Ultimate Cranston
@ultimatecranston.bsky.social
Subscribe (free of charge) to my Substack on basketball where I focus, in particular, on Providence College Friars and Big East hoops ultimatecranston.substack.com
Why I'm so hopeful during the offseason and how I'm preparing for the humbling reality of the season's start this November. ultimatecranston.substack.com/p/i-hope-the...
I hope the offseason never ends
But how I'm also preparing for when hope gives way to reality in November
ultimatecranston.substack.com
July 28, 2026 at 12:13 PM
Why I'm so hopeful during the offseason and how I'm preparing for the humbling reality of the season's start this November. ultimatecranston.substack.com/p/i-hope-the...
He's going in search of the Magic of the FA Cup? bsky.app/profile/nyti...
From @theathletic.com: Can Lionel Messi win the one trophy he has never won? Are France heading for a third consecutive final? And is the weather the only thing that can spoil this World Cup?
We recap the action from Day 12 of the 2026 World Cup. nyti.ms/4oH9Si6
We recap the action from Day 12 of the 2026 World Cup. nyti.ms/4oH9Si6
Can Messi win the one trophy he never has? Are France heading for third final in a row? Day 12 recap
Is the weather the only thing that can spoil this World Cup? What are the stories to look out for on Day 13...
nyti.ms
June 23, 2026 at 5:00 PM
He's going in search of the Magic of the FA Cup? bsky.app/profile/nyti...
Reposted by Ultimate Cranston
Europeans: They're just like us...
June 15, 2026 at 9:24 PM
Europeans: They're just like us...
Eat your heart out, Keith Law. bsky.app/profile/reds...
June 13, 2026 at 9:26 PM
Eat your heart out, Keith Law. bsky.app/profile/reds...
In light of Providence's hiring of Bryan Hodgson, I looked at the 36 coaches hired from the second tier of conferences directly to the major-conference level over the last two decades. Take a trip down memory lane with me: ultimatecranston.substack.com/p/brief-hist...
April 20, 2026 at 2:26 PM
In light of Providence's hiring of Bryan Hodgson, I looked at the 36 coaches hired from the second tier of conferences directly to the major-conference level over the last two decades. Take a trip down memory lane with me: ultimatecranston.substack.com/p/brief-hist...
This is an all-time uniform game for me.
April 5, 2026 at 1:53 AM
This is an all-time uniform game for me.
Now that we're 36 months and a coach removed from Ed Cooley's cataclysmic departure, I take stock of where I'm at as a fan and what I've learned as we enter the Bryan Hodgson Era. ultimatecranston.substack.com/p/will-joy-c...
Will joy come in the morning?
Thoughts from a PC fan after a dark night of the soul that hasn't yet made it to dawn
ultimatecranston.substack.com
March 30, 2026 at 3:24 PM
Now that we're 36 months and a coach removed from Ed Cooley's cataclysmic departure, I take stock of where I'm at as a fan and what I've learned as we enter the Bryan Hodgson Era. ultimatecranston.substack.com/p/will-joy-c...
I found the most predictable response to this trade, considering the source. bsky.app/profile/reds...
February 9, 2026 at 3:19 PM
I found the most predictable response to this trade, considering the source. bsky.app/profile/reds...
Ed Cooley is blessed: His team is 1-6 in the Big East in Year 3 and folks in DC have other things to concern themselves with besides his embarrassing program...oh, and payday is always just around the corner. ultimatecranston.substack.com/p/ed-cooley-...
Ed Cooley is 'blessed' and incoherent
I won’t pretend that I’ve had my finger on the pulse of this college basketball season.
ultimatecranston.substack.com
January 19, 2026 at 12:59 PM
Ed Cooley is blessed: His team is 1-6 in the Big East in Year 3 and folks in DC have other things to concern themselves with besides his embarrassing program...oh, and payday is always just around the corner. ultimatecranston.substack.com/p/ed-cooley-...
Reposted by Ultimate Cranston
I'm going to the store to return this preseason-top-5 St. John's team I was sold.
January 3, 2026 at 7:31 PM
I'm going to the store to return this preseason-top-5 St. John's team I was sold.
Words on Providence's first game vs. Holy Cross, including thoughts on other PC opening nights, how the passing and shooting looked and more. Also, how did a bunch of former and almost Friars perform in their debuts with new teams? #pcbb ultimatecranston.substack.com/p/underreact...
Underreactions to Providence's 89-79 win over Holy Cross
Plus Friar-relevant tidbits from around the nation on the first week of the college basketball season
ultimatecranston.substack.com
November 6, 2025 at 2:21 PM
Words on Providence's first game vs. Holy Cross, including thoughts on other PC opening nights, how the passing and shooting looked and more. Also, how did a bunch of former and almost Friars perform in their debuts with new teams? #pcbb ultimatecranston.substack.com/p/underreact...
The college basketball season is nearly upon us, which means it's time to take stock of reasons for optimism and reasons for concern for Providence Friars fans entering the 2025-26 season: ultimatecranston.substack.com/p/3-reasons-...
3 reasons to believe, 3 reasons for concern for the Friars this season
As we’re on the cusp of the Friars’ first exhibition (Sunday at Pitt), let’s get back on the horse by updating my season preview from last year in hopes that we’ll actually have a season this season (...
ultimatecranston.substack.com
October 18, 2025 at 12:08 PM
The college basketball season is nearly upon us, which means it's time to take stock of reasons for optimism and reasons for concern for Providence Friars fans entering the 2025-26 season: ultimatecranston.substack.com/p/3-reasons-...
Coming tomorrow at ultimatecranston.substack.com ...
October 17, 2025 at 10:34 PM
Coming tomorrow at ultimatecranston.substack.com ...
For the love of God, stop calling it a "ghost runner." There is a person standing on second base -- it's not a ghost.
July 18, 2025 at 2:45 PM
For the love of God, stop calling it a "ghost runner." There is a person standing on second base -- it's not a ghost.
Reposted by Ultimate Cranston
Focusing on Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri and UCLA, I dove into the big improvers from last season in college basketball to see what the Friars could learn from their turnarounds. ultimatecranston.substack.com/p/the-path-t...
The Path to Improvement
Looking at significant leaps from last season to identify a blueprint for the Friars
ultimatecranston.substack.com
May 2, 2025 at 12:09 PM
Focusing on Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri and UCLA, I dove into the big improvers from last season in college basketball to see what the Friars could learn from their turnarounds. ultimatecranston.substack.com/p/the-path-t...
There's no truth to the rumor that Goga Bitadze left Georgia for the NBA because he was only third-string center behind Asa Newell and Somto Cyril.
April 24, 2025 at 2:16 AM
There's no truth to the rumor that Goga Bitadze left Georgia for the NBA because he was only third-string center behind Asa Newell and Somto Cyril.
Consider starting your Good Friday with my essay on what it's like being a college basketball fan in 2025: a lot of people I respect are saying the sport is doing great, but my eyes see something different. Plus, 2 suggestions to improve roster-building: ultimatecranston.substack.com/p/being-a-co...
Being a College Basketball Fan in 2025
How roster-building has made following the sport less fun and how we can make it better
ultimatecranston.substack.com
April 18, 2025 at 11:14 AM
Consider starting your Good Friday with my essay on what it's like being a college basketball fan in 2025: a lot of people I respect are saying the sport is doing great, but my eyes see something different. Plus, 2 suggestions to improve roster-building: ultimatecranston.substack.com/p/being-a-co...
Reposted by Ultimate Cranston
The very nature of writing a story like this prompts even more coaches to reach out. I just had a head coach in the Big Ten text me to say a Missouri Valley player they were recruiting suddenly let it be known he wanted $2.5 million.
"We didn’t call him back after that."
"We didn’t call him back after that."
The price of talent is spiking to record levels—with hundreds of millions now at stake in CBB’s unregulated economy.
Detailed reporting below on the teams spending 8-10 million+.
One player’s on the hook after breaking his contract.
A wide look at how we got here … and if there’s no going back.
Detailed reporting below on the teams spending 8-10 million+.
One player’s on the hook after breaking his contract.
A wide look at how we got here … and if there’s no going back.
The $10 million club: College basketball's portal recruiting hits unthinkable levels of financial chaos
The price of talent is spiking to record amounts -- again -- now with hundreds of millions at stake in college hoops' unregulated economy
www.cbssports.com
April 18, 2025 at 12:59 AM
The very nature of writing a story like this prompts even more coaches to reach out. I just had a head coach in the Big Ten text me to say a Missouri Valley player they were recruiting suddenly let it be known he wanted $2.5 million.
"We didn’t call him back after that."
"We didn’t call him back after that."
Hello, England's Rose.
April 13, 2025 at 10:16 PM
Hello, England's Rose.
Most may have moved on from a forgettable PC basketball season, but I present my post-mortem, which hopefully provides some learnings (or at the very least a catharsis) before fully moving on to what's next: ultimatecranston.substack.com/p/on-the-sea...
On the Season That Never Was
Wherein I get out all the 'yuck' from a Friars season we'd all just as soon forget
ultimatecranston.substack.com
April 9, 2025 at 2:12 PM
Most may have moved on from a forgettable PC basketball season, but I present my post-mortem, which hopefully provides some learnings (or at the very least a catharsis) before fully moving on to what's next: ultimatecranston.substack.com/p/on-the-sea...
And now begins the most scintillating part of college basketball games: end of game reviews.
April 8, 2025 at 3:01 AM
And now begins the most scintillating part of college basketball games: end of game reviews.
That said, this is a ref show.
April 8, 2025 at 2:50 AM
That said, this is a ref show.