Last modified: Tuesday, March 6, 2007 12:13 AM EST McDermott hoping to assist PC in Big East tournament BY PETER GOBIS SUN CHRONICLE STAFF PROVIDENCE - What's more important? Being unselfish with the basketball and putting it into the hands of teammates for good shots? Or looking for your own shot? On the first count, Providence College sophomore forward Geoff McDermott earns acclaim, becoming the first non-guard in Big East Conference history to lead the loop with an average per-game assist rate of 5.38. On the latter count, however, the Friar, who had been averaging 10 points per game, hasn't reached that mark in the last six games. "I'm just trying to do whatever it takes for my team to win," said McDermott on the eve of the Friars' Big East Tournament opener against West Virginia Wednesday evening (7) at Madison Square Garden. Think of all the great guards in the Big East over the past quarter century - Sherman Douglas, Pearl Washington, Mark Jackson, Sean Miller to name a few - and only McDermott has been able to break up the backcourt monopoly on being the conference leader in assists. In truth, McDermott became the first Friar ever to have gathered more than 250 rebounds and 150 assists in a single season - only eight other PC players have even recorded 100 assists and 100 rebounds in a single season. The Friars are going to need McDermott and a whole lot of support from others to complement All-Big East center Herbert Hill in their attempt to beat the Mountaineers (21-8, 9-7), who lost at PC by three points on Feb. 20, misfiring on 32 of an eye-popping 41 three-point attempts. The Friars, under coach Tim Welsh, have not fared well at the Big East Tournament, going 1-7, and have not fared well on the road this season, being just 2-7. To have any hope at all of being considered for an NCAA berth, PC (18-11, 8-8) has to win at least two games - or it's the likelihood of an NIT game. McDermott is a very unselfish player, but his productivity, point-wise, has dramatically fallen. In addition to leading the Big East in assists, he is the fourth best rebounder, averaging 9.3 per game. McDermott has had nine double-doubles on the season, has had 12 double-figure rebounding games, and had a career-high 11 assists against Marquette earlier in the season, 156 on the season. But, over the past six games, McDermott has as nearly as many assists (31) as points (32), while also fetching 50 rebounds over that span, in which PC has gone 3-3. He is looking for his teammates more than his own shot with six, seven, four, six, three and six attempts during the past half-dozen games. "The assists come from people getting open, it's not just me, they make it easy for me," said McDermott of getting the ball to his teammates for better shots. Like Hill, who has scored 20 or more points in 11 games, including the last three, to win the Big East scoring title. "I've been trying to get Herb the ball and maybe I'm not looking for my shots as much," said McDermott. "We all have to play better, play better defense, box out." The Friars rank next to last in scoring defense (70.2) in the Big East and in the bottom half in field goal percentage defense (.430). Scoring points and rebounding has been their forte, of which McDermott supplies a steady source. The Friars are ranked No. 2 in the Big East in scoring offense (75.9), but West Virginia ranks as the No. 2 defensive club, allowing an average of 60.5 points. The Mountaineers take more three-pointers (812) than anyone, 149 more than runner-up Louisville, 328 more than the Friars. Against St. John's everybody was flat," said McDermott of the Friars' third-worst loss of the season on Sunday. "We have to create the energy that we had again. When everybody is moving and scoring, it helps me, letting the game come to me and doing what I have to do, either passing or scoring on rebounding." The Friars defended the perimeter fairly well against West Virginia two weeks ago, but need to play better offensively. "They're a good shooting team," said McDermott, "we challenged a lot of their shots. We have to be a bit better in everything we do."