"Played true to the pitiful season that we had": Providence HC Kim English has no-holds-barred reaction following loss vs Butler
The Providence Friars, coached by Kim English, saw their 2024-25 campaign come to a disappointing end on Wednesday, March 12. As the No. 8 seed in this year's Big East Tournament, they lost in the first round to No. 9 seed Butler, falling by six points, 75-69.
With the loss, the unranked Friars finish the season with a 12-20 overall record, including a 6-14 mark in conference play. English, in his second season leading the program, has yet to find the success he envisioned as head coach.
During the post-game press conference, English immediately shared his thoughts on the loss, which officially ends the Friars’ season, as they can no longer qualify for the national tournament later this month.
"Disappointing effort, disappointing outcome to play true to the pitiful embarassing season we've had. That falls on me, and the work to correct begins. And, we will," English said.
Later, the 36-year-old broke down the key lapses that ultimately led to his team’s defeat. He emphasized that his players need to focus on efficiency rather than simply logging more minutes.
"We haven't had a rotation all season," he said (16:20). "The coach in me would love to have a set rotation, but in winning basketball, there are certain things that you don't deserve to play."
"Giving up offensive rebounds consistently, playing off one foot at the rim when you don't have an angle to score, not boxing out, not guarding the ball, allowing shooters to shoot 3s. Forget the rotation. You need to sit on the bench."
In their final game of the season, Providence was led by freshman Oswin Erhunmwunse, who recorded a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds on 7-of-9 shooting, along with a steal and two blocks. He was complemented by Miami transfer Bensley Joseph, who finished with 20 points, nine rebounds, one assist and one steal in 33 minutes.
The Providence Friars will miss the national tournament for the second time in a row
With their elimination from the 2025 Big East Tournament, the Providence Friars will miss the national tournament for the second consecutive season. They also failed to qualify last year in Kim English’s first season at the helm, following two straight NCAA Tournament berths under former coach Ed Cooley.
Cooley has since taken over as head coach of the Georgetown Hoyas, who were also eliminated from conference tournament play on Wednesday. The No. 7 seed Hoyas fell to No. 10 seed DePaul, 71-67.