Providence coach Cooley experiences emotional NBA draft

Providence head coach Ed Cooley experienced the ups and downs of the NBA draft on Thursday.

This jubilant moment came when Kris Dunn was selected fifth overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves, joining a franchise that appears on its way up. However, Ben Bentil had to sit and wait before the Boston Celtics grabbed him with the 51st pick.

"Things didn't go the right way," Bentil told Kevin McNamara of the Providence Journal. "But God has a plan. It's all about an opportunity. Whatever chance you get, whether it's the first round or second round, you have to take advantage of the opportunity. I'm glad I got one."

For Cooley, having two of his players selected will only help his program as he tries to replace Bentil and Dunn.

"People know we can develop players and make them pros," Cooley told McNamara. "That can help get us involved with high-profile guys. Kris has helped us in every way. He's been a marketing machine. You can't pay for that."

While many draft picks try to change their game and attitude when jumping to the professional ranks, Cooley told Dunn to keep doing what's made him successful.

"He told me 'stay true to yourself.'" Dunn said. "Off the court I'm very goofy, I like to laugh, and I can make people smile. He always told me, 'never let that leave you. Always show your personality because it definitely resonates. On the court, just keep that mentality and keep being that dog because that's what got you here.' That's what I'm going to try to do.”

While many top programs can survive the following year losing high-end talent, it's much different at a small school like Providence.

"It's hard to win without potential pros," said the coach. "My question is can Providence College survive losing guys to the NBA with eligibility left? We'll find out."