East Providence eyes another successful boys' hoops season

EAST PROVIDENCE — The East Providence High School boys’ basketball team will be under new leadership during the 2016-17 season as former assistant Joe Andrade returns to the program to replace long-time head coach Alex Butler, who resigned the position earlier this calendar year.

Andrade takes over a relatively young and inexperienced group of Townies this winter, hoping to steer the locals to another successful season. A year ago, East Providence earned a spot in the Open State Tournament for the first time and made a return trip to the Division I championship tournament as well, but nearly all of the key contributors graduated.

Coach Andrade, who was an aide to Butler for 10 seasons, realizes the amount of talent the Townies lost off of last year’s roster that made a deep postseason run, but thinks this year’s team can make some noise, too.

“We have potential and we are very young,” he said. “They have to learn the little things, but we should be OK.”

Coach Andrade said he wants many of the aspects Butler implemented to remain, though with a bit of his own input.

“I want to continue what Alex did. I mean, I worked on those things as much as he did so I want them to continue,” he said. “I want this to be a fun experience for the kids and the school. A lot students came out for the first game and I was really pleased with that.”

The Townies opened their season last week with a one-point win in overtime over Tiverton in an Injury Fund non-league game.

While Coach Andrade is a new face to many, he took a leave from the program last winter, some of the players on this year’s roster are familiar with him from his years as an assistant.

“Some of these kid know me because I was their JV coach for a year or two,” said Coach Andrade, who will be assisted by former EPHS varsity player Branden Barboza. “I am trying to get a feel for all the kid’s personalities.”

As for the play on the court, fans can expect this young, athletic group to try to force tempo as often as they can.

“I want to run,” Coach Andrade said, emphatically. “We need to get up and down the floor and push the pace because we are athletic.”

This year’s starting lineup for the Townies will place sophomore Dion Hazard as the point guard with junior forward Deyshawn Tengbeh, senior guard Kyerstan Casey and senior center David Ogunronbi getting time at the other three spots while the fifth starting position is uncertain.

“That fifth spot is up for grabs,” Coach Andrade said. “Obviously (junior) Juston Williams has been making a good case that he wants it so we will see. We have different combos we will throw out there, too. Andre (Gordon, a junior guard) will come off the bench a lot, too.”

Also in the mix for playing time as the season starts are senior guard Quinton Osbourne, sophomore forward Clinton Ogunronbi and junior guard Dante Machado.

The coach expects E.P. to be led by senior guard Casey, who had an impressive debut scoring 17 points in the game against Tiverton last week.

“Our go-to guy should be, and has to be, Casey,” he said. “He has to get used to playing with some of these new guys and then we should be OK. David (Ogunronbi) is a little more quiet, but he leads by example, too.”

While Coach Andrade wouldn’t make any playoff predications, he does believe his Townies can hold their own in Division I with teams like Hendricken, LaSalle and Cranston East.

“I expect this team to really compete,” he said. “They have to keep their egos in check and we will be fine. That is the big thing. If we don’t, we will just be another average team.”

The Townies, who played and won three non-league games to open the year, begin their D-I regular season slate Monday, Dec. 19, when they host Classical at 7 p.m.