ROBERTS

PROVIDENCE — At this point of the Big East season, Norm Roberts has a pretty good handle on how the players in his freshmen class at St. John’s are progressing. The same isn’t as clear for Providence College’s Tim Welsh.

Roberts will start four freshmen for the Red Storm when they host the Friars at ancient Carnesecca Arena today at noon. A few more first-year players will come off the bench for a St. John’s team that has shrugged off some ugly growing pains to win its last two conference games, both of which came on the road. In forward Justin Burrell, shooter Larry Wright and point guard Malik Boothe, Roberts feels he has some of the pieces in place to stage a long-overdue resurgence at St. John’s.

“This team is going to be good,” Roberts said. “It’s just that in this league in order to be good, you have to take your lumps first.”

St. John’s is 9-12 overall and 3-7 in the Big East, one game behind the Friars (13-9, 4-6). A win today would be a big step for the Storm in their quest to qualify for the conference tournament, and their first-year players must carry a heavy load. PC’s freshmen, meanwhile, aren’t under the gun as much. Taking a lead from a junior class that dominates the squad, Friar newcomers Marshon Brooks, Alex Kellogg and Jamine Peterson have all enjoyed some good moments. But they’ve been allowed to grow mostly in practice — not in the heat of competition.

Peterson has helped with his explosive athleticism, while Kellogg is counted on for his defense and rebounding. Brooks hasn’t played as much, but he’s pushing for more playing time, too.

“They’ve all been good,” PC’s Welsh said. “Every freshman has an adjustment to college. They’ve all never sat before in their lives, really. They’ve always been the best player on their team, maybe in their city or even the state. It’s hard, but all three of our guys have contributed a bit but more importantly, learned from our older guys along the way.”

Kellogg has enjoyed a relatively smooth adjustment to college ball. Last week at Notre Dame, his father, former NBA star Clark Kellogg, said the Columbus, Ohio, native was very happy at PC.

“Alex has always been a mature kid and he says he’s happy; he’s making progress, and we couldn’t be happier for him. He seems to be in a good spot,” Clark Kellogg said.

Finding the right fit for their oldest son was the top priority for Clark and Rosy Kellogg. Alex was a soccer player through middle school and he heard from recruiters at mid-major schools, mostly in the Mid-American Conference. PC jumped last spring and signed him in April.

“Our prayer was that it would be the right place and not the safest place,” Clark Kellogg said, referring to the athletic challenge facing his son. “He liked the size of the school and he wanted to play at the highest level in terms of conference. He’s one of those guys who wasn’t recruited highly because he’s late to the game. He didn’t really get serious about basketball until the eighth grade. He’s the type of kid who once he sees things and sees what it takes, he’ll be able to accelerate and that’s part of why he wanted to test himself at the highest level.”

Welsh says he appreciates Kellogg’s maturity. “He has what most freshmen don’t have: patience. He seems to realize that you got to college and get better every year, and not get everything right in your first month.”

Kellogg was afraid to shoot the ball early in the season, but he’s losing some of that now. If his offense catches up to his defense and maturity, the Friars will have a major steal on their hands.

Peterson has helped the Friars win several big games (such as Boston College and Florida State), but he also struggled with inconsistency. In Big East games, poor shot selection has cut into his minutes, but Welsh loves the energy Peterson brings to the frontcourt.

Friar fans have seen the least of Brooks, a long-armed guard from Atlanta. He’s stuck behind several seasoned veterans, but he pushes them all in practice.

“Marshon struggled early, but once he got over the shock of not playing, he been very competitive. I have not written him off,” Welsh said.

kmcnamar@projo.com