Nets

It’s a one-word message that’s been pinned to the top of Kim English’s primary social media account since before Twitter became X.

Kaizen.

It’s a Japanese philosophy that’s been adopted by individuals and multi-national corporations like Toyota. “Change for the better” is the literal English translation, but it’s generally associated with the process of constant improvement.

It’s been part of the message both publicly and behind closed doors since English was hired away from George Mason in late March to replace Ed Cooley. Providence College debuted with its Mal Brown Scrimmage last weekend and was scheduled to host Saint Joseph’s at the Ruane Development Center on Saturday. Those two dates are part of the buildup to a Nov. 6 season opener against Columbia at Amica Mutual Pavilion.

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“Honestly, we’re ready today,” guard Corey Floyd Jr. said at the program’s Late Night Madness event in late September. “But we’ve still got to work on a lot of things.”

It’s a simple statement from a maturing player, but it’s noteworthy. Floyd reflected his coach at that moment — he was one of several Friars on the 2022-23 roster who pledged to stay during English’s first month on the job. Bryce Hopkins, Devin Carter, Jayden Pierre and Rafael Castro all declined to leave via the transfer portal.

“His first year being here, he has something to prove,” Hopkins said at a public appearance Wednesday night. “We’re going to be playing for him and we know it’s his first year. We want to make a good mark.”

English spent time on the staffs at Tulsa, Colorado and Tennessee before receiving his first head coaching opportunity with the Patriots in 2021-22. His career record was under .500 before a seven-game winning streak late in his second season. That came after losing Oregon transfer Victor Bailey to a hand injury and returning Ticket Gaines to the starting lineup after his own wrist injury.

“I think we made adjustments throughout the season — lineup adjustments, style of play adjustments,” George Mason guard Ronald Polite III said at Atlantic 10 media day Tuesday. “I think it was about halfway we decided we were going to change the style we played.

“I think they were good adjustments.”

George Mason completed a home-and-home sweep over the University of Rhode Island to spark its stretch run. The Patriots won at Dayton to just about end any NCAA Tournament at-large hopes for the Flyers and outlasted surprising Fordham in overtime. George Mason captured consecutive games over Richmond before running out of gas in the conference tournament, suffering a blowout loss to a preseason league favorite in Saint Louis.

Gaines announced a return to the Patriots for a fifth season before the coaching carousel began to spin. Cooley lost what turned out to be his last game with Providence against Kentucky and turned his attention to Georgetown. He accepted an offer from the Hoyas to become their next head coach and left Friars athletic director Steve Napolillo needing to make a quick pivot.

Napolillo had a pair of targets immediately in mind — English and Penn State coach Micah Shrewsberry, who was in the midst of negotiations with Notre Dame and set for a return to his native Indiana. English became the focus for the Friars and ticked each box sought by Napolillo: a young, climbing, energetic coach who could grow in the job alongside the administration. Their partnership was sealed when English signed a six-year contract in March.

“When we get in between the lines and he’s coaching us and we’re being competitive with each other, he brings out that side,” Hopkins said. “If we don’t do what he expects us to do, he’s going to get on us and tell us what he expects.

“He’s a great coach. I’m looking forward to playing for him.”

English set out to retain and recruit his first full team prior to his formal press conference at Alumni Hall. He took Gaines, Josh Oduro, Justyn Fernandez, commit Richard Barron and a host of staff members with him from the Patriots. English also reassembled Providence’s incoming class, earning second pledges from Garwey Dual and Donovan Santoro and adding Eli DeLaurier in September. The energy he generated through those deliberate early steps helped the Friars sell their full allotment of season tickets prior to the summer.

“I’m just waiting for their season to start as well,” former Providence guard David Duke Jr. said prior to his Monday night game with the Philadelphia 76ers against the Brooklyn Nets. “I’ll definitely be tuning in.”

English’s next public foray comes under a bright spotlight Tuesday morning at Big East Media Day. He’ll cross paths with Cooley, the defending national champions from Connecticut, a program legend in new St. John’s coach Rick Pitino and a total of seven men who have at least one Elite Eight appearance on their respective resumés. How he plans to meet the moment at Madison Square Garden shouldn’t be much of a surprise even this early in his Providence tenure.

Kaizen. One day better than the next until the ultimate goal has been achieved.

bkoch@providencejournal.com

On X: @BillKoch25

2023-10-22 09:49:28


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