The Dunk, now Amica Mutual Pavilion, has seen some weird things go down. Between a player’s brother accosting a referee mid game to dispute a foul or games against Xavier and Seton Hall that saw delays due to condensation on the court, the Dunk has played host to some strange games. Well, categorize Wednesday’s night’s contest against Xavier into the weird category. The Friars would start off this game clicking on all cylinders building a 16-5 lead early. Kim English would then receive his first technical of the season. Xavier would proceed to go on a massive run, Kim would get his second technical and ejection in the second half, and the Friars would cut a 26-point deficit into a 9-point game until the Musketeers would leave with a 91-82 victory over PC.
For Xavier it was a game they couldn’t afford to lose for their at large aspirations and for most of the game they played like it. As for the Friars the loss is their 4th in a row putting them at 11-14 on the year in what has been a trying season for the group.
Injury Bug Continues- In a season in which the Friars have delt with injuries before the season even began, the hits kept coming on Wednesday night. Prior to practice on Tuesday junior guard Corey Floyd Jr was involved in a hit and run car accident in which he was the recipient and suffered what seems to be a concussion. He really wanted to battle through and play but the medical staff wisely ruled him out for the game against Xavier.
Also missing in action were Wesley Cardet Jr, who has missed now three straight with knee soreness and Christ Essandoko, who has missed the past two games with an illness. Those injuries on top of season enders for Bryce Hopkins and Jabri Abdur-Rahim left the Friars certainly shorthanded tonight. Some may say injuries aren’t an excuse and that’s fine but, in a game where you play 5 guys at a time, being without 5 key contributors isn’t ideal.
Kim’s Ejection– Xavier’s Dante Maddux would hit the first of his 6 three pointers on the evening to quell the Friars initial flurry of a 16-5 advantage. After the bucket the Friars had the ball and referee Brent Hampton approached Kim to warn him and staff about standing during the game. Kim astutely pointed out to Brent that Sean Miller and his staff were currently on the floor, and Brent ringed him up for the first technical foul. It certainly seemed early for an official to stop the game to give the coach a lecture on him and his staff being on the court. To be clear though Kim was hot during this entire exchange. Even after the first technical was assessed, Kim didn’t back down. The Crier tweeted it during the game that it almost seemed as if Kim was looking to get tossed tonight, perhaps to give the team a jolt of energy. Well, the first technical would backfire as it would turn a 3-0 run into a 33-7 spurt which saw the Musketeers with a 15-point lead.
In the second half, there was a possession where there may have been a missed travel and Xavier proceeded to hit another three and as soon as Kim opened his mouth Brent Hampton hit him with his second technical foul and subsequent ejection.
For Kim it had to be infuriating when other coaches like Dan Hurley, Sean Miller, Rick Pitino and even Shaka Smart (who is allowed to be a 6th defender for the Golden Eagles) are allowed such a long leash while Kim gets a quick hook. This is also something that was boiling up for Kim English. The team has obviously had a trying year and when the Friars play 14 Big East contests and only attempt more free throws than the opposition in 3 of those games he has a right to be frustrated.
The Big East certainly has an officiating problem, and it’s been voiced across fanbases and even journalists across the country. Kim English fell victim of this tonight and to be quite frank Brent Hampton shouldn’t get a league assignment for the rest of the season. The man wanted to put on a show and he certainly did.
Friars Failed the Assignment– We should probably get to the actual basketball that was played on the court. For the Friars the gameplan had to be pretty obvious in this one, defend the perimeter against the league’s leader in three-point shooting and play a physical brand of basketball to hang tough on the glass. While the Friars held their own on the glass, they totally failed the assignment in terms of a physical standpoint and defending the three. PC’s extra attention on drives allowed the Musketeers to kick out to wide open shooters from deep. It was a damn near layup line from the perimeter. Xavier shot 13-27 from three during this game and the percentage would’ve been higher had the Friars not corrected the matter in the latter part of the second half.
Oswin’s Continued Growth – There’s not much positivity around this program or the season, but one glaringly bright light is the rapid ascension of freshman big Oswin Erhunmwunse. Oswin finished with 14 and 5 and was an efficient 7-7 from the field. If he can only keep himself out of foul trouble, he’ll be an All-Conference contender in 2025-2026.
Pierre’s Regression – On the flip side is the continued up and down play of Junior Jayden Pierre. Pierre had 5 turnovers in this one and had a few head scratching decisions throughout the game. This has been a constant trend of late.
I think the season is wearing on him, and he doesn’t possess the same spark he had earlier. With all that said, he simply needs to be playing better. The conversation needs to be had about him no longer controlling the basketball and strictly playing off the ball as a shooter/scorer. Providence cannot go into next season with him as their lead guard. He hasn’t shown enough this year to warrant that title, but you absolutely welcome him back as a scoring guard and microwave scorer off the bench.
The Comeback– This game was tracking to be one of the worst games the Crier has witnessed in person. Kim English was tossed, the Friars turned a once 11-point lead into a 26-point deficit and it was a total shit show. It would have been easy for the undermanned squad to pack it in and accept an embarrassing defeat. However, once again this team refused to give in and made it somewhat of a game at the end. As they say close only counts in horseshoes, and ultimately the Friars dropped their 4th consecutive game, but you have to admire these guy’s fight. This team hasn’t come close to meeting preseason expectations, but they have been dealt a ton of adversity throughout the season. While some have shown to be incapable this Friar fan will continue to appreciate and support these guys when they continue to fight like they do – win or lose.
The Friars’ tumultuous season will continue on Saturday when they host the Villanova Wildcats at 6pm at the AMP. It will be a special occasion as Billy Donovan will have his jersey hung in the rafters after leading the Friars to their second and most recent appearance in the Final Four in 1987. For the group of Friars currently on the court, it will be an opportunity to play spoiler to Villanova’s at-large hopes and get back in the win column as they try to get right just in time for the Big East Tournament.