Providence enters season with uncertainty but could improve in reconfigured Big East

It's hard to know what to expect from Providence College in the reconfigured Big East.

The Friars tied for ninth in the conference at 9-9 and 19-15 overall in 2012-13, losing to Cincinnati 61-44 in the second round of the Big East tournament and then reaching the quarterfinals of the NIT.

In a preseason poll, league coaches picked Providence to finish sixth in the 10-team league. But with many of the conference's traditional powers having left, the Friars have high hopes of returning to the NCAA tournament after a 10-year absence.

Senior guard Bryce Cotton averaged 19.7 points per game for Coach Ed Cooley last season, tops in the Big East, and is a member of the preseason all-league team, while forward Kadeem Batts was given honorable mention.