Davis

PROVIDENCE –– If the old axiom that basketball players are made in the summer is indeed true, the Providence College Friars have their bases covered.

When PC opened its doors for the fall semester last week, players returning for Keno Davis’ first season knew they needed to arrive ready for action. They’d spent the previous few months traveling the world, changed some of their workouts via Davis’ orders and are looking forward to adapting to the new coaching staff’s plans for the upcoming season.

“He’s the perfect fit for this group,” Jeff Xavier, the senior guard from Pawtucket, said before a workout with the staff earlier this week. “I could see it in our first four-man workout. He’s throwing a lot at us with his system, but it’s all good. I’m learning so much.”

As an example, Xavier said Davis has the Friars reading how to come off screens on offense “four or five ways. And if the play breaks down, we have something else to fall into right away. It’s fun.”

Because he was hired in April, Davis had virtually no time to work out his players last spring because of NCAA rules. He was restricted from doing any coaching again when many of the players were on campus for summer classes. But over the next five weeks leading up to the start of practice, he’ll be able to hold short workouts for both individual instruction and in a team setting.

“We had a meeting last week and told the players that the most important part of the preseason is going to be the first six weeks,” Davis said. “Every other team will start practice on October 17 but we have to be up to speed by then so getting ready now is vital.”

Teams can work out up to four players at a time this week, but can expand that to the entire team for two hours a week beginning next Monday.

“We need that because we’re trying to put in as much of our offensive and defensive philosophy as possible by October 17. We’re willing to overload the players with as much information as possible because we can always catch up later on,” Davis said.

The Friars’ players prepared for this early season instruction in many ways. Xavier, for example, played for the Cape Verde National Team in an Olympic qualifying tournament. He spent 10 days in Paris preparing for the event and then another few weeks in Athens, where his team lost games against New Zealand and Germany (with NBA star Dirk Nowitzki).

“It was great,” Xavier said. “International ball is real physical, like the Big East. We practiced double sessions and really worked hard.”

Once he returned to the States, Xavier said he altered his preparation for his final collegiate season. “I worked too hard last summer and broke my foot,” he said. “This summer I worked out twice a day but really just shot the ball and worked on my handle. I’m not running as much.”

Fellow senior Weyinmi Efejuku stayed stateside all summer but worked out in Atlanta, New York and Chicago. His best runs came in the Windy City where he played at Tim Grover’s Hoops-The Gym and faced the likes of NBA’ers Eddy Curry, Michael Finley, O.J. Mayo and Shaun Livingston. All the while he made sure to keep thinking about his pending senior year at Providence.

“I learned patience, when to use my speed and when not to,” said Efejuku, who weighs a more solid 215 pounds. “Coach [Davis] wants to spread the court and make people play us and that feeds into my game, so I’m excited.”

Brian McKenzie, the sweet-shooting junior from Brooklyn, didn’t leave his home city very much. He says his father paid for two trainers to work with his body and his game. He weighs 205 pounds now, down from 215 a year ago. “I did more running and lifting and just worked a lot on my shot,” he said.

McKenzie said that while he’s still learning exactly how Davis wants to play, he’s energized by the mental outlook the Friars have brought back to school.

“We don’t have different mindsets. Everyone is on the same page and it’s all about winning,” he said. “We know we can play with anyone in our league. We beat UConn twice last year so we know we have the talent and the ability. We just have to bring it every night.”

The only Friar sidelined right now is junior center Ray Hall. He is struggling with a knee injury and is on crutches. His status for the next few weeks is unknown. The good news is point guard Sharaud Curry is suiting up and looks good, according to Davis. Curry missed last season with a broken right foot but has responded well to offseason surgery.

“We’re taking it slow with Sharaud but he’s participating and should be good once we get going,” Davis said.

kmcnamar@projo.com