By PAUL GOTHAM
BUFFALO — Emmitt Holt may be a continent away, but that’s not stopping the former Friar from watching as Providence College looks to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time in more than two decades. .
“I’m excited for them,” Holt said via phone Friday evening. “They’re about to make history.”
A teammate of Jared Bynum, A.J. Reeves and Nate Watson on the 2019-20 Friars’ squad, Holt knew it was a matter of time before that group experienced success.
“I saw the work that they put in night in and night out. This is just a result of that. They really wanted this. This is them just reaping the benefit of that hard work.”
Averaging 13.6 points and 5.4 rebounds, Watson helped the Friars to the Big East regular season title – the first in program history – under head coach Ed Cooley. Bynum adds 12.7 points and a team-high 4.1 assists while Reeves scores 9.8 per game.
“I’m very proud of them, no question. I just hope that they can keep it going. Just stay focused and continue to do what got them there in the first place.”
“It’s all about the mindset,” Holt said of the approach to Saturday’s contest. “Coach Cooley has always taught us that. Every time we approached a game, we respect the opponent the same no matter what the record was or who they played. It’s great to see them continue on this journey. They absolutely deserve it, no question about it.”
With limited television coverage in South America, Holt sticks to social media posts for his in-game updates on the Friars.
“They have their own network here in South America, so it’s kinda tough at times to keep up with what is going on in the States,” he said. “I go to Facebook and IG to get information.”
Holt averaged 12.5 points and 5.4 rebounds during the 2016-17 season – his first with the Friars. An unexplained abdominal blockage and lengthy recovery slowed his career at Providence. He missed the entire 2017-18 season and most of 2018-19. The 6-foot-7 forward averaged 15 minutes per game in the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 campaign when Providence entered the Big East Tournament with a record of 19 wins and 12 losses.
He currently averages 12.9 points and 6.2 rebounds with Malvin Montevideo of Uruguay LUB. With three games remaining in the regular season, Holt is looking ahead to the playoffs.
“We’re really trying to secure the fourth spot to get a bye in the first round of the playoffs,” he said. “If we can secure these last couple of games, we’re in a great position to be successful. Hopefully we can continue our success in the playoffs and beyond.
“Honestly, I really want to win a chip. We’re more than capable of doing it too. We have all the pieces. I feel like we’re all on the same page. We’re clicking at the right time. I just thank God every day for the opportunity to be myself and really do what I love to do. There’s no better feeling than that.”
A Second-Team All-State selection his senior year at Webster Schroeder, Holt averaged 19.8 points and 14.6 rebounds for the Warriors. He was a finalist for New York’s Mr. Basketball his senior year of high school.
Providence and Richmond have a 6:10 p.m. scheduled tipoff. TNT will televise the game. Providence last reached the Sweet 16 in 1997 when God Shammgod and Austin Croshere under head coach Pete Gillen led the Friars to a regional final.
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