PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Ed Cooley opened the door to the Providence locker room and was met by a crush of Friars yelling, hugging and twirling jerseys in the air toward their coach. When someone yelled out for a dance, Cooley obliged, raising the roof as the Friars encircled him and hollered, “Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!” to the beat of the music.
The Friars are dancing like a team determined to keep the party going into March, and a 5 for 5 month against ranked teams just might get them into the NCAA Tournament.
“We’re playing for our lives,” Cooley said, “and we’re as desperate as anybody could imagine.