With two consecutive losses to Marquette and Villanova, Providence finds themselves reeling a bit with March upon us. Providence’s next match-up is a Tuesday road game against Georgetown and former PC head coach Ed Cooley. While Georgetown’s season has been an unmitigated disaster, the Hoyas can play spoiler and essentially eliminate the Providence Friars from NCAA tournament contention. Even though Georgetown is in the basement of the Big East, the Hoyas almost defeated the Friars in Providence before Devin Carter’s heroics led to a Friar victory.
If Providence wants an at-large bid in the NCAA tournament, they not only need to win this one, but they need to win it decisively. All of the game pressure is on Providence, with none on the Hoyas. PC needs to get mentally right heading into this game and play with an intensity and purpose that has been, quite honestly, lacking the last two games.
We preview what Providence needs to do Tuesday night in D.C. to come out victorious ahead of a season finale against Connecticut.
Keys to Game
I think the pomp and circumstance that surrounded Game 1 won’t be there in Game 2. For better or worse, both parties have for the most part moved on after the ugly divorce. This game will be more about hoops, which I am looking forward to. I also think that favors the Friars.
Get Oduro Started Early & Often – Supreme Cook, despite being undersized, is an absolute load on the boards. He is leading the Hoyas in rebounds/game at 8.3 rebounds, which comes in at third overall in the Big East. He’s also the third leading scorer for the Hoyas.
If Oduro can get Cook in early foul trouble, it changes the game for Georgetown. They don’t have a reliable back-up big.
In the first match-up, Josh went for 22 on 8-10 shooting. I expect a similarly efficient night, unless Georgetown decides to double him, which may not be the worst idea.
Role Players – Knock Down Your Shots! Kyle Neptune, sad to say, has owned the match-up against English this year, and he has primarily done that by doubling Oduro and forcing him to be a distributor. In the last match-up against Nova, outside of Ticket Gaines and Rich Barron, nobody struck fear in the opposition from deep. That includes Devin Carter.
At some point, you need to stop playing with kid gloves and tell these guys to knock down an open look. They are Big East caliber players. Make the wide open bucket.
If Providence makes shots, they become a formidable squad. They are just too inconsistent game in, game out.
Pierre’s Health – English said postgame that Pierre has been suffering from the flu that past two games, which coincides with two blowout losses. We saw in the Xavier road win how important he is to this Providence team. With BHop out, he needs to be the third impact player on both ends. Here is to hoping he is fully healthy by Tuesday night.
Defensive Improvement Needed – Villanova was 51% from the floor and 57% from 3. Marquette was 57% from the floor and 54% from 3. You can chalk it up to hot shooting nights or you can own it and say Providence hasn’t been assignment sound. A microcosm of that was Corey Floyd Jr. losing Brendan Hausen on screens in the Nova game. That’s just being mentally lazy and not locked in.
Providence isn’t a good enough team right now to take plays off.
Epps and Massoud can beat you easily from deep. They need to focus one possession at a time. Georgetown was 44% from floor and 35% from deep in the first match-up in what I thought was one of their best offensive showings all season. PC needs to come ready to play.
Play With Urgency – I’m not sure if the team is just gassed at this point, but Providence has come across my screen as tired and lacking energy the last two games. That’s concerning given what is on the line. I’m hopeful that English has these boys emotionally ready, as the season could effectively be over with a loss Tuesday night.
The swarming defense we’ve come to know from this team early in the season is a shell of itself. I don’t want to hear the Hopkins excuse. He’s an amazing player no doubt, but effort on the defensive end has nothing to do with talent.
Predictions
Crier – Facing a 4-game losing streak earlier this season the Friars went into Wintrust Arena and walked out with a 28-point victory over DePaul. I don’t see that fully happening this game but given their 2-game skid and NCAA prospects PC will be locked in. Best medicine for a scuffling offense is a horrendous defense and the Hoyas have just that. PC 80 Georgetown 62
BOC: I’m very nervous about this one. Cooley knows this roster better than anybody else. Providence squeaks by 76-70.
BOC you said it all with your quote: “just too inconsistent game in, game out.”
I am also very nervous about this must win game. It looks like the whole team is tuckered out.
Well, they better get their stuff together or we are going nowhere after March 9th.
I don’t like to be critical but this is not the same team I watched beat Marquette on December 19th. In my opinion losing Bryce Hopkins on January 3rd was extremely detrimental to this team! Go Friars!