Providence College Friars men's basketball team closing in on AP Top 25
Providence heads into its Big East opener on the fringes of The Associated Press Top 25.
The Friars finished third among teams also receiving votes (outside of the Top 25) in the latest poll, which was released on Monday. Providence visits No. 20 Connecticut at the XL Center in Hartford on Saturday.
The Huskies are one of four teams from the conference in the poll, joining No. 9 Villanova, No. 16 Seton Hall and No. 22 Xavier. Creighton received a lone vote to make it six teams from the league currently on the national radar.
The Friars have wins over No. 25 Texas Tech and Wisconsin, the top team among those receiving votes. Providence is 10-1 overall and checks in at No. 39 in the latest NET rankings, including a 3-0 mark against Quadrant 1 opponents. The Friars would be in strong NCAA Tournament position if the event opened this week.
Pride, Lilly earn honors
Bryant guard Charles Pride and Brown guard Kino Lilly Jr. took home major conference weekly honors this week, which were announced on Monday.
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Pride was named the Northeast Conference Player of the Week for the Bulldogs. It’s the first time earning the award for the junior, who averaged 21.5 points and 7.5 rebounds while shooting 54.8% from the field. Pride collected his third double-double of the season in a win over New Hampshire, totaling 16 points and 10 rebounds.
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Lilly was named Ivy League Rookie of the Week for the second time in 2021-22. He averaged 14.0 points, 4.0 assists and 2.0 steals as the Bears split games with Merrimack and Vermont. Lilly finished 11-for-20 from the field, including 4-for-7 from 3-point range against the Warriors and 5-for-6 inside the arc against the Catamounts.
Central Connecticut State University's Brown recognized
The NEC’s Rookie of the Week was a Providence native.
Jayden Brown claimed the award for the second straight time. Central Connecticut State’s freshman forward is now a fixture in the starting lineup and returned home in a 68-53 loss at Providence on Saturday. Brown tallied nine points and six rebounds against the Friars.
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Brown prepped at Tilton School in New Hampshire and is the grandson of former University of Rhode Island star Vic Soares. His best outing to date occurred in a double-overtime loss to Fordham, as Brown matched a career-high with 10 points and pulled down seven rebounds. He has grabbed at least three defensive boards in each of his last four games.
Others earning honors
Nine other in-state players earned Honor Roll or Prime Performer status for their efforts last week.
Bryant guards Adham Eleeda and Peter Kiss were recognized by the NEC. Eleeda finished 6-for-8 from 3-point range in a victory over the Wildcats. Kiss piled up 23 points and 10 rebounds in the 76-59 triumph.
The Rams had a pair of guards selected to the Atlantic 10 Honor Roll. Ishmael Leggett and Sebastian Thomas both stood out in a Tuesday win over Sacred Heart. Leggett finished with 12 points, five rebounds and four assists while Thomas set career-highs with five assists, four rebounds and 25 minutes played in a 72-62 victory.
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URI’s women snapped a three-game losing streak thanks to wins over Hartford and Maine. Rams forward Marie-Paule Foppossi averaged 17.5 points and 12.5 rebounds through two games while adding nine assists and five steals. URI slipped past Maine, 45-44, in a thriller on Sunday.
Brown put a pair of players on the Ivy League Honor Roll — Jaylan Gainey for the men and Bella Mauricio for the women. Gainey finished 8-for-8 from the field and totaled 17 points as the Bears cruised past Merrimack. Mauricio hit double figures for the seventh time this season with 12 points in a loss to Providence.
The Friars also put a pair of players on the Big East Honor Roll — A.J. Reeves for the men and Janai Crooms for the women. Reeves averaged 20.5 points and shot 47.4% from 3-point range while Providence battled past Vermont and the Blue Devils. Crooms flirted with a triple-double in a win over Brown and added another strong performance — 24 points, 10 rebounds — in a victory over Quinnipiac.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Rhode Island college athletes honored
