PC faithful make Dunn feel right at home

Providence, R.I. - It was hard to tell who was more excited, Kris Dunn for getting to chance to play in front of his future fans and family or Craig Parker for ... well ... let him explain.

"I'm an old Jimmy Walker fan," Parker, the New London High School basketball coach said. "And this was his home court, so that's pretty exciting to me."

Needless to say, everyone associated with New London basketball had reason to be excited on Saturday, when nearly 1,500 people made their way to Providence College's Alumni Hall - including season ticket holders, students, current PC players and head coach Ed Cooley - to catch a glimpse of their future in Dunn, who didn't disappoint.

The 6-foot-3 guard dazzled the crowd with an array of powerful dunks, long-range shooting and no-look passes - finishing with a triple-double for the second straight game (27 points, 10 assists, 11 points) and lifting the Whalers to an impressive 82-55 victory over Mount Pleasant of Providence.

"It can get overwhelming," Dunn said of all the attention, which began even before the final horn sounded when a couple of older fans approached him on the bench and asked to take his picture, "but at the same time it's exciting. This is going to be my home next year and to get all this support ... I just want to thank everyone."

Wayne Webb, a 34-year season ticket holder from nearby Swansea (Mass.), was one of the first to arrive Saturday and he was joined by Ann Agostini, a former Pawtucket (R.I.) resident and 20-year season ticket holder who flew up from her new home - Naples, Fla. - just to see Dunn on Saturday and her beloved Friars against West Virginia today.

"I've heard a tremendous amount about him, but this is the first time I've seen him in person," Webb said. "When I first heard (assistant coach) Andre Lafleur say PC was recruiting him I thought, 'PC will never get a recruit like that.'"

Said Agostini: "I sold my two tickets to a friend this year, but next year I'm going to come back more. I started coming here when I was a little kid, but there's a lot of excitement now because of what coach Cooley's done."

Dunn scored 17 points in the first half when the Whalers (14-2) closed fast to take a 41-27 halftime lead. They came out in the second half and immediately put a defensive clamp on the Kilties (9-6), forcing back-to-back turnovers with full court pressure defense and scoring seven quick points to open a 48-27 lead.

Mount Pleasant would never get closer than 19 and Parker removed his starters with 4:45 remaining and New London holding a 77-46 advantage.

Junior Keith Porter also had a dominating effort, finishing with 24 points, while Doug Henton and Malcolm Simmons added nine points apiece. New London was also without one of its post players - senior Voghens Larrieux - who is on a recruiting visit to Coastal Carolina University, where he recently accepted a football scholarship.

"We had so many alumni and fans come to see him play today," said PC athletic director Bob Driscoll. "It's nice to be able to give them a glimpse into the future. They're getting to see a great player and he's even a better person."

Added Cooley: "Kris is so versatile. That's what we love about him. But more important is his leadership ability. I'm looking forward to him leading us all the way to the national championship."

New London won't be leaving the state borders again and plays three of its final four regular-season games at home, but Parker is thrilled how the Whalers' challenging schedule has played out.

"This has been great," Parker said. "We've played in New York City, here, Warwick and twice in Bridgeport. It's been a great experience for these kids and our program."

c.banning@theday.com