2003–04 Providence Friars men's basketball team

2003–04 Providence Friars men's basketball
NCAA, #5, Midwest Region, First Round
Conference Big East Conference
Ranking
AP #21
2003–04 record 20–9 (11–5 Big East)
Head coach Tim Welsh
Assistant coach Steve DeMeo
Assistant coach Phil Seymore
Assistant coach Bob Walsh
MVP Ryan Gomes
Captain Ryan Gomes
Home arena Dunkin' Donuts Center
Seasons
« 2002–03 2004–05 »

The 2003–04 Providence Friars men's basketball team represented Providence College in the Big East Conference. The team finished with a 11–5 conference record and a 20–9 record overall.

Coming off an 18–14 record and a second-round NIT loss in 2002–03, the team returned all five starters for coach Tim Welsh's sixth season with the Friars. However, forward Romuald Augustin transferred to Bryant College for his fifth year of eligibility,[1] while walk-on guard Chris Burns also transferred to Bryant for his sophomore season.[2] The team also lost two departing seniors, guard Kareem Hayletts and forward Stephen Traugott. On February 24, after playing in 12 games for the Friars, senior forward Māris Ļaksa left the team to play professional basketball in Slovenia.[3]

The Friars began the season receiving votes in both polls, but not ranked in either. Following an 8–1 start that included a win over #14 Illinois, the Friars earned a #25 ranking in the AP Poll in time for their January 5 matchup with #18 Texas. The Friars took the Longhorns to overtime, but as time expired in the overtime period, Texas forward P. J. Tucker released a layup to give the Longhorns a two-point win. The controversial shot was reviewed for more than five minutes by the officials, who determined that the clock read "0.00" but the red backboard light had not yet gone off when the ball was released, which at the time overruled the clock.[4]

Despite the close loss, the Friars re-emerged in the top 25 three weeks later, following a road win over #4 Connecticut. A six-game winning streak that began with a win over #18 Syracuse propelled the Friars to a #12 ranking in the AP Poll on March 1. This was followed by two home losses to close out the regular season, and a #3 seed in the 2004 Big East Men's Basketball Tournament. Following a first-round bye, the Friars dropped a three-point game to Villanova in the quarterfinals, leading to a #5 seed in the NCAA Tournament. In the first round, the Friars were defeated 66–58 by the #12 seed, Pacific. The Friars ended the season with a #21 ranking in the AP Poll.

The Friars were led in scoring (18.9 ppg) and rebounding (9.4 rpg) by junior forward Ryan Gomes. He became the fourth Friar to be named a First Team All-American by the Associated Press.

Contents

Roster

2003–04 Providence Friars men's basketball team
Players Coaches
Pos. # Name Height Weight Year High School/Junior College Home town
G 1 McGrath, DonnieDonnie McGrath 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 190 lb (86 kg) So John F. Kennedy Catholic High School Katonah, New York
F/C 3 Gomes, RyanRyan Gomes (C) 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 245 lb (111 kg) Jr Wilby High School Waterbury, Connecticut
C 4 Douthit, MarcusMarcus Douthit 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 235 lb (107 kg) Sr Notre Dame Prep Syracuse, New York
G 5 Brown, GeraldGerald Brown 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Fr Hargrave Military Academy Baltimore, Maryland
F 10 Van De Walle, SeanSean Van De Walle 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Fr Fenwick High School Elmhurst, Illinois
G 11 Mills, AbdulAbdul Mills  6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 195 lb (88 kg) RS Sr Milford Academy Brooklyn, New York
G 13 Kabba, SheikuSheiku Kabba 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Sr Bronx Regional High School Bronx, New York
F 15 Hill, HerbertHerbert Hill 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 220 lb (100 kg) RS Fr Kinston High School Kinston, North Carolina
F 20 Anrin, ChrisChris Anrin 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Sr 08 Stockholm Human Rights Värmdö Municipality, Sweden
F 21 Parmer, JeffJeff Parmer  6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 230 lb (104 kg) Fr Niagara Falls High School Niagara Falls, New York
F 22 Ļaksa, MārisMāris Ļaksa 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 230 lb (104 kg) Sr Latvian Junior National Team Ventspils, Latvia
G 24 Brewington, DwightDwight Brewington 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Fr Worcester Academy Lynn, Massachusetts
F 25 Kotti, TuukkaTuukka Kotti 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Jr Salon Vilpas Salo Forssa, Finland
G 31 Englert, TimothyTimothy Englert 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) 165 lb (75 kg) So Bergen Catholic High School Ramsey, New Jersey
F 35 Sanders, RobRob Sanders 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Jr St. Thomas More School New London, Connecticut
Head coach

Tim Welsh

Assistant coach(es)

Steve DeMeo
Phil Seymore
Bob Walsh

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured
  • Current redshirt

Roster
Last update: 2010-02-07

Depth chart

Pos. Starting 5 Bench 1 Bench 2 Bench 3
C Marcus Douthit (Māris Ļaksa) Herbert Hill
PF Ryan Gomes Tuukka Kotti Jeff Parmer
SF Rob Sanders Chris Anrin Sean Van De Walle
SG Sheiku Kabba Gerald Brown Abdul Mills
PG Donnie McGrath Dwight Brewington Timothy Englert

Incoming recruits

Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Dwight Brewington
PG		 Lynn, MA Worcester Academy 6 ft 5 in (196 cm) 187 lb (85 kg) Jul 8,
2003 
Scout:   Rivals:
Gerald Brown
SG		 Baltimore, MD Hargrave Military Academy 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) 180 lb (82 kg) Jul 8,
2003 
Scout:   Rivals:
Jeff Parmer
PF		 Niagara Falls, NY Niagara Falls HS 6 ft 7 in (201 cm) 215 lb (98 kg) Jul 8,
2003 
Scout:   Rivals:
Overall recruiting rankings:
Note: In many cases, Scout and Rivals may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
In these cases, an average of the two was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.
Sources:

Schedule

Date Time Opponent# Rank# Site TV Result Record
Exhibition games
November 2* 3:00 PM Global Sports All-Stars Dunkin' Donuts Center • Providence, RI W 77–63 
November 15* 7:30 PM USDBL/320 All-Stars Dunkin' Donuts Center • Providence, RI L 109–112 OT
Non-conference games
November 22* 7:30 PM Hofstra Dunkin' Donuts Center • Providence, RI W 69–56  1–0
November 29* 7:30 PM Alabama Dunkin' Donuts Center • Providence, RI Cox Sports W 76–71  2–0
December 2* 7:30 PM South Florida Dunkin' Donuts Center • Providence, RI Cox Sports W 84–60  3–0
December 6* 4:00 PM at Rhode Island Ryan Center • Kingston, RI Cox Sports L 79–89  3–1
December 9* 7:00 PM vs. #14 Illinois Madison Square Garden • New York, NY
(Jimmy V Classic)		 ESPN W 70–51  4–1
December 21* 3:00 PM Central Connecticut Dunkin' Donuts Center • Providence, RI Cox Sports W 72–67  5–1
December 23* 7:30 PM at Richmond Robins Center • Richmond, VA W 57–56  6–1
December 28* 12:00 PM Siena Dunkin' Donuts Center • Providence, RI Cox Sports W 73–66  7–1
January 3* 3:00 PM at Virginia University Hall • Charlottesville, VA Comcast SportsNet W 84–69  8–1
January 5* 7:00 PM #18 Texas #25 Dunkin' Donuts Center • Providence, RI ESPN L 77–79 OT 8–2
Big East regular season
January 10 7:00 PM at Rutgers #25 Louis Brown Athletic Center • Piscataway, NJ NESN L 64–65  8–3 (0–1)
January 12 8:00 PM at Seton Hall Continental Airlines Arena • East Rutherford, NJ Cox Sports W 63–60  9–3 (1–1)
January 17 7:30 PM West Virginia Dunkin' Donuts Center • Providence, RI Cox Sports W 87–66  10–3 (2–1)
January 19* 8:00 PM Loyola Chicago Dunkin' Donuts Center • Providence, RI W 89–59  11–3 (2–1)
January 21 7:30 PM Villanova Dunkin' Donuts Center • Providence, RI W 62–56  12–3 (3–1)
January 24 12:00 PM at #4 Connecticut Hartford Civic Center • Hartford, CT Cox Sports W 66–56  13–3 (4–1)
January 26 7:30 PM Georgetown #23 Dunkin' Donuts Center • Providence, RI Cox Sports W 66–50  14–3 (5–1)
February 1 12:00 PM Seton Hall #23 Dunkin' Donuts Center • Providence, RI Cox Sports L 46–55  14–4 (5–2)
February 4 7:00 PM at Virginia Tech #23 Cassell Coliseum • Blacksburg, VA L 57–69  14–5 (5–3)
February 7 12:00 PM #18 Syracuse #23 Dunkin' Donuts Center • Providence, RI Cox Sports W 74–61  15–5 (6–3)
February 11 7:00 PM at Villanova #24 The Pavilion • Villanova, PA W 100–74  16–5 (7–3)
February 14 2:00 PM at Boston College #24 Conte Forum • Chestnut Hill, MA Cox Sports W 61–52  17–5 (8–3)
February 21 2:00 PM Miami #19 Dunkin' Donuts Center • Providence, RI NESN W 70–57  18–5 (9–3)
February 24 7:30 PM at Notre Dame #13 Edmund P. Joyce Center • Notre Dame, IN Cox Sports W 73–59  19–5 (10–3)
February 29 12:00 PM at St. John's #13 Madison Square Garden • New York, NY NESN W 103–78  20–5 (11–3)
March 2 7:30 PM #6 Pittsburgh #12 Dunkin' Donuts Center • Providence, RI Cox Sports L 61–88  20–6 (11–4)
March 6 12:00 PM Boston College #12 Dunkin' Donuts Center • Providence, RI Cox Sports L 54–63  20–7 (11–5)
Big East Tournament
March 11 9:30 PM vs. Villanova #20 Madison Square Garden • New York, NY
(Quarterfinals)		 ESPN L 66–69  20–8 (11–5)
NCAA Tournament
March 19 6:25 PM vs. #12-M Pacific #5-M Kemper Arena • Kansas City, MO
(First Round)		 CBS L 58–66  20–9 (11–5)
*Non-Conference Game. #Rankings from AP Poll.  †NCAA Tournament ranks are seeds in the region (E=East, M=Midwest, S=South, W=West). All times are in Eastern Time [5].

Rankings

Ranking Movement
Legend: ██ Improvement in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking.
Poll Pre Wk 1 Wk 2 Wk 3 Wk 4 Wk 5 Wk 6 Wk 7 Wk 8 Wk 9 Wk 10 Wk 11 Wk 12 Wk 13 Wk 14 Wk 15 Wk 16 WK 17 Final
AP RV RV RV RV RV RV 25 RV RV 23 23 24 19 13 12 20 21 n/a
Coaches RV RV RV RV RV RV RV 24 23 21 17 13 13 17 19 RV

Awards and honors

Recipient Award(s)
Chris Anrin 2004 John Zannini Coaches' Award[6]
2004 Thomas Ramos Academic Award[6]
Dwight Brewington 2004 Promising Prospect Award[6]
Marcus Douthit 2004 Marvin Barnes Defensive Player of the Year Award[6]
Ryan Gomes 2004 Associated Press First Team All-American[7]
2004 USBWA First Team All-American[8]
2004 NABC Second Team All-American[8]
2004 All-Big East First Team[9]
2004 USBWA All-District 1 First Team[8]
2004 Rhode Island Division I Player of the Year[8]
2004 John R. Wooden Award Top 20 Finalist[8]
2004 NABC Division I All-District 1 First Team[8]
2004 Naismith College Player of the Year Finalist[8]
2004 Jimmy Walker Most Valuable Player Award[6]
March 1: Big East Co-Player of the Week[10]
January 26: Big East Player of the Week[11]
January 5: Big East Co-Player of the Week[12]
December 15: Big East Co-Player of the Week[13]
2004 John R. Wooden Award Midseason Top 30 Candidate[8]
2004 Preseason All-Big East First Team[8]
2004 John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 Candidate[8]
Sheiku Kabba 2004 Co-Unsung Hero Award[6]
Tuukka Kotti 2004 Co-Unsung Hero Award[6]
Donnie McGrath 2004 Coca-Cola Most Improved Player Award[6]

References

  1. ^ O'Brien, Kevin (2004-09-23). "Mills transfers to University of Omaha-Nebraska". The Cowl. http://www.thecowl.com/2.7829/mills-transfers-to-university-of-omaha-nebraska-1.1103724. Retrieved 2010-02-07. 
  2. ^ "Burns Makes Good On Comeback (Post Tourney Notes)". Bryant College. 2004-12-30. http://www.bryantbulldogs.com/sports/mbkb/2004/news/2004Dec30BloomTwo. Retrieved 2010-02-07. 
  3. ^ "Maris Laksa Leaves Providence Men's Basketball Team To Pursue Professional Career". Friars.com. 2004-02-24. http://www.friars.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/022404aaa.html. Retrieved 2010-02-07. 
  4. ^ "Officials have to check replay on shot". Associated Press. ESPN.com. 2004-01-05. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=240052507. Retrieved 2010-02-07. 
  5. ^ Schedule Friars.com. Retrieved on October 29, 2009.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h "2004 Providence Men's Basketball Team Awards Announced". Friars.com. 2004-04-14. http://www.friars.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/041404aaa.html. Retrieved 2010-02-15. 
  7. ^ "Ryan Gomes Named Associated Press First Team All-America". Friars.com. 2004-03-24. http://www.friars.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/032304aaa.html. Retrieved 2010-02-15. 
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Player Bio: Ryan Gomes". Friars.com. http://www.friars.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/gomes_ryan00.html. Retrieved 2011-03-09. 
  9. ^ "Ryan Gomes Named First Team All-BIG EAST". Friars.com. 2004-03-08. http://www.friars.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/030804aad.html. Retrieved 2010-02-15. 
  10. ^ "Ryan Gomes Named BIG EAST Co-Player Of The Week On March 1". Friars.com. 2004-03-01. http://www.friars.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/030104aaa.html. Retrieved 2010-02-15. 
  11. ^ "Ryan Gomes Named BIG EAST Men's Basketball Player Of The Week". Friars.com. 2004-01-26. http://www.friars.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/012604aaa.html. Retrieved 2010-02-15. 
  12. ^ "Ryan Gomes Named BIG EAST Men's Basketball Co-Player Of The Week On January 5". Friars.com. 2004-01-05. http://www.friars.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/010504aaa.html. Retrieved 2010-02-15. 
  13. ^ "Ryan Gomes Named BIG EAST Men's Basketball Co-Player Of The Week". Friars.com. 2003-12-15. http://www.friars.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/121503aaa.html. Retrieved 2010-02-15. 

External links