Do the Friars possess the best guard-big tandem in the Big East? You’d be hard pressed to find a team that definitively has a better duo than Devin Carter and Josh Oduro. In a “must win” game for the Friars, the two combined for sixty points (SIXTY!), 23 rebounds, 9 assists, 5 steals, and 2 blocks.
We’ve heaped praise on Devin Carter all season and rightly so. Carter has an innate ability to put a game away with a big shot (Butler and Georgetown come to mind), but it was his big three in the waning seconds of this game that propelled the Friars to clinch overtime and ultimately win the game. When Providence is on the ropes, Carter has this incredible ability to rescue them when his team needs it the most. Carter drags his teammates with him battered and bruised across the finish line. He simply has no quit in him.
If Providence is in a position where they will make the NCAA tournament, Carter likely clinches Big East Player of the Year, Big East Defensive Player of the Year, and likely All-American honors. He’s a special, special player. I look forward to watching you in the NBA next year, Mr. Carter.
Let’s turn our attention to Josh Oduro. Josh struggled against Creighton in their road match-up, but he had lingering ankle issues in that one. That wasn’t the case in the rematch. A healthy Josh Oduro is, in my opinion, one of the two or three top bigs in the Big East. Oduro essentially took Ryan Kalkbrenner out of the running for Big East Defensive Player of the Year by absolutely dominating him in the head to head match-up to the tune of 32 points and 12 rebounds. He scored at will against the 7 footer with an array of post moves, jumpers, and put-backs.
He did whatever he wanted to do on the court, which isn’t an anomaly of late. He did this same exact thing against Clingan on the road against Connecticut. Oduro is peaking at the right time, and Providence is the beneficiary of his elevated play.
At this rate, you can expect Carter and Oduro to combine for 45 points a game on average. With the way these two are playing, Providence has a chance to win every game it plays in. When the role players contribute like they did against Creighton, Providence is a tough out.
Despite the subpar outing against Villanova, Pierre has increased the level of his game this year, and that showed against Creighton with 10 points and 3 assists. Corey Floyd Jr. accepted his role as utility man off the bench and provided much needed scoring with 10 points and two three pointers. There may not be a player that the Friar fanbase wants to see succeed more than Mr. Floyd, and it’s because he works so damn hard. He is such an easy kid to root for, and I’m ecstatic to see the contributions from last night. Not only for the Friars, but for his psyche and confidence. He’s the embodiment of what it means to be a Providence Friar.
Beyond what was discussed, below we revisit the keys to the game and highlight what clinched this massive victory for the Providence Friars.
Changes? – Kim English mentioned changes in the post-game presser against Villanova, and we saw Rich Barron inserted into the line-up. It was largely a formality, as Barron only played 11 minutes and Floyd Jr. played 37 minutes, but the switch clearly worked for Corey. Even with Corey’s improved production, I’d keep this as the starting line-up against Butler. Don’t change a good thing.
As an aside, I’ve jokingly talked about Dicky B as an SEC linebacker disguised as a wing in the Big East. I am no longer joking about that. Is it just me or is he taking very kindly to the Providence Strength and Conditioning program? His body has transformed from baby fat to muscle much faster than I anticipated. As I’ve said countless times, this kid is going to be a menace as an upperclassman.
Ronnie Coleman, Part 2. Dicky B.
Turn the Jays Over – Creighton’s offense is an absolute beauty and should be the benchmark for all college programs. I keep shaking my head in disbelief that Providence won that game last night with Creighton playing incredibly well on offense. Creighton shot 48% from 3 and 51% from the floor, and the Friars still won. Incredible.
Providence forced 12 turnovers, while only committing 8. Dual had a massive strip and score against that pesky Ashworth. That is something Dual can build on.
Defend the Perimeter, Win the Game – If I’m going to be objectively critical after this massive win, I thought the perimeter defense was lacking. Ticket Gaines, Pierre, and Floyd Jr. got beat a few times by ball watching instead of staying on the hip of their man. With all that said, this motion offense is poetry in motion. I can’t really fault them. McDermott may be the best offensive mind in the nation.
Josh Oduro vs. Ryan Kalkbrenner – Game. Set. Match. Friars. Oduro saved his best game of the season for this one. This one was for Justin Minaya and Devin Carter who got the DPOY awards stolen from them. Kalkbrenner’s reign as DPOY is over. RIP. Thank You, Josh.
Set Plays – I jokingly said in our latest podcast Providence would hit the most amount of three’s in conference play in this one. I was close. Providence hit 11 three pointers, going 42% from 3. They were one-off the high mark.
The offensive sets aren’t the issue. The players making the open shots have been the issue. When shots start to fall, this offense looks great. It’s the nature of basketball.
Record After Recording Games – Providence is 2-0 with me recording these late night tips and watching the replay at the crack of dawn. I may try to go to sleep at 2pm Saturday to keep the momentum rolling against Butler. We’ll see what my wife has to say about that.
What’s Next
Providence travels to take on Butler at the Hinkle Fieldhouse. Both teams are on the right side of the bubble as of this writing.
The magic number to clinch an NCAA berth for Providence is 11 conference wins. A road win against Butler gives Providence serious breathing room. They would secure another Q1 win and be above .500 in conference.
Providence needs to go 5-3 the rest of the way with match-ups against DePaul and Georgetown. If you assume two victories there, they need to go 3-3 with the following home games: Villanova (should be a win), St. John’s (should be a win), and Connecticut (likely a loss). Thus, they need to steal one road victory against Butler, Xavier, and Marquette. What better time to do it than this upcoming Saturday?
Mindset. Go Friars.