

The season started with the Friars playing against Boston College at the Dunkin Donuts Center. Bryce worked all summer with former NBA player and Providence assistant coach God Shammgod and was looking to have an unbelievable season.
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With four returning starters and the addition of transfers Tyler Harris and Carson Desrosiers, the Friars where in good position to have a fantastic 2013-14 season. Connecticut, Louisville, and South Florida where going to play in the new American Athletic Conference and the change was going to allow Providence to compete competitively with the best in the conference. The Big East was going to change drastically the fallowing season and Syracuse, Notre Dame, and Pitt were going to the ACC. Providence made it all the way to the quarterfinals of the NIT where they lost to a very talented Baylor Bears team. Bryce also hit a buzzer beater to win a game against Villanova at their home court. He was able to drive and get to the hole against anyone and any team in the Big East.īryce looked like a poor man's Allen Iverson and he would make incredible floaters and layups that made scouts wonder if he could make it in the NBA - not bad for someone who was barely able to play Division 1 basketball.īryce was able to lead the Friars to victory against several Top 25 teams including Notre Dame and Cincinnati. It was apparent from the beginning of the season that Bryce's ball handling skills had improved dramatically. Bryce would become the face of the program and would help Providence return to the college spotlight. This was a big blow to the Friars and someone needed to step up. About two months before the start of the season, the NCAA suspended Ricardo indefinitely because he was ruled academically ineligible. Ed Cooley was able to sign two high school All Americans in Ricardo Ledo and Kris Dunn and the Friars were positioned to have a very successful 2012-13 season. He went from averaging four points a game to fourteen, and started every game the Friars had that season.īryce also seemed very confident from the perimeter and was able to shoot 38.0 percent from the 3-point line. The change in the program was immediate and Bryce had an infinitely better season with Ed as the head coach. The Friars brought in Ed Cooley, the former head coach of the Fairfield Stags and an assistant at Boston College. Providence fans were tired of being at the bottom of the Big East standings, and it was time for the program to have a change. He averaged over 16 minutes for Providence, but it must have been a difficult transition from playing in a local high school game in Tucson, to playing against Syracuse in the Carrier Dome with players who had been heavily recruited since they were 14. His freshman year was an indication of what Bryce could be able to accomplish. I think it was a clear and easy decision for Bryce to make, and no one could have imagined the impact he would have on the program.
#Bryce johnson block against providence full
He was planning on attending Tuscon Community College, but Providence offered him a full scholarship to play basketball in a conference that at the time was considered the best conference in the country.

He was 6-feet tall (probably in shoes) and was able to pull off dunks that were simply jaw dropping. It was not until a Providence assistant saw a tape of a dunk contest featuring high school All-American Jahii Carson that Cotton was noticed.Īlthough Bryce has a lot of skills, one of his most important assets is his athleticism. Although he had a lot of success at the high school level, Cotton didn't receive a D-1 scholarship by the end of his senior year, which one would imagine that he was insulted by not being recruited by The University of Arizona, considering the campus is located a few miles away from his home). Cotton has had an unbelievable college career and he has overcome a lot of challenges along the way.īryce started at point guard at Palo Verde High School in Tuscon, Arizona, where he did exceptionally well, averaging 24 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game. His competitiveness and his will to win made the Dunkin Donuts Center rowdier and more exciting than it has been in over a decade. Visit The Upside on YurView.Bryce Cotton had cemented a legacy at Providence College that will remain forever. Phil Armstrong, Tulsa 1921 Race Massacre Centennial Commission.While the start of the 2020 season remains a mystery, Bryce Drew continues to draw on his strong faith in these uncertain times. In preparation for getting his GCU Antelopes ready, several of his players tested positive for Covid-19. In 2011 he took over coaching duties at his college alma mater following his dad’s retirement. Born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana the 1998 NBA 1st round pick by the Houston Rockets had stints with the Chicago Bulls and Charlotte Hornets as well as logging some playing time in Europe.
