A little before 11 p.m. ET on Saturday night, it was almost exclusively Providence fans left in the stands at Madison Square Garden. They watched coach Ed Cooley pause at the top of the ladder and snip a piece of the net, holding it up before stepping down, leaving the rest hanging.
Live from the Big East Tournament: Team effort fuels Providence to first conference title since 1994
Bryce Cotton was named Most Outstanding Player, but it was a series of heroes who brought Providence to the podium on Saturday night.
Jim McIsaac
It's the head coach who traditionally takes the final cut of the net after a championship, but Cooley wasn't concerned with tradition. He stepped down, turned around and saw tournament Most Outstanding Player Bryce Cotton standing behind him.
“All you,” he told his star.
Cotton took the scissors, cut down the net and capped a stunning on-court celebration that few saw coming four days ago when the tournament began.
The Providence Friars stayed at Madison Square Garden long after they finished off the Creighton Bluejays, 65-58, in the Big East Tournament championship game. They had to do interviews, take pictures, thank fans, sign autographs and much more.
Cotton, who played all 40 minutes and scored 23 points in the title game, kept the net around his neck and the game ball by his waist through it all. The fourth-year senior from Tucson helped bring the Friars their first Big East championship since 1994 and secured their first NCAA Tournament bid since 2004.
“This is something I’ve seen college teams do for years since I was a kid,” he said. “I wanted to get one snip in there to be a part of a tradition I’ve seen on TV for so many years.”
And on a night where the Friars took down the favored Bluejays, who boasted the league's Player of the Year Doug McDermott, Coach Cooley was happy to let Cotton take the spotlight with thousands of Friars fans looking on.
“I’m always going to think of someone else before I think of myself,” Cooley said. “It’s not about me. It’s always about you.”
That's a mentality that has carried Cooley and the Friars through what has been a tumultuous 2013-14 season. The wins have come, for sure. The 23 wins from Providence this year is the school's most since 1996-97, but there have also been lows. On the court, there was a three-game losing streak in early February, part of four conference losses in five games that temporarily derailed their momentum. Off the court, things were even tougher. Cooley lost some of his house to a fire earlier in January. Before that, the Friars lost promising sophomore Kris Dunn to injury just four games into the season.
“We have faced a lot of adversity this year,” said Cooley, a native of Providence. “I feel gratitude to the school that gave me the opportunity to come home and coach their organization. I’m kind of speechless, but I’m very, very appreciative.”
By watching Cooley and his team celebrate, it was easy to assume that the Friars were done and that they’ve accomplished their goal and are ready to move on.
Heck, Cooley took to center court after the game to start singing “New York, New York” along with Frank Sinatra, who was blaring over the PA.
But the Friars are not done. They don't know where they'll play next or who their opponent will be, but there will be an NCAA Tournament game on Thursday or Friday. And with that game, and any that may follow, there will be the chance for more celebrations. More chances for heroics from players like Cotton, or LaDontae Henton, who was the hero in Providence's semifinal win over Seton Hall. Or Josh Fortune, who carried the team in the quarterfinals over St. John's.
We don’t know who will step up next for Providence, but if the Friars are to advance in the NCAA Tournament, it will have to be someone.
Cooley seems just fine with that.
“If opportunity’s knocking at the door, we don’t want to ask who it is,” he said. “We want to kick the door down and own the other side of the door.”
Cooley’s players agree. None will look for individual accolades, but each has the goal in mind to push each other and push the team as far as it can possibly go.
“We just believe in each other,” Henton said. “Can’t nobody stop us but us. That’s the motto we came into the season believing.”
Later, speaking in the locker room and still trying to control the smile that kept creeping onto his face, Cotton added, “You just stick to what’s gotten you to this point, no matter how big the stage gets.”
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