Men's Basketball Game Notes vs. Xavier

Friars To Play Xavier On February 24: The Friars will play host Xavier on Wednesday, February 24 at 9 p.m. on FS1. Providence holds an 8-11 mark all- time versus Xavier. The Friars have posted a 6-2 mark all-time versus Xavier in Providence, a 1-9 record versus the Musketeers at Xavier and a 1-0 mark on neutral courts. The Friars are 7-9 versus the Musketeers since they joined the BIG EAST. In the first meeting this season, Xavier defeated the Friars, 74-73, on January 10, 2021 in Cincinnati. In the most recent game in Providence, the Friars defeated Xavier, 80-74, on March 4, 2020.

Friar Tid Bits Entering Wednesday's Game:
*Wednesday's game will mark the Friars' annual Pink Out Friartown game. Rhode Island Medical Imaging is once again serving as the presenting sponsor. Fans will be encouraged to fill out "Stand Up to Cancer" signs at home and are encouraged to recognize someone in their fight against cancer through their social media channels using the hashtags #PINKOUTFRIARTOWN and #RIMISUTC.
*On Wednesday, the College will honor the 60th anniversary of the Friars' first NIT Championship. The team defeated St. Louis, 62-59, at MSG on March 25, 1961. That team was led by John Egan, Vinnie Ernst, and Ray Flynn. Photos of the players have been placed in the stands at Alumni Hall to honor the team.
*Friars are 2-3 in their last five games versus Xavier.
*Ed Cooley has posted a 7-9 mark all-time versus Xavier as the Friars' Head Coach.
*Three of the Friars' nine league losses have been by a combined four points (Creighton 67-65; at Xavier 74-73 and at Georgetown 73-72.
*The Friars are 6-3 this season at Alumni Hall, 4-6 on the road and 1-2 in neutral site games.
*The Friars were picked third of 11 teams in the Preseason BIG EAST Coaches' Poll.
*Sophomore guard Jared Bynum suffered a lower body injury on Jan. 2 vs. Creighton. He missed nine games due the injury. He returned to action versus DePaul on Feb. 13.
*David Duke was named BIG EAST Player of the Week on Feb. 15. It marked his second Player of the Week honor this season. He has been named to the Honor Roll three times.
*David Duke needs 10 points to reach 1,000 for his career.
*Nate Watson (367 pts) and David Duke (377 pts) have scored 48 percent (727 pts) of the team's 1,550 points this season. Nine other players have combined to score 806 points.
*David Duke had a season high of 31 points vs. Marquette on Jan. 27. It was his second 30-point game this season.
*Nate Watson registered a career-high 30 points in the Friars' loss to SJU on Feb. 6.
*Nate Watson was named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll on Jan. 25. He has earned that honor four times this season.
*Ed Cooley earned his 275th win as a head coach (284-202) in a win over Davidson on Dec. 1.
*Nate Watson scored his 1,000th career point on Dec. 20 versus Seton Hall. He now has 1,245 career points.
*Ed Cooley is wearing a towel on his shoulder this season to honor his mentor, longtime George- town Head Coach and former Friar, John Thompson '64.

Friars Defeated At UConn: In the Friars' most recent game, the team was defeated, 73-61, at UConn on Feb. 16. Freshman Alyn Breed (Powder Springs, Ga.) led the Friars with 14 points. Breed was 5-11 from the field. Junior David Duke (Providence, R.I.) was the only other Friar to score in double figures as he added 11 points.

Duke Named BIG EAST Player Of The Week: It was announced on February 15 that junior guard David Duke (Providence, R.I.) was named BIG EAST Player of the Week. It marked the second time that Duke has earned the league player of the week accolades this season. Duke averaged 17.0 points, 9.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals as the Friars posted a 2-0 mark last week. Duke scored 17 points and grabbed six re- bounds in the Friars' 70-59 win over UConn on February 10. On February 13, the junior guard scored a game-high 17 points and tied his career high with 13 boards in a 57-47 victory at DePaul.

Watson Scores A Career High 30 Points Versus St. John's: Senior center Nate Watson (Portsmouth, Va.) scored a career-high 30 points in the Friars' loss to St. John's on February 6. He also had a career-high 13 field goals in the game. Watson was 13-20 from field.

Watson Leading The Friars In Rebounding: Senior Nate Watson (Portsmouth, Va.) is leading the Friars in rebounding (6.7 rpg). He ranks second on the team in scoring (16.7 ppg). In 22 games this season, he has recorded four double-doubles and six games with 20 or more points. Watson is shooting 59 percent (149-251) from the field.

Duke First On The Team In Scoring And Second In Rebounding: Junior David Duke (Providence, R.I.), who is averaging a team-best 17.1 ppg and 4.8 apg, ranks third in the league in both these categories. The junior ranks second in the league in minutes played at 37.1 mpg. He also leads PC in steals (1.1 spg), while averaging 6.2 rebounds per game, which is second best on the squad. Duke is shooting 39.8 percent (123/317) from the field, including 39 percent (43-108) from three-point territory.

Duke Registers His Second 30-Point Game Of The Season: Junior David Duke (Providence, R.I.) scored a season-high 31 points in the Friars' win over Marquette on January 27. He was 10- 22 from the field, including 4-8 from three. He also scored 30 points while shooting 11-18 from the field, including 7-9 from three-point territory in the Friars' loss at Xavier on January 10. Duke has posted three 30-point efforts in his career.

Duke Played 48 Minutes Vs. DePaul: Junior David Duke (Providence, R.I.) played 48 of the 50 minutes in the Friars' double overtime win over DePaul on December 27. It was the most minutes played by a Friar in a single game since Bryce Cotton played 50 minutes in a double overtime win over Marquette on March 4, 2014. Duke is second in the conference in minutes played at 37.1 mpg.

Nate Watson Registers His 1,000th Career Points: Senior Nate Watson (Portsmouth, Va.) scored his 1,000th career point on December 20 in the Friars' win at Seton Hall. He became the 51st Friar all-time to register 1,000 career points. In 118 career games, Watson has registered 1,245 points (10.6 ppg).

Reeves Scores 28 Points At Georgetown: Junior AJ Reeves (Roxbury, Mass.) scored 28 points, grabbed five rebounds and had five assists in the Friars' loss at Georgetown. Reeves was 6-12 from three in the game.

Breed Notches A Double-Double At Villanova: Freshman Alyn Breed (Powder Springs, Ga.) had a game and career highs in points (18) and rebounds (11) in the Friars' loss at Villanova on January 23. It was Breed's first career double-double.

Duke Named BIG EAST Player of the Week On Dec. 14: It was announced on December 14 that junior guard David Duke (Providence, R.I.) was named BIG EAST Player of the Week. Duke, who was named Preseason All-BIG EAST First Team, earned the league Player of the Week accolades for the first time in his career. In the Friars' only game of week, Duke led the Friars with 28 points and seven assists in the team's 79-70 win at TCU on December 9. It marked Duke's second consecutive game with 28 points. Duke was 11-19 from the field, including 5-8 from three-point territory in the win.

Duke Named To Maui Invitational All-Tournament Team: Junior David Duke (Providence, R.I.) averaged 14.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists in three games in the Maui Invitational and was named to the Maui Invitational All-Tournament Team on December 2 .

Ed Cooley Wearing A Towel In-Game To Honor John Thompson: Friar Head Coach Ed Cooley will wear a towel on his shoulder each game to honor the late John Thompson. Thompson was a 1964 graduate of Providence College. "Coach Thompson was a friend and a mentor to me. The things he did for a coach like me were tremendous. I owe him this appreciation." - Ed Cooley.

Friars At Alumni Hall: The Friars opened the season on Wednesday, November 25 at Alumni Hall versus Fairfield. The game marked the Friars' first regular-season contest at Alumni Hall since the squad opened the season on November 10, 2017 with an 84-55 win over Houston Baptist. Prior to that, the team's last game at Alumni Hall was on March 1, 1972 when Providence defeated St John's 73-65. The Friars played their home games at Alumni Hall from 1955-72. The Friars have compiled a 185-32 mark (.856) in the arena over 19 seasons. Over the last 48 seasons, the squad has posted a 587-235 record (.714) at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Downtown Providence.

Friars Picked Third Of 11 Teams In Preseason BIG EAST Coaches' Poll: It was announced on October 28 during the BIG EAST Virtual Media Day that the Friars were selected to finish third of 11 in teams in the Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Friars, who return three starters from last season, finished 2019-20 with a 19-12 overall mark and a team record 12 wins in BIG EAST play. The Friars entered the 2020 BIG EAST Tournament as hot as any team in the country. The team had won six straight and eight of 10 games to close the regular season with a NET ranking of 37. The squad finished fourth in league standings and was set to play fifth-seeded Butler on March 12 in the BIG EAST Tournament. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic the BIG EAST and NCAA Tournaments were cancelled. The Friars were projected to be a No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Duke And Watson Earn BIG EAST Preseason Honors: It was announced on October 28 that junior guard David Duke (Providence, R.I.) and senior center Nate Watson (Portsmouth, Va.) were named to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Teams. Duke was named to the First Team and Watson earned Second Team honors. Duke had a strong sophomore season as he improved in each significant statistical category from his freshman season. His points per game improved from 7.1 in 2019 to 12.0 in 2020. His rebounding also improved from 2.6 rpg to 4.0 rpg. His shooting took a dramatic rise with his field goal percentage (.387 to .409), three-point field goal percentage (.297 to .420) and free-throw percentage (.689 to .793) all making improvements from freshman through sophomore seasons. In 2019-20, he finished fourth in the league in three-point shooting (42.0 percent) and steals per game (1.5). He also finished first on the team in three-point shooting (42-100, .420) and assists (97, 3.1 apg). Duke also was second on the team in scoring (12.0 ppg). He recorded a career-best game at Creighton on January 18, 2020 when he scored 36 points and was 6-8 from three-point territory. In 2019-20, Watson finished fourth on the team in scoring (9.0 ppg). He led the squad and ranked ninth in the league in field goal percentage at 51.1 percent. He reached double figures in scoring in 11 of the 27 games he played. Watson also was third on the team in rebounding at 4.6 boards per game.

Geeter And Castro Each Sign A NLI To Attend Providence In 2021-22: Providence College men's basketball coach Ed Cooley announced today (Nov. 13) that student-athletes Legend Geeter (River Rouge, Mich.) and Rafael Castro (Dover, N.J.) each have signed a National Letter of Intent to attend Providence College beginning in September 2021. Geeter, a 6-foot-8-inch, 220-pound forward, is in his senior year at River Rouge High School. He is coached by LaMonta Stone at River Rouge. Last season, Geeter averaged 16 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and two blocks per game while helping lead River Rouge to a 20-1 mark. For his efforts, he earned The Detroit News Division 1 First Team All-State honors. River Rouge, which has won more state titles (14) than any other pro- gram in Michigan, was ranked No. 1 in the state and looking to capture the state title in 2020 when the season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Geeter is a 2021 candidate for Mr. Basketball, which is an annual award given out each year to the top player in the state. Former Friar LaDontae Henton of Lansing was a runner up for Mr. Basketball honors in 2011. Geeter played AAU basketball for The Family, which is where former Friars Henton and Junior Lomomba also played. He is ranked as the 48th best power forward in the county and the fifth best in Michigan by 247Sports. com. Rivals.com has Geeter ranked as the 37th power best forward in the nation. Castro, a 6-foot-10-inch, 200-pound forward at- tends Dover High School. As a junior at Dover, he averaged 20.3 points, 16.3 rebounds, 4.7 blocks, 2.2 assists and 1.5 steals. He is coached by Billy Connors. Castro played for the Dominican Republic at the 2019 CentroBasket U17 Championship. He averaged 4.2 points and 3.8 rebounds while helping the team to a fourth-place finish. Castro played AAU ball for Team Rio University. He is ranked as the 30th best power forward in the country and the third best player in New Jersey, according to 247Sports.com. Rivals. com ranked Castro as the 136th best player in the country and the No. 23 power forward.

Friars All-Time Versus Top-25 Teams: The Friars have posted a 122-271 (.310) mark all-time versus top-25 teams, including a 1-2 mark this season.

Ed Cooley Ranks Third On The PC All-Time Win List: With the Friars' win versus Butler on March 9, 2019, Ed Cooley recorded his 161st victory as the Friar Head Coach and moved into third place on the all-time win list for PC Head Coaches. The two all-time winningest Friar head coaches are: Joe Mullaney (319-164), and Dave Gavitt (209-84). Cooley has a 192-133 mark in 10 seasons as the Friars head coach.

Friars Are 68-5 In Non-Conference Home Games Under Ed Cooley: The Friars have posted a 68-5 mark in 10 seasons under Ed Cooley in non-conference home games.

Friars In Overtime: The Friars recorded a 3-0 mark in overtime games this season. They have registered a 68-67 mark all-time in overtime games.

"DG" Patch On Friar Uniforms: In memory of former Friar Head Coach Dave Gavitt the Friars have worn a "DG" patch on their uniforms since the 2011-12 season. Gavitt led PC and Eastern basketball into the modern age. In 10 seasons as the head coach of the Friars, Gavitt led PC to 209 wins, including eight consecutive 20-win seasons, five NCAA appearances, three NIT appearances and five New England Coach of the Year honors. He led the Friars to 23 wins over Top-20 teams. His 1973 team made it to Final Four. In 1971, Gavitt was named Director of Athletics at PC, a position he held until 1982 when he resigned to be the director of the BIG EAST Conference. He also was named Head Coach of the 1980 USA Olympic basketball team. He was elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.

Providence College Basketball: The 2020-21 campaign marks the 94th season of basketball at Providence College. Since the program started in 1926-27, Providence has posted a 1,493-1,006 mark, good for a .598 winning percentage. The Friars have made the NCAA Tournament 20 times and the National Invitation Tournament on 20 occasions.

-GO FRIARS!-

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Players Mentioned

Alyn Breed

Jared Bynum

David Duke

Nate Watson

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