson. They will also welcome in top recruits Collin Gillespsie, Jermaine Samuels and Omari Spellman.
Butler loses big man Andrew Chrazbascz and Kethan Savage to graduation, but return Kelan Martin and Tyler Wideman. They will also welcome in four-star forward Christian David and three-star forward Kyle Young.
Xavier is losing Edmund Sumner to the NBA Draft, but will return J.P. Macura and Quentin Goodin to help fill the void. At the forward position, the Musketeers have Tyrique Jones and former Iowa State forward Brady Ernst who will be eligible to play this season.
