The Providence Crier

Friars Book Ticket to Sweet 16 – Providence Dominates Richmond 79-51 to Advance to Second Weekend

The narrative around the Providence team all season has been about how their performance defies metrics, insinuating a sense of luck. The underlying message here from the national media is that this luck would run out come tournament time. Well, there was nothing lucky about this game. Providence led from start to finish. The game was never in doubt, and these Friars continue to make the analytically minded folks look quite foolish.

Below, we detail what Providence did to limit the Richmond Spiders, along with some themes to carry over heading into the game against Kansas.

Providence – Richmond Preview: Friars Look to Advance to Sweet 16

Providence took down the South Dakota State Jackrabbits on Thursday (https://theprovidencecrier.com/2022/03/17/survive-and-advance-providence-friars-beat-south-dakota-state-jackrabbits-66-57-in-1st-round-of-ncaa-tournament/) and are facing off Saturday at 6:10 PM EST against the A-10’s Richmond Spiders. The Spiders upset the Iowa Hawkeyes in the first round, matching the 12 seed Spiders against the 4 seed Friars.

We give an overview of this Richmond squad and what the Friars need to do to emerge victorious and head to Chicago for the Sweet 16.

Survive and Advance: Providence Friars beat South Dakota State Jackrabbits 66-57 in 1st Round of NCAA Tournament

The 4 seed Providence Friars seemed to be the trendy pick to be upset in the first round against the Summit League champion South Dakota State Jackrabbits. Instead, the Providence Friars did what they have done all season by mucking up the game, slowing down the pace, and frustrating the Jackrabbits enough to hold them off.

We break down the game below, detailing how the Friars were able to advance to the Round of 32.

Performing A Deep Dive Analysis on the South Dakota State Jackrabbits

Providence, the 4 seed in the Midwest region, is taking on the 13 seed Jackrabbits of South Dakota State. The Jackrabbits finished the year 30-4 and 18-0 in the Summit Conference and are known best for their deep ball shooting ability. As one loyal follower of the Jackrabbits said, “They are essentially the Villanova of the Summit League in how they play offensively”.

Below, we give a breakdown of what you need to know about the Jackrabbits ahead of Thursday’s afternoon match-up.

Initial Draw Thoughts for The Friars

We at the Crier will provide full coverage of the games but first figured we’d give our initial reactions on the Friar’s initial draw in Buffalo. Coaches love to break these things down as 3 4-team tournaments so let us take a look at this first field of South Dakota St and Iowa/Richmond.

The Bottom Fell Out: Providence Gets Walloped by Creighton 85-58

Everything that could go wrong did go wrong. Providence played terribly while Creighton played magnificent. Heading into this game, most Friar fans felt very confident (including yours truly) that they’d win this game in a rather comfortable fashion. Instead, a combination of poor shooting and subpar defense, on top of an excellent performance from Creighton, led to the Friars being run out of the gym.

We break down what went wrong and what Providence needs to adjust heading into the NCAA Tournament.

Providence – Creighton Semifinal Preview

Providence, fresh off a nail-biter against Butler, is playing the Creighton Bluejays in the first of two semifinal games at Madison Square Garden. Providence, at the time of this writing, is only favored by 3 points. Given how the Friars have performed all season, I expect another game that will be decided in the final seconds.

We preview the game below and how the Friars can emerge victorious in this game.

Survive & Advance: Providence Beats Butler in the Big East Quarterfinals 65-61

It is March. In this month, it is all about winning. Optics and beauty points no longer matter, and I think that suits Providence just fine. PC was able to hold off the Butler Bulldogs and are now playing this evening against the Creighton Bluejays.

We break down some interesting talking points about how the Friars were able to avoid an upset and why this game was so close.

Providence – Butler: Round 3 – Big East Tournament Preview

Butler opened up the 2022 Big East Tournament by upsetting Xavier in overtime 89-82. With this win, Butler likely eliminates Xavier from the NCAA Tournament. Providence has defeated Butler twice this season (69-62 and 71-70), and I anticipate the third will be another good one in The Big Apple.

We break down the keys to victory in Madison Square Garden below:

Big East Tournament – The Providence Crier Preview Article

All, it is finally March. You know what that means. Big East Tournament time. From 12pm Thursday through the first weekend of March Madness is honestly one of my favorite times as a sports fan. With Providence having a historic season, it is going to be that much better.

Below, we break down the Big East Tournament, give a rundown of the weekend activities, and provide predictions