This game was scheduled to be played Tuesday evening, but Mother Nature had other plans. Amidst a historic winter storm that saw record snowfall in Providence, the Friars and Musketeers delayed their rematch in Providence a day to Wednesday at 7:30 PM EST while all of New England and the Tri-State area shoveled themselves out from multiple feet of snow.
Assuming Xavier can fly out without any issues, the Friars will be looking to avenge their road loss against Musketeers where it was arguably one of the sloppiest and worst defensive efforts in this forgettable season. The 97-84 loss was characterized by lethargic defense and not knowing the scout on what Xavier does well. The Musketeers buried 12 three’s in that one, on an efficient 30 attempts (40%).
Providence and Xavier are tied for second to last place in the Big East at 5-11. There isn’t much to play for beyond garnering momentum heading into March and jockeying for better seeding at Madison Square Garden. For Providence, they are looking to build a two game winning streak. For Xavier, they are attempting to avoid a three game losing streak.
We preview the game below.
Keys to Game
Defend the Three
We discussed in the initial match-up that Xavier wasn’t a team that did a lot well. The one thing they did do well, however, was shoot the three. So, naturally, Providence decided to ignore defending the one thing they were good at and let X fire away from deep. It was arguably one of the most frustrated I’ve been in a frustrating season because it showed a lack of preparation heading into the game.
Oswin only played 12 minutes, as he was completely uncomfortable out guarding the perimeter against the frontcourt players Borovicanin and Milicevic bombing from deep. They combined to go 7-12 from deep.
I’d expect Pitino to employ a similar strategy of stretching Oswin out defensively and seeing if he can effectively defend the three ball. It also opens up the paint for driving for the other Musketeer players as Oswin is far from the hoop and cannot defend the rim.
One thing is certain: Providence needs to have X beat them in a different way than what they did in game 1. It was a horrific showing defensively in all facets. Xavier from the floor is 7th in the conference in field goal percentage, so clearly they are not as effective within the three point line. Know the scout and run them off the three point line.
Xavier is currently tied for top in the Big East at 3 point field goal percentage at 36.6%. They can stroke it from deep, and Providence cannot allow them to pull away with the three point shot.
Slow Down Tre Carroll
Aquaman is leading the Big East in scoring at 18.7 points per game and went for 18 points on 8-13 from the floor against PC. He is a tough match-up as an athletic four and undersized 5, and Providence doesn’t really have a great defender for him. I’d task Jamier Jones with trying to slow him down.
Health of Jason Edwards
With how easily Xavier scored against Providence in the first match-up, Providence needs Edwards in this one to combat their offense. He is likely going to be dealing with lingering foot issues the remainder of the season, so I’m hopeful he can play in this one. He went for 16, 5, and 4 in the first match-up against Xavier.
Beating the Dead Horse: Cut Down on Turnovers
Providence is the clear-cut worst team in the Big East in turnovers per game at 12.4 turnovers. They simply cannot continue to play basketball where 15 plus turnovers are the norm, especially at the end of games. It is like Providence finds new and creative ways to lose the basketball in the waning moments of games.
Xavier also does an excellent job of taking care of the basketball, averaging 18 assists and only 10.2 turnovers. If it is another game where Providence turns it over 15+ and Xavier turns it over less than 10 times, it could be another long and frustrating night.