Projo College Hoops

Bill Reynolds took questions from projo.com readers today about PC basketball. He was a late substitution for Kevin McNamara, who is in Boston today covering the Celtics (hence the questions addressed to Kevin). Here's a full transcript of the hour-long chat.

Bill Reynolds: hello everybody, i'm pinch-hitting for Kevin McNamara, who has disappeared somewhere, so here goes

gboy: KMac, what was the extent of Keno's playing career?

Bill Reynolds: Gboy, keno played through high school, then went to Iowa where his father was the coach and he became a glorified grad assistant and worked out with the team

ggrossi: since the PC team is senior laden, any ideas about what type of player Keno favors and if anyone he had targeted for Drake might end up at PC/ thanks

Bill Reynolds: ggrossi, i have no idea about what kind of players keno prefers, but I know that he likes pressure defense and his team this year took a lot of threes. But, as you said, it's a senior laden team and he needs players, a lot of them. that's the real work right now, as he is getting the job late and after next season this program is bereft of talent.

Fitzy: Any leads on where Brown is going with its search process?

Bill Reynolds: Fitzy, i have no idea on the brown job, for they haven't even gotten all the applications yet. Their time frame is to have a coach in about a month. stay tuned.

magmay77@verizon.net: Is the recruiting year over or is it still going on

Bill Reynolds: magmay77, the recruiting year is never over, especially now when the entire process has been speeded up, many of the top juniors having already committed. The point is that recruiting now is a 12-month process.

Big Hoops Fan: Kev - Do you find it humorous that Davis looks like Bruschi's brother? As a Pat's fan, I hope he brings the same amount of intensity to Friar's hoops as Bruschi did to the Pat's "D".

Bill Reynolds: Big Hoops Fan, I didn't see the connection to bruschi until you brought it up. but you're right. if he brings the same intensity things will be great

THL: Good afternoon Kevin. My question centers around the ultimate make up of Coach Davis' staff. Do you have any opinions that relate? Do you feel that Griffin and Kurbec will ultimately end up as part of that staff? If, I believe his name is Chad Davis, does not become the new HC at Drake, he will come to join the staff here and KD will need to hire another coach with northeast ties. If he does not come to PC, obviously 2 more coaches will need to be hired. I do have the opinion that both Griffen and Kurbec will be retained.

Bill Reynolds: THL, you're right. the makeup of davis's staff will depend on who gets the drake job. he said the other day that he is definitely looking for someone who has experience recruiting on the east coast, which only makes sense. what that means for either griffin or kurbec I have no idea, but history tells us that most coaches bring their own people in.

steve: 1. Will coach Davis bring in any recruits for next season?

Bill Reynolds: Steve, the friars have one kid already signed, and don't have room for any more in next year's class unless someone leaves. there's been talk of Dwain Williams doing that, but so far anyway, that's just talk. So I suspect that next year's team will look very much like last year's.

Fabulous Friar: Hi Kevin - how much was Keno involved in the recruitmen of players at Drake, and what is the 'word on the street' about his recruiting prowess?

Bill Reynolds: Fabulous Friar, the word is he was very involved.

Dan: Hi Bill, question. Do you think Providence got lucky considering the long drawn out search?

Bill Reynolds: Dan, I think davis is an excellent choice, a smart young coach on the way up, exactly the kind of coach I always thought they should have hired. And he's the coach of the year to boot. hey, you roll the dice with any new coach, but it seems to me that this was a real good get.

steve: 2.how much of a disadvantage is it in recruiting players on the east coast given the fact that most of your recruiting as an assistant and head coach have been rooted in the midwest and west?

Bill Reynolds: Steve, yes, it's a disadvantage. In a perfect world you would want guy with great eastern ties, but it's not a perfect world. It's the reason why davis will hire someone like that on his staff. But it's a national game in ways it never was before, so, ultimately, I don't think it's going to matter in the long run.

southie: any word on where TW and his staff may end up?

Bill Reynolds: Southie, I heard welsh could have had the toledo job and backed out, and that he is involved with the Florida Atlantic job.

THL: Jeff Goodman has Dwain Williams on his list of players who are transferring. I have heard that he has already received his release from PC.

Bill Reynolds: THL, that would not surprise me at all, as that rumor has been around since the end of the year and makes a lot of sense for Williams, especially since Curry is due back. It also would give the friars an extra scholarship to play with and that would be good, for they could really use another big body - maybe a juco? - who would be ready to help next year.

bfriar: Kevin: Do you anticipate that Coach Davis will be in attendance at this weekend's AAU "JamFest" at PC? Are you hearing any names for potential recruits, especially a true point guard?

Bill Reynolds: bfriar, davis said the other day that he has a commitment in Iowa, but that all games of the JamFest are on tape.

BrownFanatic: Kevin, any word on who Brown is targeting to replace Robinson? Any chance that Tim O'Shea might be in the mix?

Bill Reynolds: Brownfanatic, I have heard that Tim O'Shea might have an interest, but don't know that for sure. because of Robinson's success, the perception is that this is a better job than it was one two years ago.

Rock: Hi Kev, you expressed some belief that the Friar search for a coach was going to attract only such lowly candidates as the Tim O'Shea and Will Browns of the world. Does the naming of the national COY in Keno Davis give you thought that perhaps the program is not as bleakly seen as you may have forecasted? Thanks.

Bill Reynolds: rock, I'm not speaking for Kevin, but any time a school is paying roughly a million dollars a year for a coach it is going to get someone good, so I'm not sure I understand your phrase ``lowly'' candidates.

THL: Kevin, when do you think KD will begin recruiting for 2009...and, with DW probably gone, for that elusive backup PG we need so badly?

Bill Reynolds: THL, I think he will begin recruiting for 2009 immediately, given that his roster for next year is virtually set and that the entire recruiting process has been speeded up. and, you're right, they need a backup point guard.

bfriar: Aside from the Anaheim Classic, any word yet on other OOC opponents?

Bill Reynolds: bfriar, i haven't heard a thing about that.

THL: Kevin, do you believe that KG will encourage a transfer by a frontcourt player to open another spot? Your opinion on the JUCO question. Do you feel that there will be an easing by the administration so a JUCO big man could be recruited?

Bill Reynolds: THL, that's a good question about the school's opinion of juco players. I know that some of them don't always work out, but Eric Williams, Ruben Garces and Derek Brown certainly did.

THL: Bill, do you have an opinion on PC's current place in the Big East compared to the 80's and early 90's? In other words, do you feel that the BE is more difficult now than what it was during the years of Pitino and Barnes?

Bill Reynolds: THL, it is definitely more difficult, for the simple reason that there are more teams. Sports Illustrated just came out with a proposed top 25 for next year and they had eight Big East teams on it. That's the reality. For you can be a good team and still finish ninth or 10th in the league and not go to the NCAA Tournament and everyone thinks you've failed. That's the other reality.

pc guy: Who's the better coach in your opinion, TFord or Keno Davis?

Bill Reynolds: pc guy, good question, with no real answer. Not now anyway. Ford has more experience, certainly, davis had a great year last year and is the national coach of the year. But when all is said and done? I think PC got the best guy, because he obviously wants to be here more than Ford did.

jimmy626: Name your starting five for next year

Bill Reynolds: jimmy626, McDermott, Curry, Efejuku, Hanke, Xavier, with McKenzie and Kale off the bench.

jimmy626: Do you expect Chris Davis to be one of the assistants?

Bill Reynolds: Jimmy626, is that the Drake assistant coach's name? If he doesn't get the Drake job I expect to see him here.

pc guy: Looking back Bill, would you still have rather seen Robinson get the job over Davis, who the Friars ultimately ended up with?

Bill Reynolds: pc guy, that's impossible for me to really answer because I know Robinson, saw what he did at Brown, think he is a future star in coaching, and believe he would have been a great hire at PC. But everything I''ve heard tells me that Davis is an excellent hire, too.

Bill Reynolds: thanks for your interest. sorry about the typos, i flunked typing in high school.

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