Providence Journal College Basketball Podcast: Providence men ranked, URI women rolling and more

Pick and Pop College Hoops Podcast

Welcome back to the latest edition of the Providence Journal College Basketball Podcast. This is Bill Koch, sports writer with the Journal, alongside my two co-conspirators -- Nick Coit, the sports director at ABC6 and weekend co-host of Cordischi and Coit on WEEI-Providence, and Morey Hershgordon, the sports director at WPRI and Fox Providence.

No. 19 Providence rolls into Creighton this weekend leading the men's Big East standings. We look at the road ahead and how we've arrived here for a second straight season (3:10).

Can the Friars be the next Villanova? There are some parallels as Ed Cooley enters his second decade. There also appears to be room to establish the program at or near the top of the league (19:40).

The University of Rhode Island women also top their conference (28:30). Tammi Reiss says the Rams aren't the team to beat just yet in the Atlantic 10, but there's certainly something special being built in Kingston.

The URI men came out on the right side of a midweek thriller with St. Bonaventure (38:55). The Rams show some warts at times and encourage you at times -- this is the life of a rebuilder.

Bryant is weathering some bumps in its new home in the America East (50:50). Maybe a win over Albany gets it going after consecutive losses to Vermont and UMBC.

Are there coaching carousel ripples to come? Kentucky, Texas and Georgetown are generating some buzz already (64:10). Those seismic shifts will reach every corner of the sport -- including, potentially, here.

Lastly, some awards news (75:45). Thanks for joining us.