Keno Davis Hired at Providence

By Mark Buckets

Pete Gillen. Tim Welsh. Now Keno Davis.

Keno Davis will be named Head Basketball Coach at Providence College today, ending the Friars' grinding search for Welsh's replacement.

The search began with a denial from George Mason's Jim Larranaga.

Then the movement shifted to Massachusetts' Travis Ford, who rejected PC's overtures as well.

And after whiffing on the hottest of all coaching properties, Davidson's Bob McKillop, Friar fans began to push the panic button.

False alarm I guess.

It didn't take long for Davis to take this job: He met with Providence officials on Tuesday and was hired later in the afternoon.

In Davis, Providence is getting the 2007-2008 National Coach of the Year as well as a young go-getter who will inherit a team full of veterans.

This is a good hire for Providence. Davis may not have been the first choice to succeed Welsh, but if he could get Drake into the NCAA Tournament (for the first time since 1971), he should be able to turn the Friars' program around.

We'll see if his reputation as a relentless recruiter pays dividends for Providence, who will have a major rebuilding job ahead after this year.

Presidents' Day Special

By Mark Buckets

Today marks Presidents' Day on the Calender. This is a day to reflect on past Commander in Chiefs. A day to pay hommage to those who have served us well.

No mail? No problem.

What better way to fill in your afternoon duties than some early afternoon College Basketball?

ESPN2 has served up a dandy in the form of Georgetown and Providence.

The atmosphere? As stale as a rack of donuts near midnight at a local Dunkin' Donuts. How ironic, since this game is taking place in the Dunkin' Donuts Center. Hi-yo.

The teams? Georgetown and Providence. Georgetown has been skating on thin ice all year to remain on top in the Big East - D&D would also like to point out that the Providence Bruins play hockey in the Dunkin' Donuts Center too. Okay, I'll stop now. ESPN really picked a winner by showing Georgetown and Providence. Providence's basketball team has lost 7 of its last 8 games.

This game has been as exciting as a George W. Bush State of the Union Address.

Both teams are doing what they do best: Georgetown is taking care of the basketball, and Providence is chucking up threes and missing them.

Hail to the Chief! (Pipe down Illinois fans)