Ben Bentil’s star has been on the rise since the Providence Friars went out West over Thanksgiving weekend. Since Bentil set a career-high with 24 points in Providence’s opening round win over Evansville in the Wooden Legacy Tournament on Thanksgiving night, the sophomore from Delaware — by way of Ghana — has been on a tear of 20 point scoring efforts. Bentil scored 21 points in Providence’s blowout win against Hartford on Tuesday night at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center and followed that up by notching a game-high 23 points, including the game-winning tip-in as time expired against in-state rival Rhode Island on Saturday night.
The Atlanta Tipoff Club released their early season watch list for the 2016 Naismith Trophy, an award given to the College Player of the Year in Men’s Basketball. The early season list contains 50 players and the next release of a watch list by the Atlanta Tipoff Club will come on February 11, 2016 when they put out their midseason watch list of 30 players. Kris Dunn is one of the 50 names on the early season watch list and joins 3 other Big East players on the list: Ryan Arcidiacono (Villanova), Kellen Dunham (Butler) and D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera (Georgetown).
Another National Player of the Year watch list has been released and, not surprisingly, Kris Dunn’s name is among the list of 33 players being considered for the award. The Oscar Robertson Trophy is given out by the USBWA annually to the National Player of the Year. The USBWA is made up of nearly 1,000 sports journalists and each member is eligible to vote for this and other USBWA awards. For the purpose of full disclosure, I am a USBWA member and a voter for this award. Dunn was also named to the Wooden Award watch list that was released on November 17th.
The Big East had a very successful week as a league during “Feast Week”. There were 4 Big East teams that won their respective holiday tournaments (Creighton, Marquette, Villanova and Xavier) and Providence finished 2nd in the Wooden Legacy Tournament. Through the first few weeks of the season the Big East is 45-14 (.763) against non-league opponents. On Monday, the Big East released their weekly awards and for the second time in three weeks the Big East Player of the Week is Kris Dunn.
The national attention continues for Kris Dunn. Dunn, who scored a career high 32 points while grabbing a career high 8 steals in Providence’s season opening win against Harvard, has been named to the 50 player first release of the Wooden Award watch list. The Wooden Award — named after legendary UCLA coach John Wooden — is given annually to the nation’s top player and this is the first release of the watch list of players that are considered potential winners. Dunn is joined on the list by fellow Big East brethren Jalen Brunson (Villanova), Kellen Dunham (Butler) and D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera (Georgetown).
The first 20 minutes at Hinkle Fieldhouse saw a Providence team that was playing the same way they had on the road all season. The story early was turnovers of which the Friars had 6 in the first 9 minutes. Just as they seemed to quiet that issue that other ugly problem that has plagued them on the road came to the forefront: giving up offensive rebounds. Butler led by 7 at the half and Cooley and the Friars were left searching for answers.
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