Vol.The LXI No. 7 Providence CollegeCowl - Providence, Rhode Island October 14,1996 Awesome Austin Austin Croshere and the Rest of the Boys Take on the BIG EAST By Cory R. McGann '98 Sports Editor This is the year for the Provi­ dence College Friars. All the pieces have seemingly come together to point to a very successful upcoming season for the men’s basketball team. Head Coach Pete Gillen likes to use the word “flexibility” when referring to his team this year, but the only thing the Friars will flex this year will be their strengh. They boast solid players at every position, usually going two deep. They can play the half-court game, they can score, and they can run. My God, can they run. The success of the season, how­ ever, rests mightly on the shoul­ ders of power forward and All- American candidate Austin Croshere. A.C. will be one of the tri-captains for the year and will have to be a leader in some of the stat columns as well. “He is a big part of our team, a big focus.... last year that was new to him, it was a lot of pressure,” comments Gillen. The feisty head coach told The Cowl that he wanted Austin to attack the basket more this year, hopefully taking advantage of a career .806 free throw percentage. At the other forward position will be the ever-popular Derrick “Flight” Brown. D-Flight showed glimpses of what is to come last year when he averaged 14.8 points per game (ppg) and 6.8 rebounds per game (rpg) in only his first sea­ son wearing the Black and White. Gillen used many adjectives to describe Brown, such as “consis­ tent," but Coach hit the nail on the head when he put forth that “Flight is a warrior.” At center will be big Ruben Garces. A popular player among the Civic Center crowd (they’re not booing, they’re chanting "Ruben"), he wasn’t as popular continued on page 4 INSIDE: Bob Dole, Bill Clinton, George Blaney and Matt Gelb answer the question ’’What will it take for the Friars to get SHAQ-LED: Austin Croshere '97, seen here showing Dream Team member Shaquille O'Neal the door, will lead the Friars to battle into the NCAA against the Big East giants. Croshere played with the Under 22 Select Team over the summer, and played against Dream Team III. Tournament? The Cowl 2 SPORTS October 14,1996 JUST WHAT WILL IT TAKE? Various Pundits Offer Their Opinions on What it Will Take (Short of Bribery) to Get the Friars Into the NCAA's by "Shaggy" Pete Keenan '99 basketball monolith, Georgetown. Advertising Guru We toppled St. John’s on their Slave to Mike Sablone home turf in the Big East tourna­ Neil Diamond Groupie ment, and we managed to play Contributing Sports Writer UConn and lose by less than 20 points. All in all a season to re­ Flashback: 1986-1987 Division member, and the respect we earned I men’s basketball season: The last year will carry over to this sea­ Providence College Friars were the son. Plus, this year Corey Wright team to beat. Marching victori­ strips off his red shirt, and this ously into the NCAA semi-finals year’s new crop of players should where their path of destruction was prove to be an asset to Gillen’s finally curbed, horsemen. the Friars Anyone who slashed and has seen burned all the Ross Perot was N d o n g o way to the top. N’daiye, the 7' The team not asked for a warrior from cleaved a ridge Senegal, walk­ of despair comment ing around Ray through the Cafe is prob­ ranks of the 64 because it was ably as excited top teams in col­ as I am to see lege ball, and left determined he the young man their hapless op­ play. As stated ponents bobbing had no by popular ru­ like corpses in a mor, N’daiye rough surf, as realistic chance cleans the glass they sailed on in like Windex a wake of vic­ of winning the (no streaks!). tory. Good So, 1 am times, indeed. election minding my The years own business have not been so kind to the Fri­ in The Cowl’s office, when I get ars. Several seasons have passed asked to write this article; exact since the glory days, and their last question being “What will it take tournament appearance was in the for the Friars to be invited to the ’93-’94 season. The Friars seem NCAA tournament?” I am a to be drowning in the marketing simple kind of guy. I take pictures war, falling behind big names such of the games and write a couple as G-town and ‘Nova, and other Arts and Entertainment articles Big East teams with better mascots here and there, but a sports com­ than us. mentator? No, not me. I think to Is all that about to change this myself that I better talk to some year? The Friars are riding high more qualified folks on this issue, from a successful season last year, continued on page 5 which included a win against the I THINK MATT GELB IS ON TO SOMETHING HERE: Austin and Flight ponder the answers of some astute basketball groupies New Faces, Old Connections New Men's Basketball Team Members Brown, N'Diaye Pointer, and Wright are Ready to Make an Impact two years and now has two years ors, earned a first team All Con­ schoolers were fortunate enough to on the same high school team, by Gladys Ganiel '99 of NCAA eligibility remaining at ference pick, and averaged 12 avoid a Brown-Pointer combina­ Wright says he already knew team­ Sports Writer PC. points and nine rebounds per tion, the Big East won’t be so mates God Shammgod and Jamel lucky. Their age difference pre- Thomas. He attended PC last sea­ Whenever new players come game. At 6’9" and 225 pounds he son but was forced to sit out the into a basketball program, there are can play either forward or center. year because he had transferred awkward moments as the veterans ”1 want to And although he can bang inside from South Plains Junior College and the strangers try to blend their for the boards, Brown is also adept "I came to in Texas. “It was a nice school out styles of play. This season, how­ at running the floor and sticking there (in Texas),” Wright says. ever, the men’s basketball team’s help us win the outside jumper. “But there was nothing there. I strangers aren’t quite as “strange” Brown says he appreciates PC’s Providence came to Providence because it’s a as usual. Coach Pete Gillen and small school atmosphere and en­ a lot of small college and it’s close to his staff have assembled a quartet joys playing for Coach Gillen. because it's home.” of newcomers whose familiarity “There’s a lot of tradition here,” Wright, a 5’8", 165 pound with each other extends beyond games. The he observes. “I want to help us win playmaker, has quick moves off Providence College. With the ex­ a lot of games. The biggest games, a small col­ the dribble. At South Plains he ception of Senegal native Ndongo not just any games.” biggest averaged 10.9 points and 14 assists N’Diaye (see page 5), the new Fri­ Like Brown, Pointer is a force lege and it's per game. Wright says he hopes ars (Abdul Brown, Kofi Pointer, under the basket. The 6’8", 215 to be a “sparkplug” for the team, and Corey Wright) have geo­ games, not pound freshman paced Southern graphical connections that exceed High to the 1996 Maryland AAAA close to someone who can give Shammgod Eaton Street and Huxley Avenue. State Title and a top ten rank in the a breather at the point or play just any alongside him in the backcourt. And that can only help the Friars’ USA Today high school polls. He home" “We want to get in the (NCAA) teamwork and chemistry. racked up 15 points and 16 re­ tournament,” Wright says. “But Brown and Pointer, for instance, games.” bounds per game as a senior and we’re taking it one step at a time.” both hail from the same high has been rated among the top 100 vented them from playing together The NCAA will be a big step up school in Baltimore. But while Last season Brown led the high- freshmen recruits in the nation. on the same high school team. from last winter, when Wright led Pointer followed the direct route profile junior college team from Pointer has impressed the PC “But,” Brown notes, “we had the a PC intramural team to the col­ to PC from Maryland, Brown took the College of Southern Idaho to coaching staff with his rebounding, same coach.” Wright, a New lege title. “I’ve already got a a couple of detours in Kansas and the semi-finals of the national tour­ athleticism, and affinity for up­ York, NY native, is rejoining old championship under my belt,” he Idaho. He has attended two dif­ nament. Along the way he gar­ tempo basketball. friends from his home city. Al­ grins. ferent junior colleges in the past nered preseason All America hon­ But while Maryland high though they never played together October 14,1996 SPORTS The Cowl 3 men's conference preview Beasts of the BIG EAST Set To Do Battle by Todd McKeating '97 Knight and Eric Hayward, signed sons, the Eagles are one of the pre­ John Wallace, Lazurus Sims and starters.