For new coach Kim English, Spain trip is a chance for Friars basketball team to bond and win
PROVIDENCE — Traditionally, when college basketball programs embark on international tours, assistant coaches are offered the chance to assume a leading role on game nights.
That won’t be the case when Providence College leaves for Spain later this week. Kim English will take charge of the Friars for the first time, and he’s relishing the opportunity.
Providence went through its final practice at home on Monday morning and will be on the floor again on Tuesday at Seton Hall. The following flight from Newark will take the Friars to the start of a 10-day spin through Madrid, Valenica and Barcelona.
“These trips are so good for the overall togetherness of the team,” English said. “The camaraderie, the family bonding and building this group — and we get to play some games.”
English benefited from such a trip early in his playing career at Missouri. The Tigers played three games in Canada and used the lessons they learned to make an Elite Eight run in the next edition of the NCAA Tournament. Providence will certainly carry postseason aspirations into 2023-24 while returning the likes of Bryce Hopkins and Devin Carter.
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“We’re going to learn a lot from (English),” Hopkins said. “We haven’t officially had a game under him yet. We’ve just been practicing with him.
“But I’ve got a good feel — I feel like the guys have a good feel — of what he expects from us.”
That includes a faster pace on game nights, and Hopkins is among those who has spent the last few months getting physically ready. He’s dropped more than 10 pounds and is set for more of a perimeter role after emerging as a star last season. English would like to play at a brisker clip than what the Friars featured under former coach Ed Cooley — they never cracked the top 125 in adjusted tempo according to KenPom.com and finished 200th or lower in six of his 12 seasons.
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“It’s more how we want to do things than the what,” English said. “It’s much more the speed we want to play with, the spacing we want to play with, the intensity we want to play with, the togetherness we want to create in the group.
“I don’t know how you quantify that. You just feel it.”
Providence’s players haven’t left campus all that often following the close of the 2022-23 season in March. The Friars went through a coaching change and what have become the typical comings and goings in the NCAA transfer portal. English was hired away from George Mason to replace Cooley and brought a host of connections with him — assistant coaches Dennis Felton and Nate Tomlinson, operations staffers TJ Grams, IJ Poole and Matt Palumbo, graduate guard Ticket Gaines and forward Josh Oduro, sophomore guard Justyn Fernandez and freshman forward Rich Barron.
“They’re all Friars,” English said. “They’re all our guys. But yes, obviously, I’m very fortunate and thankful that we got to bring those guys from George Mason.
“They know what we do — the way it should sound, the way it should look, how selfless we are, how together we are. It’s been an awesome marriage.”
Providence will face the Madrid All-Stars on Friday, Valencia on Aug. 21 and the Catalonia All-Stars on Aug. 23. Grams and long-time operations staffer Kevin Kurbec helped design an itinerary that includes team dinners and visits to some historical landmarks in the three cities. Carter (thumb) and Fernandez (knee) will travel but will not play — Carter is expected to be fully cleared before preseason practice resumes.
“I hear the food’s really good,” Hopkins said. “I’m looking forward to stuff like that and just building chemistry with the team.”
Just how detailed have the Friars been with their preparations? Tuesday will feature a rehearsal of what will be their pregame warmups for the 2023-24 season. Their last team scrimmage at home included the 24-second shot clock and a taped international 3-point line on the floor that will be in use during the upcoming week.
"The togetherness that you see, I’m excited for that," English said. "The basketball is great. It’s what you do. It’s no different than practice every day.
"I’m going to coach my absolute hardest, and I’m excited to get the reps with those guys."
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This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Providence basketball hopes trip to Spain helps team bond... And win
