Coach Davis Looks to Off-Season to Build Friars for the Long Run

photo courtesy of http://www.friars.com

"You have to be proud of the team, even though we’re losing the games. We’re playing about as hard as we can, maybe not executing as well, we’re having some breakdowns. But I think, when you have the work ethic, that’s where you’re going to find the improvement."

During the last Keno Davis show at The Abbey on March 1st, Davis took the time to reflect on a disappointing season. Currently, the Providence College Friars sit 15th in the Big East Conference standings, with a 4-14 record within the conference. At the time of the show, the team had been in the midst of an eight game losing streak. It’s now up to ten.

Davis made his debut last season for the Friars, who finished tied for seventh in the Big East. This season, Providence started with a 10-4 record, but is now looking at a winning percentage under .500.

In spite of all of this, Coach Davis is still looking on the bright side.

"The best thing that’s gonna come from this losing streak is that we didn’t lose to teams that we were better than. We lost to teams, for the most part, that were top 10 teams in the country and as we look going into the offseason, it’s going to motivate some of our young men to try to say, "Okay, that’s the level that I need to be at. I can be that good.""

He hopes that a better emphasis on their recruiting program to bring in top-notch players and a team commitment to log more hours in the gym will boost Providence next season. Davis recognizes that a program like his needs to get creative to build a solid foundation, but he still wants players with heart and a strong work ethic.

"I don’t want a one-dimensional player. I want guys that can shoot it, that can drive it, I want guys that that can defend the perimeter, that can defend the post, that can rebound, that can play all those areas. I don’t want specialists."

Despite this season’s frustrations, Coach Davis is still steering the squad in the right direction. When he replaced Tim Welsh in the spring of 2008, the Friars had finished with losing records in three of the previous four seasons. He continues to hold onto his optimism that his team will continue up the ladder of success, in the face of his critics’ opinions.

"We could surprise a lot of people."

It looks as though it will be a long summer for the Providence Friars. They need to spend time in the gym, on the court, and behind the scenes to create the groundwork they need and transform the program into a winning one. If they don’t put their hours in now, it will surely be a long fall, winter, and spring for a team who could easily see another season end under .500.