Providence, riding a 2 game winning streak, heads into Fort Worth, TX to try and upend the Horned Frogs and their college football playoff bid. Oh, wrong sport? Too much time watching college football over Thanksgiving weekend, apparently.
5-2 PC hits the road Wednesday to match-up against 5-1 TCU. TCU is coming off an impressive win over Iowa 79-66. We break down what you need to know about the Horned Frogs and how PC can secure a resume building win before heading into Big East play.
We also discuss the game in the pod below:
TCU – Players to Know
Mike Miles Jr. – 6’2 Jr. Guard averaging 20, 4, and 4 on an efficient 47% from the field. Inefficient from deep (26%) and charity stripe (60%). The free throw line numbers may be an early season anomaly as he was 76 and 83% from the line the last two years.
Emanuel Miller – 6’7 Sr. Wing averaging 13 and 6 rebounds. Another efficient scorer at 55% from floor and 38% from deep.
Eddie Lampkin Jr. – 6’11 Sophomore at a listed 263 lbs averaging 7 boards a game.
Damion Baugh – 6’4 Guard who averaged 12, 5, and 5 last year. All-Conference Type Player who has been suspended to date. Naturally, his first game back is against PC.
Team Statistics – Comparison
| TCU | Statistics | Providence |
| 74 | Points/Game | 77 |
| 41 | Rebounds/Game | 38 |
| 17 | Assists/Game | 14 |
| 12 | Turnovers/Game | 12 |
| 45 | Field Goal % | 46 |
| 26 | 3 Point Field Goal % | 35 |
| 67 | Free Throw % | 75 |
Keys to Game
Battle of the Beef – The old school basketball fans are going to love the legendary match-up of Ed Croswell and Eddie Lampkin Jr. Both guys are absolute bruisers down low with plenty of strength and size to boot. The winner of the frontcourt may set the tone for the rest of the game. Providence cannot get bullied in the paint like it did against Miami or it could be a long night in Fort Worth.
Dare Them to Shoot? – I’ve watched my fair share of TCU, and I think it is fair to say they make their living in the mid-range and down low. Take a look at the stats above. The two teams are fairly identical, but the one outlier to me is the delta between 3 point field goal percentages. If I was Providence, I’d be packing the paint and daring them to chuck it from deep. It is only 6 games, but shooting 26% from 3 is pretty abysmal, no matter the sample size. Missed 3’s could lead to run-outs and transition buckets, which plays right into Providence’s hands. If TCU beats you early by getting hot from deep, adjust accordingly, but that just isn’t their game.
Another Test for Devin Carter – This offense for TCU will go as Miles Jr. goes. Insert Devin Carter. Carter has shown to be our best on-ball defender, averaging 1.6 steals a game. I’d anticipate Carter to be assigned to him the majority of the game and then have Breed spell Carter due to his defensive prowess. Miami and St. Louis played the pick and roll game to isolate Bynum defensively, so Cooley needs to be ready for that action to be replicated. Cooley may just live with not switching and telling his players to fight through screens.
Bynum Streaky Shooting – Can Bynum get back to form and be a weapon on offense? He’s been a great pass first PG, but having him knock down 2-3 three balls a game will change the trajectory of this team.
Predictions
BOC: This one will be a physical, backyard brawl type of game. Traditionally, that plays well into Cooley’s hands. I think Providence gives us their best showing to date and wins 71 – 70. It’s either this or TCU winning by 15+.
Crier: The way the Friars played overall so far this season doesn’t inspire much confidence in me. The Friars’ 3-point defense and rebounding remain concerns and although TCU isnt the best 3-point shooting team their guards should put pressure on PC’s defense. PC certainly could rally behind their first true road contest and come out with a victory but not sure it’s in the cards. TCU 78 PC 70.