In eight days, a revamped University of Providence men’s basketball team will head to Pocatello, Idaho, for a scrimmage with NCAA Division I Idaho State.
Fifteen new players make up this year’s Argos team. That being that case, head coach J.C. Isakson said the group has a “great opportunity to establish something immediate.”
“We’re not afraid to say it: I mean, we went out and got some dudes,” Isakson told MTN Sports at Wednesday’s practice. “I think we got some dogs coming in.”
Two of the transfers the team picked up over the offseason are Antoine Boyd Jr. and Nik Atanasovs. Both of them have played at the junior college and NCAA Division II levels prior to Providence.
“The experience as far as games and practices and playing wise is going to help a lot,” Boyd said. “At the DII level you see a lot of good, great talent.”
“We’ve seen similar things,” Atanasovs said. “That’s what creates that brotherhood.”
Isakson, Boyd and Atanasovs all think the team has meshed well to this point.
“They’re a great group of guys, the chemistry is building,” Isakson said. “I think they’re very talented, and honestly I think we have a potential to be a very solid team if we put all the pieces together.”
“We’re building that camaraderie while trying to hold people accountable,” Boyd said.
“We’re just kind of staying with it,” Atanasovs said. “Making sure that everybody knows that . . . everything is a part of the process.”
Providence will find out where it’s at quickly with the scrimmage against ISU.
“There’s a lot of things to clean up and fix,” Isakson said. “But eventually you got to start playing games to expose those and see what you’re good at and see where you need to improve. And there’s no better place to do that than a scrimmage format against a Division I (opponent).”
