It’s never going to be pretty with this Friar squad, but they found a way to dig out a win on the road against Creighton and have now won three games in a row. The fan base is buzzing, and everybody has all eyes on the next two games and MSG. The Friars are arguably the hottest team in the Big East right now.
It would have been very understandable to see the Friars drop this one. They have a plethora of injuries and players out, they are on the road, McDermott is rumored to be coaching his last home game, and it is senior night. A letdown was expected, but Providence has seemingly pushed through and is winning the games they were dropping earlier in the year.
It was a similar strategy to their last few games, where there is a clear reliance on playing the game from the inside out and selectively shooting the three ball. It’s working with flying colors.
We break down the gritty win in more detail below.
Jaylin Sellers Stock Is Rising
Jaylin Sellers continues his late season surge, going for 27 points on an extremely efficient 11-18 from the floor. I’m not sure there is a player playing better in the Big East right now, and he is not only playing incredible, but is also taking on the alpha leadership role that PC has been searching for all season.
PC Taking Care of B-Ball
It was another stellar job by the Friars of taking care of the basketball (sans the inexcusable Ryan Mela 180 degree jump pass out of bounds in the final moments). Providence only had 7 total turnovers, their second game in a row with single digit turnovers. Another positive building block…
Shortened Rotation = Best Rotation
Providence was without Floyd Jr. and Vaaks again, but the shortened rotation is working with these Friars, and English really needs to evaluate how to balance the return of two core players versus changing what is clearly working right now with a 7-8 man rotation. While this offense as a whole is predicated on beating your man 1 on 1, this team is functioning as a much more cohesive unit.
End of Game Still Makes Your Stomach Turn
Providence had this game in hand, but continues to make horrific decisions end of game. PC was very lucky to sneak out with a win in this one. We’ve been hard on English all year with his end of game coaching (and he deserves his fair share of criticism), but these players seem to forget how to execute the most simple of plays in the waning moments of the game. I’m hopeful these close wins of recent have helped them overcome the end of game mental hurdles, but I remain skeptical.
Mela was particularly guilty, and I’m not sure what was up with him. He made a bucket end of game, but the decision was atrocious, as he should have pulled the ball out and drained another 20 seconds. The jump pass turnover made you want to curl up in a ball and cry. Lastly, at the end of game up 3, all you need to do is not leave your feet and contest the shot without fouling. Does he remember what happened to Sellers? Thankfully, Creighton’s man didn’t initiate contact when Mela bit on the fake, but he simply cannot do that. That’s basketball 101.
What’s Next
With this win, Providence now is looking to extend its win streak to 4 games with Marquette coming to town on senior night. One of those guys getting back from being out: Duncan Powell. The AMP will be lively and probably the most fun atmosphere of this season.
Go Friars!