"It's got to be the most inexperienced team in the country," Davis said. "I've had two veteran teams during my short head coaching career, but even in all my years as an assistant, I haven't seen a team very much like this one."

The Friars have eight newcomers -- six freshmen and two junior transfers -- and only three returning players saw minutes last season. But that doesn't mean Davis and his young squad are conceding any ground.

"I don't think there's anybody on our schedule we can't beat," the second-year coach said. "The problem is, with so much inexperience, there's not many teams that are guaranteed wins."

That's especially true in the Big East, which put two teams in the Final Four last year and is again one of the most talented and deepest conferences in the country.

"If we don't have great effort and great energy, we're going to come out on the wrong end of things," Davis said.

Energy is abundant on this Providence squad. With their veteran talent concentrated in the backcourt -- senior point guard Sharaud Curry and junior swingman Marshon Brooks are the top returning scorers -- look for the Friars to opt for a smaller, quick lineup that presses and pushes the ball in transition.

"This team's going to get up and go," Davis said. "Against the Big East, that's going to be a tough thing for them to match up with us."

Despite the many new faces, the Friars are at least building on success. Providence went 19-14 last season and upset then-No.1 Pittsburgh en route to a seventh-place finish in the 16-team Big East. Left out of the NCAA tournament, the Friars played in the National Invitational Tournament.

Gone from that team are five rotation players, including four career 1,000-point scorers.

But a few key holdovers remain.

Curry returns as a fifth-year senior after averaging 11.7 points per game last year, second only to standout guard Weyinmi Efejuku.

The Friars will need the 5-foot-10-inch Curry to play an even larger role on the court and in the locker room to compete with the veteran-laden conference opponents they'll face.

"I'm ready this year, I'm healthy this year," said Curry, who two years ago missed all but one game with a foot injury. "This is the best I've ever felt since I first got here."

Curry will be flanked by Marshon Brooks, who showed flashes of brilliance off the bench last season, including a 30-point performance against Sacred Heart. The junior said he's ready to fill the shoes of Efejuku, an All-Big East honorable mention last year.

"Keno knows I can score with the ball, and he's going to be putting me in a position to make plays," Brooks said. "I don't feel like too many people can stay in front of me."

Senior Brian McKenzie, who struggled last year to find playing time in his first season under Davis, is the only other Friar who saw action for Providence last season.

That leaves plenty of minutes for new faces.

"The newcomers have been impressing me everyday," Davis said. "They're energetic, and their youth is something that can be a big plus for us, rather than a negative with their inexperience."

Davis is looking to freshman guards Vincent Council, of the Patterson School in Lenoir, N.C., and Johnnie Lacy, who attended Notre Dame Preparatory School in Fitchburg, Mass., to turn heads on offense and give the Friars a new dimension.

The two newcomers are "lightning fast, and they just get it and go," Davis said. "We're going to be an exciting team to watch."

Whether that energy translates into wins is an open question, but Davis said he's told his young team to focus on improving before worrying about wins and losses.

"We still have a lot of work to do," Curry said. "We'll be a totally different team by the time the Big East season gets here."