By JOSH NEWMAN
NEW YORK – Villanova won the Big East regular-season title by four games and is now stalking a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but at least one Big East coach doesn’t think it is getting the respect it deserves.
“One of the best, if not the best in the country” Providence head coach Ed Cooley said late Thursday afternoon after the Friars defeated St. John’s 74-57 in a Big East Tournament quarterfinal. “I don’t think Villanova has gotten the respect they deserve on a national scale.”
“I’ll put our league against any league in America when we’re looking at the Big East from top to bottom.”
Cooley’s comments came after LaDontae Henton (20 points, 12 rebounds), Kris Dunn (17 points, 11 assists), Ben Bentil (14 points, 13 rebounds) and Tyler Harris (15 points, five rebounds) dismantled St. John’s in front 15,197 at Madison Square Garden.
Providence (22-10) got over the hump on Thursday against St. John’s (22-11), which swept the regular-season series. If the Friars are to play in a second straight Big East Tournament final on Saturday night, it will need to do the same against the Wildcats.
Villanova swept the season series, winning 74-68 on Feb. 11 at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center and 89-61 at The Pavilion on Feb. 24.
“We feel like we can play with anybody,” Henton said. “We know it’s not going to be easy. It’s going to be a tough matchup. Villanova matches well with us, so we’ve just got to be prepared mentally for them.”
Bentil is just a freshman, but Henton, a senior, and Harris, a redshirt junior were both central figures in Providence’s run to last season’s Big East Tournament crown. Dunn was there, too, but he was merely a spectator as he recovered from shoulder surgery.
His injury troubles behind him, Dunn has blossomed into one of the Big East’s most-electrifying players, culminating in being named Co-Big East Player of the Year with Villanova point guard Ryan Arcidiacono on Wednesday evening.
“It wasn’t frustrating,” Dunn said of sitting out last season’s Big East Tournament. “I think it was a learning experience for me. What we did last year was amazing. Bryce Cotton and Kadeem (Batts), they led us last year and LaDontae, Carson (Desrosiers) and Tyler, we still have the veterans now and are leading us now.”
“It was a good experience. I’m just excited to be here.”
Photo: USA Today Sports
