Providence has built itself some positive momentum of recent with two home wins in a row against Butler and DePaul. Now, the next challenge comes as they head to New Jersey to take on Shaheen Holloway and his scrappy, defensive minded roster on Seton Hall. The Pirates are 16-8 and 6-7 in conference, coming off a backbreaking loss to Creighton. The Hall are fighting for their NCAA tournament lives and have been struggling of late in Big East play. They’ve dropped their last 2 and 6 of their last 8.
This game will tell a lot about these Providence Friars. Was it Providence finding some short lived good fortune against two middling Big East teams or has Providence turned a corner on this forgetful season?
In the first match-up, it was Seton Hall’s relentless defense that won the day for the Pirates, as they limited Providence to only 67 points scoring on 40% from the floor and 22% from 3. For Providence, it was by far their lowest point total of the season. The Friars currently lead the Big East in scoring at 88.5 points per game. It was an off night offensively for the Friars, but Seton Hall tends to do that to teams. The Pirates are currently second in the Big East allowing only 64.8 points/game, behind Connecticut.
What can the Friars do to extend their winning streak to three games? We highlight our keys to a Friar victory on the road below.
Keys to Game
Limiting Turnovers
Providence has been abysmal all year taking care of the basketball, turning the ball over 11.9 times/game, just slightly below DePaul’s league worst 12.1 turnovers. What concerned me with this stat is that Providence faced a very solid DePaul defense (fourth in Big East in points allowed at 70.2), and they coughed the ball up 16 times.
In the first match-up, Providence turned the ball over against The Hall 13 times. The Friars will be on the road and need to prioritize crisp passes with conviction, coming back to the ball being passed to them with purpose, and keeping the handle tight around ball pressure.
Seton Hall struggles mightily offensively, scoring a league worst 71.4 points/game. Providence cannot give them easy buckets off turnovers that lead to breakouts. If PC can manage to keep their turnovers to 10 or less, I feel very confident PC can come away with this one with a victory.
Keep Payne in Check
Stephon Payne had a field day against Providence in their first match-up, scoring 18 points and 16 rebounds. After watching the game, you weren’t sure if this was a sign of things to come for Payne the rest of the way, and Providence was unfortunately the team that showcased his break-out. As we’re more than halfway through the Big East season, Payne is certainly a rebounding force, at 7.4 rebounds a game, but he isn’t somebody that Providence should be allowing to tally 18 and 16 against them. Payne on the year is only averaging 6.8 points a game! I tend to think that game was more anomaly than anything else, and I envision him not having anywhere close to that stat line in this one.
If you dive into the stats further, Oswin was saddled with foul trouble in their first match-up. He only played 19 minutes and fouled out of the game. Oswin has come on strong of late, particularly in his ability to stay on the court and not be in consistent foul trouble. Oswin needs to keep himself out of early foul trouble, as he alone is the key to preventing another outburst from Payne.
Avoid 1 on 1 Hero Ball, Play Within the Offense
Whenever you play a Holloway team, you know it is going to be a slog. They muck it up defensively and make you uncomfortable on the offensive end. It’s absolutely vital that Providence doesn’t get frustrated if the offense gets into a rut. Stay the course offensively. PC has an explosive offense, nobody is questioning that. What I’m looking for is Providence avoiding reverting back to bad habits and trying to overcome this stellar Hall defense taking the defense on 1 on 5.
In the first match-up against Hall, Vaaks went 5-14 from the floor. We don’t need to see Vaaks or Edwards try to be a hero in this one and win the game for the Friars exclusively through their own efforts. There are enough offensive weapons to run their offense, pick their spots, and find quality looks. I’m weary, but cautiously optimistic that will happen.
Prediction
BOC: I had a feeling Providence was going to blow the doors off DePaul, and my gut ended up being right. In this one, Providence has the clear talent and personnel advantage, and that eventually shines through. Friars fight through some adversity and come out on top. 78 – 74 Friars.
Kevin- I have some advice for the Friars as far as cutting down on turnovers ( I love turnovers but only if they’re full of apples). Stop dribbling the ball in one spot so much. This is an open invitation to losing control via a steal or being tied up and creating a jump ball. Bobby Knight always told his players: pass the ball three times before any shots are attempted. Also try to avoid cross court passes unless there are no opposing players in sight. Cross court passes in traffic are highly vulnerable to TOV’s. Go Friars!