The Friars will hit the court again on Sunday afternoon in the consolation game of the Baha Mar Hoops tournament. PC battled tough with Kansas State on Friday night but ultimately fell short 73-70 in OT. Kansas State coach Jerome Teng remains undefeated in overtime as a head coach. The Friars will now shift their attention to the Georgia Bulldogs who fell to Miami. Here’s what to look for in this one.
Backcourt Availability- The Friars are going to be shorthanded in the backcourt in a game that they really don’t want to drop. Garwey Dual will be serving a one-game suspension for his actions in an altercation with Kansas State’s Dai Dai Ames. To make matters worse starting point guard Jayden Pierre suffered an injury in practice on Thursday and only played the first four minutes against the Wildcats before sitting the rest of the game. On a short turnaround we’d be surprised to see him go in this one. Kim English had to adjust on the fly and it will be interesting to see how he handles it on this one. Look for Corey Floyd Jr and Devin Carter handle the guard responsibilities.
Bounce Back for Bhop?- Bryce Hopkins is in the midst of a shooting slump to start the season. Hopkins is shooting 16% from three and even more concerning only 27% from the floor. Bryce is trying to adapt to PC’s new offensive playing style and while the results don’t show it he still showing the ability to get to the rim, just needs to finish. Georgia does have good length but is a guard dominant team, I’m thinking a bounce back is in order.
Team Mentality – Will the Friars come out sleepy or will they come out trying to go 1-1 on the weekend? With Dual suspended and Pierre on the mend, on top of an emotional overtime loss, you hope that the Friars don’t go through the motions. Despite Georgia losing to Miami, they won’t be a slouch. If Providence doesn’t come ready to play, they can lose this game. If PC plays their game, they should win.
Prediction
BOC: I don’t feel great about this game for the reasons mentioned above. I think there may be some nervous energy in the “ballroom”. If the Friars play their game, they should win, but there are a lot of things that concern me. Friars squeak out a close one 71 – 67.
Crier: I’m with BOC on this one. Being shorthanded and a possible fallout from the Garwey incident has me anxious for this one. Ultimately I think the Friars pull it out behind their fans. PC 76 UGA 70