The Kris Dunn Effect

Bob Driscoll leans back in his chair, hands crossed, with a 2014 Big East Basketball Championship ring resting on his finger. As the Athletic Director at Providence College for over 14 years, he’s seen it all – from his athletes making buzzer beater shots to a recent string of national championships. Seated in his office, surrounded by PC sports memorabilia and awards, excitement is written all over his face – and it’s for more than just the trophies. The reason? It’s once in a lifetime athlete, Kris Dunn, the junior point guard for the men’s basketball team whose talent has coaches across the country openly envious.

At 6’4”, Dunn has always been a big man on campus - literally - but within just a few short months, he has arguably become one of the biggest names in college basketball, making itty-bitty Rhode Island stand out on the map. With two intensive shoulder surgeries that withheld him from showcasing his talent in his first couple years on the team, Dunn worked hard and turned heads in the 2014-2015 Season, helping the team secure a spot in the NCAA National Tournament. Despite predictions saying he would be a first round NBA draft pick, Dunn passed up on the offer.

Driscoll couldn’t help but be impressed at the 21-year-old’s decision to stay based on the adversity Dunn had faced in his childhood. “I mean, he could have went to the NBA last year and made millions but he chose to come back because he wants to get his degree. He has two younger sisters that he wants to serve as a role model. That’s unusual for guys that have the potential to make a lot of money in the NBA, so the fact that he wanted to get his degree speaks volumes for the character of the young man.”

Though the season only started a month ago, Dunn is dribbling his way into making history. Despite being point guard, Driscoll emphasized how versatile a player Dunn really is, saying that even when the ball isn’t in his hands, he’s transforming the game. “He plays both ends of the court at an elite level all the time. That’s unusual. Usually people are good at one or two things. He can rebound, he can pass – he just had a triple double the other day which is unheard of in college basketball.”

Driscoll is referring to Dunn’s December 2 performance against Hartford, where he scored 16 points, had 14 assists, and grabbed 10 rebounds. Dunn is pulling in numbers that the league hasn’t seen in years. In his first game of the season back in a November match-up against Harvard, Dunn brought in 32 points, six rebounds, nine assists and eight steals.

For a school with undergraduate enrollment at a mere 3,800 people, having a player of Dunn’s caliber is a rare situation. National sports outlets can’t seem to get enough of him, and with every article published, anticipation for the next game is lurking in the air throughout the Providence College campus. With an increase in season ticket holder sales, it is evident that his presence is giving the school and the community the desire to head downtown to the Dunkin Donuts Center to watch the team play. “I think people realize that he’s a once in a generational player, and when those special people come around, people want to watch it,” Driscoll said.

Skill and talent pushed aside, Driscoll sees Dunn as the epitome of what it means to be an outstanding athlete. When asked about his favorite moments watching Kris, he didn’t mention a memorable dunk shot or upsetting an opponent, but instead talked about when Dunn meets with young boys and girls with serious health issues after games. Whether it was a victory or a loss, Dunn is visibly thankful for his young fans.

“A selfish person would care about the score, the outcome and so forth. Kris actually cares about that young person, and takes himself out of his space to go help them. The smiles on these young peoples faces when they’re taking a picture with Kris Dunn are priceless. To me, that’s more important than his ability to shoot a basket, but he’s smart enough to understand that profile allows him to touch other peoples lives in a special way. He uses his notoriety and celebrity to share that with others. That’s his gift.”

It’s never too early to start thinking about brackets – and Kris Dunn has Rhode Islanders already buzzing about post-season madness, draft picks and making history.

Witness Kris Dunn, Ben Bentil, Rodney Bullock, Junior Lomomba, and the rest of the Providence College Men’s Basketball Team take on their neighbor, the Bryant University Bulldogs, Saturday December 12 at noon at the Dunkin Donuts Center.