If you were to tell me that Bryce Hopkins would finish with only 6 points, I would have said Providence may have been on upset alert. Due to foul trouble, Bryce only played 17 minutes, but it did not matter, as the 4 other starters each poured in at least 12 points. Led by Croswell’s 25 points, 13 rebounds, and 6 assists, Providence held a significant lead for the majority of the game on their way to the 13th win of the conference.
We break down below the keys to the victory over Georgetown.
Revisiting the Preview – https://theprovidencecrier.com/2023/02/25/friars-looking-for-bounce-back-at-georgetown/
Husky Hangover – Providence started a bit slow, giving up an early lead, but it was the deep ball by Bynum that helped them gain and hold a lead. Bynum was in control the entirety of the game with 18 points on 6-9 from 3 along with 6 assists and 2 turnovers. It was the complete game we were all looking for from Jared. Home cooking, indeed.
On top of that, Devin Carter was a menace on both ends of the court. He finished with 3 steals, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 12 points. His fingerprints were all over the game. I really do feel like he’s one of the best two way players in all of college basketball. The rest of the college basketball world will learn of his defensive prowess come March.
In summary, it was great to see our senior leaders take control of the locker room and ensure the loss against Connecticut didn’t linger. It was a business-like trip, and doing what they did isn’t as easy as it sounds.
Rebounding Margin – The Friars were manhandled on the glass against Connecticut, and I’m certain Cooley made sure his team knew about it. PC outrebounded Georgetown by 7 boards and seemed to impose their will in the post and on the boards. It was a good bounce-back.
Bench Production Shows Up – The bench was quite productive today with 15 points. Due to the foul trouble on Hopkins, Moore played 25 minutes. He was very efficient in that time, scoring 8 points, grabbing 6 rebounds, and blocking 3 shots. The production from the bench is normally a good indicator of the outcome of the game, and it is nice to see role players like Moore have a tangible impact on the game.
Transition D Still a Concern – Not to pour cold water on a decisive victory, but Providence’s defense in transition and off offensive rebounds is concerning. Georgetown had a few runs of their own in this game due to poor transition defense and allowing three’s. The same thing that transpired against Connecticut again happened against Georgetown. We need to get back on defense, as the trailing three’s have really hurt an otherwise stellar Friar defensive effort.
Next Game
Providence has a massive match-up against Xavier at home (6:30 PM EST). The winner of that one likely is the 2 seed in the Big East Tournament. The loser is going to be the 3 or 4 seed. More important for Providence, a win against Xavier further builds their NCAA resume and probably puts them squarely as a 6 seed (at worst).