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Friars Drop OT Thriller to Xavier 85-83

The last two games between Providence and Xavier at the Cintas Center came down to the final shot. This one turned out the same way except that same shot at the buzzer didn’t fall. It didn’t seem like it was a possibility when the Friars trailed 33-19 twelve minutes into the first half. However, the Friars showed tremendous resilience and fight to get back into what was an absolute war of game.

The game saw 17+ lead changes in the second half alone as the Friars and Musketeers exchanged punch after punch. Adam Kunkle hit a go ahead three pointer late in the second half only for Jared Bynum to connect on the equalizer from distance (the bank is open). The Friars would then get a chance to win in the extra frame off a Souley Boum missed free throw only to see Bynum’s look go in and out at the buzzer.

Providence was this close to making the buzzer beater in OT 😅 pic.twitter.com/1UEAmeFvB3
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) February 2, 2023

For the Friars, it’s their first loss in overtime since 2019 and their first loss in a tight game in seemingly forever? Let’s dig into how it went down.

Hell of a match-up against Xavier. Two of the top squads went toe-to-toe there. Xavier outlasts PC 85-83 on a shot that was halfway down by Bynum.

Rematch at The AMP will be fun.

PC gets a week off before a home tilt against GTown
— BOC Friars (@BOCallday) February 2, 2023

Friars Spoil Justin Moore’s Return, Get Key Road Win at Villanova

The Crier is fully aware that the Villanova Wildcats were 10-10 entering today. However, this was always going to be a tough win to get. The Wildcats were fighting for their tournament lives to try and get a win today and got a huge emotional boost with the return of Justin Moore. No matter. These aren’t the same Friars that Villanova has tormented in the past.

The Friars played a team game today and didn’t let the Wildcats’ waves of momentum break them. PC feasted on points in the paint, and the deep shots started to fall when they needed them most. It was truly a gutty performance to get the win and with it the Friars enter a 3-way tie for first place in the league.

PC defies the odds with Justin Moore returning and beats Nova on the road 70-65. You can’t overstate how big that W is.

Massive game by Bynum. Huge contributions by Floyd Jr.

Friars atop the Big East at 17-5 and 9-2 in conference. @ProvidenceCrier, are you still afraid? pic.twitter.com/8f8WeN87vH
— BOC Friars (@BOCallday) January 29, 2023

After Slow Start, Friars Dominate Bulldogs & Get Season Sweep

Ladies and Gentlemen, it’s officially sweep season in the Big East. At the end of the day, a race for the Big East crown is all about getting splits and a few sweeps along the way. Well the Friars are now two-for-two in their chances to sweep a conference foe with a 79-58 victory over Butler Wednesday night. They started off slow. It may have been the fact that UConn’s failed comeback attempt extended into the Friars tip-off slot for FS1. Providence found its groove halfway through the first half and never looked back. We recap the game, speaking to the incredible bench production and return of Jared Bynum.

Crier Recruiting Corner- Junjie “Barry” Wang

The Friars had a recruit visit this past weekend when PC took the floor Saturday against DePaul. Junjie “Barry” Wang is a 6-8 forward from China. He attended the Friars 75-64 victory over DePaul. Barry currently plays for the NBA Global Academy in Australia. Wang also has international experience competing for the Chinese U15 national team, averaging 18.7 ppg. Let’s take a look at the tape.

Friars Lose Second Straight, Falling to Marquette 83-75

It was a tough night for road teams in the Big East. The Friars were looking to get a split on their two game road trip and a season sweep of Marquette, but it wasn’t to be. Providence once again showed great fight to claw back into a game on the road but similar to the Creighton game it was just too little, too late.

Below, we break down what led to the loss for the Friars.

Friars Land 24’ Worcester Academy Guard Kayvaun Mulready

The Friars are off to a fast start for the class of 2024 recruiting cycle. Ed Cooley and staff got a commitment from 4-star guard Kayvaun Mulready on Sunday. Mulready is ranked 76th overall in the class of 2024 according to 247Sports. Kayvaun cut his list to four schools about a week ago with UConn, Marquette, and Maryland joining the Friars as finalists. He would attend PC’s 73-61 victory UConn on Wednesday night and pick the Friars four days later.

Breaking: 2024 four-star guard Kayvaun Mulready has committed to Providence, he tells me.

“I’m coming to a win a National Championship.”

Mulready goes in-depth on his decision here: https://t.co/X1h6sSJB7o pic.twitter.com/tecX38LJsB
— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) January 8, 2023

Friars Looking for their 9th Straight Win- Host Struggling St. John’s

The Friars return to action Saturday at 12pm EST when they host St. John’s on FS1. It’s a tale of two teams seemingly headed in opposite directions. PC is looking to follow up an impressive performance vs #4 UConn and secure their 9th consecutive win. St. John’s, after an 11-1 start to the season, have dropped 4 straight and currently sit 8th in the conference. Providence could have a Husky hangover and the Johnny’s have to be real desperate to turn their season around. Let’s take a look at the matchup.

Friars Ring in the New Year in Style! Defeat DePaul and Sweep Midwest Trip

This is a tradition that I could get used to. For the second straight year, the Friars delivered a double-digit victory at DePaul on New Year’s Day. PC lead in this one wire-to-wire and built the lead up to 22 points in the second half before settling in for a 74-59 victory. With the win, the Friars are now 4-0 in conference, with three of those wins on the road. The Friars came back from Christmas break locked in and focused. They sweep the two-game Midwest road trip (Butler and DePaul) and they did so in dominant fashion. Let’s dive a little deeper into this one.

Providence takes care of business on the road against DePaul 74-59. That is what winning teams do, which isn’t something we were confident we’d be able to say early in the season.

This team is building an NCAA tournament resume and stays atop the Big East at 4-0.
— BOC Friars (@BOCallday) January 1, 2023

Friars 3-0 in Big East After Impressive Win at Butler

Man do I love being wrong, sometimes. With the Friars starting a two-game Midwest trip the Crier was worried about Butler and Hinkle magic. Well these Friars showed early there wasn’t anything the Crier should worry about. PC used a 37-9 run to close the first half with a 28 point lead to defeat the Bulldogs 72-52. The Friars are now 11-3 with a fast 3-0 start to Big East play.

Providence Looks to Stay Atop the Big East and Avoid the Hinkle House of Horrors – PC Butler Preview

Providence, standing at 10-3 and 2-0 in the Big East, starts their Midwest tour with a match-up Thursday against the 8-5 Butler Bulldogs. Butler is currently 0-2 in the Big East after losses to UCONN and Creighton. Below, we preview the match-up and what Providence must do to get another road win in the Big East. We also have the podcast previewing the Butler and DePaul game below.

If Providence can somehow go 2-0 on this road trip, they’ll be in prime position to be nationally ranked ahead of the gargantuan match-up against UConn at the AMP on 1/4. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves though.