History-making Providence eyes deep run in NCAA tourney

By KYLE HIGHTOWER
AP Sports Writer

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Coaching longevity is a rarity in college basketball’s top tier. Only 18 of the 75 coaches at schools in the Power 5 and Big East conferences have been at their current programs for at least 10 years. Ed Cooley has 11 seasons at No. 13 Providence, and enters the NCAA Tournament as part of an even smaller group as one of just three coaches of color at schools in those leagues to boast a tenure of at least a decade. Cooley doesn’t take it for granted. The 25-5 Friars are the fourth seed in the Midwest Region and play the 13th-seeded, 30-4 South Dakota State Jackrabbits on Thursday.