The Friars are coming off an emotionally charged victory against Ed Cooley and the Georgetown Hoyas and now are heading down I-95 to the home state of yours truly to play the Seton Hall Pirates. Providence had a battle on their hands against Seton Hall in their initial match-up, winning 91-85. Providence is looking for the season sweep of Seton Hall, who has had its fair share of on court struggles that directly correlate to their off-the-court struggles (NIL funding).
We preview the keys to the game and securing the road win below.
Keys to Game
Avoid Apathy – Providence is coming off a big victory against Ed Cooley in an electric environment. The game Tuesday should be the antithesis of that. I don’t expect the place to be packed at all due to it being a Tuesday night along with the Pirates having a rough season.
Providence cannot come in without a sense of urgency. A road win is hard to come by in the Big East, but they should secure this one. English needs to reiterate that every game is essentially a playoff game if they want to scrap and claw their way to the top of the Big East. They need to set the tone from the opening tip, and I’m looking at a guy like Bensley Joseph to do just that.
Health of Coleman and Jenkins – Coleman and Jenkins missed their last game against Creighton, and the effects were felt. Seton Hall scored 54 points without them, with their lead scorer totaling a measly 12 points. Coleman is the leading scorer on Seton Hall at 15.8 points, but also leads the team in rebounds at 5.1 boards. More on that important stat below. Jenkins is their second leading scorer at 11 points. Against Providence at the AMP, this duo combined for 43 points.
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Seton Hall is already a bottom of the Big East roster. Even if Seton Hall is without just one of these guys, it becomes really tough sledding to win. If they are without both, Providence may be lucky enough to catch the Pirates at the optimal time.
Providence Continues Strong Offensive Output – This is a battle of two teams last in the Big East in scoring. Providence is 10th in conference at 72 points, but Seton Hall is well behind them in last at 63.7. If Providence doesn’t lay an egg offensively in this one and can get to 70 total points, you like their odds. I don’t foresee a sequel of the barn burner in Providence where the two teams totaled 176 points.
Own the Glass – Providence’s calling card in conference play has been their ability to win on the glass. They are second in the Big East in rebounds/game at 38.9, 3 behind St. John’s. Seton Hall, on the other hand, is last in the Big East at 33.3. Providence can impose their will on this game with effort on the glass, especially if Coleman isn’t playing or even 100%.
Be Ready for Full Court Press – Seton Hall was able to get back into the first game against Providence because it implemented a full court press that completely rattled the Friars. Georgetown tried to do something similar on Saturday, but it bit them. I’d expect the Friars to be more prepared this go-around and have a few press breakers. Avoiding turnovers on your end of the court is one way to ensure a comfortable victory on the road in an atmosphere that should be less than stellar.
Prediction
BOC: Providence takes care of business on the road. If Coleman and Jenkins both play, PC wins a tight one 73-70. If either are out, I’d expect a 79 – 66 type victory.
P.S. If you are going to either the Seton Hall or Johnnies game at MSG, give me a shout. To use a famous Crier quote, “I’ll have boots on the ground”.
BOC- I agree: we will win this one. I think it will be a convincing win if we keep playing like we have been. Our big advantage is the bench. If we use the bench effectively as KE has been doing we can wear the opposing team down. We have been taking care of the rock lately and that is also a huge plus. Also, I can see a lot of potential going forward with quite a few of our players especially Essondoko, Oswin, Mela, and Fernandez. Go Friars!