"That's someone who knows our culture, knows our style of coaching, and knows our style of play – he’s been as consistent as any player we’ve had all year." Alyn Breed is providing a lift for PC

Alyn Breed hasn’t missed much this season. The junior from Powder Springs, GA has made 14 of 17 shots inside the arc (4-5 from mid-range, 10-12 in the paint), and he’s 6-9 from 3-pointers above the break.

On a Friar team that has spent the first 11 games of the season searching to find itself, Breed has been one of the most consistent performers on the team.

Ed Cooley would argue that Breed has been the steadiest, “Many of you haven’t talked about Alyn Breed. He’s been our most consistent player the last three or four weeks. Hop’s been really good, Devin’s been great defensively, but if you look at consistency – and someone who knows our culture, knows our style of coaching, and knows our style of play — he’s been as consistent as any player we’ve had all year.”

Throughout a non-conference schedule in which the Friars spent a lot of time getting to know each other, Breed took a big step forward by keeping the game simple. Cooley credited him with making the difference in the Columbia win on Nov. 26, when Breed scored nine quick points in 12 minutes to help PC pull away for good.

He was quiet against TCU the next time out, but has since shot 11-14 from the field, and hasn’t missed from inside the arc during that span (8-8).

Breed is Providence’s second-best perimeter defender, and figures to see big minutes off the bench now that Big East play is here.

“It’s a credit to him staying with the process, because a lot of young men would get frustrated because in today’s day and age they want it, and they want it now,” Cooley said after Breed scored 10 first half points against Albany on Saturday. “I hope kids can be a little bit more patient, and he’s shown it and he’ll be rewarded for it.”

In an era in which everyone is transferring, Breed has stayed at a school a thousand miles from home, despite seeing his minutes decrease from 19.1 as a freshman to 13.0 during his sophomore year.

Breed certainly had his moments during Providence’s outstanding 2021-22 campaign — highlighted by clutch plays against Xavier in a triple overtime victory, drawing a last second offensive foul in a thriller over Texas Tech, and making a pair of big buckets in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

We’ve seen Breed put up big numbers before. There was an 18 point, 11 rebound, four assist day at Villanova as a freshman which came on the heels of 15 points, six rebounds, and three assists at Creighton.

He started 21 games his first two seasons at Providence, and decided to stick with the program last spring after the team loaded up on guards, including two new projected new starters.

Breed has spent his basketball career learning how to carve out roles on talented teams. He played on perhaps the best high school team in the country at McEachern High School in Georgia in 2019. That group finished the season 32-0, with wins over eight nationally ranked opponents. He played alongside stars like McDonald’s All American point guard Sharife Cooper and Isaac Okoro, the fifth pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. He prepped at IMG Academy with more NBA talent a year later.

Perhaps that history has allowed him to better adapt to being a piece of a larger puzzle.

Breed has seemingly found his niche on this current Friars club. He’s a reliable defender who understood that he could find his way into consistent minutes by picking his spots offensively and scoring efficiently.

Following Saturday’s drubbing of Albany, Cooley spoke of how his staff is trying to keep the head coach positive, “I have a lot of anxiety when I’m seeing the ball is not going where it’s supposed to, when we’re not playing with the type of passion and enthusiasm (that’s expected).”

Breed has brought a level of stability and maturity off the bench of late, the type of play that will help his coach sleep just a little bit better at night.