The Prince of Providence has returned, and all is right in Friartown. After almost a year on the sideline, Bryce Hopkins made his season debut last night and made an impact immediately. BHop played a surprisingly high amount, logging 26 minutes of game time after getting the starting nod. Bryce showed why he’s considered one of the best players in the Big East, scoring 16 points with 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Most important, he did that on a staggeringly efficient 3-6 from the floor. His ability to get to the foul line, secure rebounds in traffic, and be a safety valve for the PC offense when in a rut were missed. PC, at least for one night, has its swagger back.
With Hopkins in the mix, Providence looked like an entirely new team on both offense and defense. The three balls were dropping, the defense was a bit stickier, and the whole operation seemed smoother. Bryce gets so much attention from the opposition that it allows his teammates to get higher percentage looks on offense. He’s an “easy” button.
When BYU went on a mini-run in the second, it was Bryce Hopkins who halted that run by drawing a foul in the post and sinking two free throws. BHop has an incredible ability to seek and absorb contact while still finishing at the rim. It’s an aspect of this offense that we lacked without Bryce, and he makes Providence a much more dangerous team that can beat you both inside and outside.
We break down the win below.
https://twitter.com/pcfriarsmbb/status/1864132298716655771?s=46&t=jxSpiAPB3PvC74snCH-rvQ
Aggressive JAR is the Best JAR – While Bryce deservedly received all the praise last night, JAR deserves his flowers as well with an outstandingly complete game. We know Abdur-Rahim can launch from deep. That’s no surprise. It was his aggressiveness that caught my attention. He finished with 21 points, 5 rebounds, and a statement helpside block.
https://twitter.com/greenlightbball/status/1864185470420439359?s=46&t=jxSpiAPB3PvC74snCH-rvQ
The attacking the rim and trying to dunk on people got me off my seat and is a welcome development. If teams start biting on his shot fakes, and he can make them pay by driving to the rim, it leads to the defense sagging in to help. He showed he can take contact at the rim and get to the line or dish out to a wide open 3 man.
It was the best performance to date from the transfer wing. We’ve been waiting for this.
https://twitter.com/realiansteele6/status/1864167812672999706?s=46&t=jxSpiAPB3PvC74snCH-rvQ
Maybe the Defense is Elite – BYU came into this game averaging over 87 points a game. Providence held them to 64 points, 23 below their season average. BYU struggled all game on offense, going 33% from the floor and 28% from deep. The on-ball defense from the Friars made every offensive possession for the Cougars a struggle.
Make no mistake that this BYU team is elite offensively. What Providence did on the defensive end should be praised more than anything they did offensively, in my opinion. I think BYU will have one of the better offenses nationally by season’s end. This is without a doubt a resume win for the NCAA tournament.
Egor Demin, the projected lottery pick freshman from Russia, had a disastrous offensive game, going 0-10 from the floor. While he was certainly off, the on-ball defense from the Friars had a lot to do with that. I certainly view him as an NBA talent that faced a stellar defense. Those type of nights, especially on the road, will happen to a young player. PC did a great job of putting the clamps on him, and you could tell he was frustrated all night.
Small Ball Line-Up: Best Line-Up? While you cannot expect Hopkins to be your 5 for 30 minutes a game, I do think English needs to realize his 5 men are currently (emphasis on currently, not indefinitely) a liability to the PC team. The best line-up right now excludes Essandoko and Oswin, and Providence is better off going small.
Hopkins has the size and strength to match up against collegiate 5 men. When Essandoko or Oswin were on the court, the defense suffered, and it is not as if either of these guys are bringing a lot to the floor offensively. In 26 minutes combined, Essandoko and Oswin had 6 total points. You need more from your bigs on the court, full stop. I think everybody knows that, including those two. Essandoko is coming on slowly, and I legitimately think he’ll be an asset to Providence by late January/early February, while Oswin is trying to stay afloat in the deep end. He’ll get there, but it is going to take some time.
With Hopkins back, you can bring along the trio of bigs slowly and “buy minutes” by playing them in short spurts when Hopkins needs rest.
This is not what I anticipated heading into the season, but it’s clear the best version of the Friars is one that goes small.
Incredible Atmosphere at the AMP – This was the AMP of old where it was seemingly impossible to beat the Friars here. The student showed up. It was loud. The home crowd made their presence felt. It is easy to get the crowd engaged when you play the way Providence did. One thing organically leads to another.
I am thrilled with the change to standing until the opponent scores. This seems long overdue and a no brainer. My ask is for Providence to clarify that it is for the start of BOTH halves. The fanbase from the television didn’t have any idea what to do at the start of the second. It was pretty funny.
What’s Next
Providence goes on the rhode for its rivalry game against undefeated URI. While this game has recently been an anvil around the neck of Providence’s strength of schedule, playing URI on the road this year will qualify as a good “metric game”. At 8-0, URI is currently 85 on KenPom while Providence sits at 77.
While this win was a massive step forward in the right direction, a loss against URI eliminates the goodwill created from this Cougar victory. Providence has no margin for error and must come ready to play in a rivalry game.
Great write up! Thx for sharing.