The Providence Friars are trying to prolong their season as they head to NYC for the first round of the BIG EAST Tournament.  Their opponent tonight is the Seton Hall Pirates, who the Friars lost to over the weekend at the DUNK as a result of a rather dull performance.  However, I think tonight is going to be different for several reasons.

• Since I started Friarblog.com, the Friars are 4-0 in games that I have personally attended.  Sure, the opponents have been Rutgers (twice) and DePaul (in the BET last year) — but the other was Gonzo’s Pirates at the Prudential Center.  Let’s hope I don’t get by a cab on my walk from the office to the Garden.
• The Hall is in a very similar situation that our Friars were in last year.   They have a good conference record, but not enough marquee wins.  Most bubble-talkin’ people have SHU needing a win against PC AND Notre Dame in order to be considered for an At-Large Bid.  Why is this important?  Well, if the Friars have any fondness for last year’s class, they are going to want to play spoiler.  After all, PC had a better conference record (10-8 vs 9-9) and did not get with only one win in the BET.  Do it for McDermott boys!
• This is Madison Square Garden in New York City.  Despite losing 10 games in a row and counting, I think the boys will up for a game of maximum effort.  Bilal Dixon will want to impress his Jersey City contingent, and Vincent Council and Greedy will hopefully shine for the Brooklyn folks.
• Sharaud Curry deserves a better ending.  Last year should have been his Senior night, Upsetting #1 Pittsburgh with the class he played for 4 years.  However, his night came on the depressing end of an awful losing streak, behind a lackluster crowd.  Sure, Curry has his flaws defensively, but he has been a great scorer at Providence College and deserves a little better ending!  Let’s hope he takes matters into his own hands and drills some threes like we’ve seen him in conference play.

WHERE TO: BOOZE

Before and after the game, I’ll be hitting up Stout (right down the street from the Garden, 133 West 33rd Street).  I’ll be rocking my homemade Friarblog.com T-Shirt, so the first person to say hi and mention this post I’ll buy them a beer :).

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WHAT TO: KNOW

Game Time: 7:00PM

Opponent: Seton Hall Pirates (18-11, 9-9)

Location: Madison Square Garden

Spread: SHU -5

ESPN AccuScore Prediction: SHU 83, PC 80 (SHU wins 56% in 10,000 sims)

Pomeroy Prediction: SHU 91, PC 87 (64% confidence)

WHAT TO: READ

StatSheet.com Pregame

Friars.com Gamenotes [PDF]

The Friars return to action on Tuesday, March 9at the BIG EAST Championship in New York, N.Y. As the No. 15 seed, PC will face No. 10 seed Seton Hall at 7:00 p.m. for the second time in three days and the first time in the BIG EAST Tournament since 2000. The Friars were defeated, 92-80, by the Pirates on March 6 at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center. Tuesday’s contest will mark the 87th meeting ever between the two teams. Providence has posted a 45-41 mark all-time against Seton Hall. The two teams first met on February 26, 1927
when the Pirates defeated the Friars, 25-24, in South Orange, N.J. The Friars are 18-25 in road games against Seton Hall, 24-12 in home games and 3-4 in games on neutral courts. The Friars last defeated the Pirates, 98-93, in overtime on January 22, 2009 in Newark, N.J.

Projo.com: PC, Hall set to tangle once more

PC guard Marshon Brooks says he sees the Friars with a bit of a mental edge. While the Pirates badly need to win the game, the Friars are riding a 10-game losing streak and clearly won’t be playing games after this week barring an unforeseen run through the Big East tourney. He expects his teammates to be excited to play for what could be the final time this year.

Projo.com: Big East Tournament preview capsule: Seton Hall vs. Providence

The Pirates find themselves squarely on the NCAA Tournament bubble after finishing at .500 in the Big East. Need a win Tuesday night and a victory over Notre Dame Wednesday to stay in the discussion

NJ.com: Seton Hall’s John Garcia hoping for a second trip to the NCAAs

Garcia, who is the only current Pirate to have known the NCAA Tournament — having been a freshman during the 2006 NCAA season — has had one goal this season: Make it back to the dance. He doesn’t care that he’s averaging less than 14 minutes a game or that his body — which undergoes 10-14 hours of treatment a week — can only take so many trips up and down the court.

NorthJersey.com: Herb Pope pumped for the Garden

“I’m going to be juiced,” he said. “It’s going to mean a lot to me. That’s MSG. That’s where Michael Jordan and guys tried to come in there and put on a great show for everybody. If you come out there and you’re not playing basketball, [the fans] will let you know it. So you have to come out with your ‘A’ game.”

NewJerseyNewsRoom.com: College Basketball: Seton Hall (18-11) vs. Providence (12-18)

For the season, Jeremy Hazell leads Seton Hall and ranks third in the conference with 21.2 points per game. Herb Pope became the first Pirate to finish a season leading the Big East in rebounds per game (11.1).

SNY.tv: Big East casts large shadow on the week

No. 15 Providence vs. No. 10 Seton Hall: The Friars followed up its near-miss at Pittsburgh with a clunker in their home finale against these same Pirates. For once, the defense wasn’t the primary problem — not to imply that PC’s defense was good on Saturday. Worse was the offense, which shot just 42.3 percent eFG and committed turnovers on one quarter of its possessions. The latter has rarely been a problem this season. If the Friars can clean up the turnovers and get Greedy Peterson more involved — the double-double machine had just six points and four rebounds before fouling out — PC could pull off a crushing upset. The bad matchup for PC — and this isn’t new — is on defense, where Seton Hall doesn’t turn the ball over. Forcing turnovers is the primary way that PC gets stops, and without that out, the Friars’ only option is to pray for missed shots. Teams don’t generally miss layups.

SBRForum: Seton Hall Pirates on bubble and needing wins in Big East tourney

As far as a game plan goes, it’s as simple as throw the ball on the court and get out of the way. Both teams love to run and their scoring averages prove it. Providence is averaging 81.6 points per game while surrendering 81.3 ppg. Seton Hall is tickling the twine to the tune of 80.3 points per game while allowing 74 and change. The first half-court set you see tonight might be the last one, so enjoy it.

WHERE TO: WATCH

The game will be carried on ESPNU

WHERE TO: FOLLOW

Friars.com Gametracker

As always, I’ll be on Twitter @friarblog with in-game updates.

Things have been rather quiet around these parts (I can only link to / talk about the defense problem so much without wanting to smash my laptop Office Space style), but we are almost at the conference finish line.  The Provience (get it, no D!! hahahaha, I’m here all night!) Friars have two games to go, starting tonight with a nationally televised game against Pittsburgh at the Pete.  All our defensive woes aside, there are other reasons to be worried here.  1) It’s a road game against another ranked team. 2) Pitt is going to be motivated to get that sweet double-bye in the BIG EAST Tournament. 3) Pitt wants payback for getting beat whilst ranked #1 last year on our Senior Night).  Yikes.  Let’s see if the Friars can muster any motivation on their end — after all, they have been the butt of many jokes in the media concerning their defense.  It’s obviously not something that is going to change with a flip of the switch, but the effort should be there tonight at least.

WHAT TO: KNOW

Game Time: 9:00PM

Opponent: Pittsburgh Panthers (22-7, 11-5)

Location: The Pete

Spread: Pittsburgh -11.5

ESPN AccuScore Prediction: Pitt 79, PC 71 (Pitt wins 67/1% in 10,000 sims)

CBS Prediction: Pitt 81, PC 66

Pomeroy Prediction: Pitt 82, PC 70 (86% confidence)

WHAT TO: READ

StatSheet.com Pregame

Friars.com Gamenotes [PDF]

The Friars return to action on Thursday, March 4 at No. 17/18 Pittsburgh. PC has posted a 17-27 record all-time versus Pitt. PC is 13-8 all-time at home versus Pitt, 3-18 on the road and 1-1 at neutral sites. The two teams first met on March 18, 1975 with the Friars earning a 101-80 win at Madison Square Garden in the NIT. Last year, the Friars defeated the top-ranked Panthers, 81-73, on February 24, 2009. The Friar victory ended an eight-game losing streak versus Pittsburgh. Pitt’s last win over the Friars was an 82-63 victory at Pittsburgh on February 12, 2008.

PittsburghPanthers.com: No. 17 Men’s Basketball Hosts Providence on Thursday at 9 p.m.

The contest will be nationally televised on ESPN2 with John Saunders (play-by-play) and Mike Kelley (color analyst) calling action. Eric Mosley will handle production.

Projo.com: Friars threaten to set an all-time low on defense

As Pittsburgh coach Jaime Dixon says, the Friars’ up-and-down, no-defense style is not usually seen in the Big East and clearly cannot work. “They do things a little different than I’d say most teams in the Big East do,” said Dixon. “So, with that, you are going to have higher-scoring games.”

Projo.com: Capsule preview: PC at Pittsburgh

The Panthers lost four of five games in late January but have won six of their last seven to cement their position as an NCAA Tournament team for the ninth season in a row

Pittsburgh Post Gazette: Pitt knows to be wary of Providence

It was a little more than a year ago that Pitt, with a No. 1 ranking in tow after seven consecutive victories, got drilled at Providence, 81-73, by a team that had lost five of its previous seven games.

So when No. 17 Pitt plays host to Providence tonight at the Petersen Events Center don’t expect the Panthers to underestimate the struggling Friars.

“That’s part of being in the Big East,” sophomore guard Ashton Gibbs said. “Anyone can be beaten on any given night. We didn’t come out strong. We came out lackadaisical. We came out really lazy, and they took advantage. Before you knew it, we were down 20.

“We’re definitely thinking about last year. But, at the same time, we want to treat it like any other game and play our hardest.”

Pittsburgh Tribune Review: Providence’s Peterson a big problem for Pitt

Peterson has come out of relative obscurity to average a team-high 19.3 points and 9.9 rebounds. The 6-foot-6, 230-pound forward has notched a Big East-leading 14 double-doubles this season — four more than Pitt has as a team — as well as a bunch of highlight-reel dunks.

“He’s a tough matchup,” Pitt coach Jamie Dixon said. “He’s strong enough to play inside and versatile enough to play on the outside.”

The Pitt News: Men’s basketball: Panthers can lock up a Big East tournament double bye with win against Providence on Thursday

Pitt (22-7, 11-5) will look to exploit the Providence defense, which is the worst in the Big East, giving up an average 81.2 points per game. Comparatively, the Panthers rank first in the conference in scoring defense, allowing 61.7 points per game.

American Chronicle: Pitt preps for a porous Providence defense

“We’re just going to try to play our game,” Pitt guard Jermaine Dixon said. “Even though they are struggling, they have stayed in with some big-name teams. They get up for the competition. We are just going to do what we do.”

The Sports Network: Big East action pits Panthers against Friars

The 17th-ranked Pittsburgh Panthers will try to secure a double-bye in the Big East Tournament tonight, as they host the Providence Friars at the Petersen Events Center.

Pitt Blather: If Providence Played Defense…

The Friars are not a particularly big team so there are no big match-up probles for Pitt, but as we saw last week against ND teams that can drive and shoot from outside can be more of a problem for Pitt. Regardless of their overall size.

WHAT TO: WATCH

When we played WV, I already showed the entire end of regulation plus the 3 OT game against Pitt.  So, here is a different Pitt game clip.

WHERE TO: WATCH

The game will be carried on ESPN2

WHERE TO: FOLLOW

Friars.com Gametracker

As always, I’ll be on Twitter @friarblog with in-game updates.

Fear not Friar fans, the end of the GAUNTLET is almost here!  Sure, we’ve gotten a big fat ZERO points along the way, and nothing but bruises all over our bodies, but hey it looks like we will make it out alive. That’s not enough though. To make it through the rest of this season in Friartown, we need to be like Jack Bauer. We need to persevere and not give up. What did Jack do this season when Renee (she’s always been hot, now she’s crazy chick hot) stabbed him in the abdomen accidentally after repeatedly stabbing a Russian mobster to death?  He didn’t pass out, fall to the ground in agony, or even “feel pain”.  He pulled that mother effer out of his gut, and made a back handed throw into the neck of a different Russian Mobster to save the day.

So let’s do this tonight Friars!  Let’s stab the Russian Mobster that is Syracuse Basketball and end this losing streak!

Now that’s a sexy GUANTLET!

WHAT TO: KNOW

Game Time: 7:00PM

Opponent: Syracuse Orange (25-2, 12-2)

Location: The DUNK

Spread: Syracuse -8.5

ESPN AccuScore Prediction: Syracuse 86, PC 74 (Cusewins in 80% of 10,000 sims)

CBS Prediction: Syracuse 87, PC 75

Pomeroy Prediction: Syracuse 84, PC 74 (80% confidence)

WHAT TO: LOOK FOR

• Vincent Council is still questionable to play tonight, and this is obviously a huge huge factor.  Even if he does get on the court, you would wonder how effective he will be with a very sore right hand.  Look for Sharaud Curry to play 40 minutes, and Johnnie Lacy to see more time than usual as well.
• Bilal Dixon is also shaking off an injury to his ankle.  Remember, PC was able to stay in the game in the first half with great offensive rebounding when PC met Syracuse earlier in the month.  Dixon can obviously pull in his share of offensive boards, so the Friars need him at full strength.
• Andy Rautins has been on fire lately, and we all know what big shooters can do against the defense.  Rautins missed the game last year which Providence won at the DUNK due to an injury.
• Lots of Girls dressed like Lady Gaga

WHAT TO: READ

StatSheet.com Pregame

Friars.com Gamenotes [PDF]

The Friars return to action on Tuesday, February 23 versus No. 4/4 Syracuse at 7:00 p.m. in Providence. The Friars have posted a 10-42 mark all-time versus the Orange. The Friars are 6-20 at home, 3-18 on the road and 1-4 on neutral courts all-time against Syracuse. The two teams first met on December 29, 1969 with Syracuse earning a 94-83 win in Charlotte, N.C. Last season, the Friars defeated No. 15 Syracuse, 100-94, on January 28, 2009 at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center. In the first meeting between the two teams this season atthe Carrier Dome, Syracuse earned an 85-68 win over the Friars on February 2.

SUAthletics.com: Providence Awaits #4/4 Syracuse

Syracuse is 10-0 away from the Carrier Dome this season. The team is 7-0 in true road contests and 3-0 in neutral-site affairs. The last time the Orange did not lose a road game in the regular season was in 1917-18.

Projo: Under Davis, Friars are always very early to the gym

With time on their side, the Friars settle into their home arena early on game nights. Make that real early. In a new schedule this season, Davis brings his players together five hours before a game at The Dunk. During that time, they’ll study an opponent’s attack, eat a catered meal, receive treatment on injuries, catch a nap, talk on the phone and be free to shoot as many free throws as they’d like.

Projo: Capsule Preview: Syracuse at Providence

Syracuse is one of the country’s elite offensive teams. Orange leads the country in field-goal shooting (52%) and averages 80.6 points a game

Syracuse.com: Orange Scouting Report: Syracuse at Providence

Andy Rautins wasn’t just hot, he was on fire at Georgetown. His five 3-pointers tied the most he’s made in Big East play this season. His 26 points were three shy of his career-high, which he set last season against Coppin State. He was 5-for-9 from 3-point range and also went 9-for-11 at the foul line.

CBS Preview

Two wins away from the program’s first perfect road record in 92 years, the fourth-ranked Orange visit Providence on Tuesday night with plenty of confidence after blowing out the Friars earlier this month.

The Sports Network: Orange and Friars hook up in Big East action

A 75-71 triumph at nationally-ranked Georgetown last Thursday, coupled with a Villanova loss on Sunday, moved the Orange into sole possession of first place in the Big East at 12-2. The victory over Georgetown not only improved Syracuse to 6-0 against ranked teams, but it also kept the team perfect in true road games at 7-0. The Orange are now a healthy 25-2 overall and will host Villanova on Saturday in a game that could ultimately determine the Big East champion.

Troy Nunes is an Absolute Magician: Not You Again, Providence

If any fanbase can understand Providence’s frustrations in the midst of the six-game losing streak (and losers of eight of their last nine), it’s Syracuse.  Providence is just-about completeing a Big East gauntlet not seen since, well, Syracuse ran it last year.

Orange:44: Providence - Syracuse Preview

But make no mistake: this is a big game for Syracuse. Not in the sense that it’s necessary to secure a 1-seed in the NCAA Tourney or anything of significant importance, but more so to keep the high intensity going into that Nova game. Providence is a shell of its former self this year, somehow finding itself near the bottom of the Big East Conference, with lowly Rutgers and DePaul. Still, at 12-14 overall and 4-10 in the conference, the Friars can still steal games

The Daily Orange: 5 Keys: Syracuse/Providence

4. Get Wes back to 100 percent — Johnson vowed he’d be back to “Old Wes” by Tuesday. We saw glimpses in D.C., glimpses that he is losing the post-injury tentativeness that had been holding him back. While he has proven himself to be an effective shooter, SU truly needs Johnson to get to the rim with reckless abandon. If he’s healed, he’ll do just that against Providence.

CuseOrange: SU Faces Davis’ High-Flying Attack

SU’s loss to Providence last January remains as one of the most frustrating losses in Big East memory. The ‘Cuse hung  94 on the Friars that night at the Dunk and still lost, bringing back memories of high-scoring shortcomings to UMass and Rhode Island from 2007. 35 points from Jonny Flynn and 27 from Eric Devendorf, all for naught, thanks to double-figure scoring efforts from 7 Providence players.

WHERE TO: WATCH

The game will be carried on ESPNU

WHERE TO: FOLLOW

Friars.com Gametracker

As always, I’ll be on Twitter @friarblog with in-game updates.

Another ranked team comes to town.  What else is new?  Hey, if RUTGERS can beat Georgetown (really Georgetown, REALLY?) that means anything is possible in Friartown.  PC has not played West Virginia well over the past few years (I remember getting absolutely rained on by threes in the BIG EAST Tournament a few years ago), but this one is at home.  Speaking of Rutgers again, the Scarlet Knights beat DePaul last night, creating a 3 way tie for first place among the bottom four (hey, gotta look towards something).  We may be amongst the “bottom feeders” this year, but we might as well try to rule it, eh?  It all starts with a chance at a nice upset tonight.

Read the rest after the jump!

Read More

So after the first round of THE GAUNTLET, the Providence Friars were promptly stuffed in the face with a big puffy foam thingy by the likes of the American Gladiator TURBO.  Thankfully, the Friars get a “breather” (compared to the other 5 games, no disrespect to our opponenet) for round 2 when Marquette comes to town for a rematch.  This is definitely the most winnable game of the six game GAUNTLET, but it’s still worrisome considering this is the same team that blew out PC by 30 just a little more than two weeks ago.  However, Marquette found a way to lose to DePaul on the road immediately after thrashing the Friars, so who knows what to expect from this team.  The Golden Eagles have gone 3-2 since defeating Providence, but the wins were against Rutgers, DePaul, and Connecticut.  Who doesn’t beat Connecticut these days?

Plus, it’s Parents Weekend at PC!  Lots of opportunities for family members to mosey onto the court during the game!

Read more after the jump.

Read More

The Providence Friars look to keep up the momentum gained from upsetting Connecticut on Wednesday night when they face the Cincinnati Bearcats on the road.  Even though Cincinnati has NCAA Tournament aspirations, the Friars have played them well over the last few years.  This might seem silly given Keno’s roster turnover, but many of the trends have held up this year — Such as getting absolutely owned by ND and Marquette, and still being able to take care of St. John’s and Connecticut.

Check out the rest of the preview after the jump!

Read More

So what are we going to see from the Friars after Saturday’s debacle?  Well, I’ve heard that practices have been going really well (and two players everyone lashed out were “kicking arse” in the process), but your guess is as good as mine.  It’s likely the same starters will see the court to start the game, but we will have to see how the new minutes are distributed.  I expect to see a fired up team, and playing UConn in front of a good crowd will certainly help as well.

Read More

According to Ken Pomeroy’s site, tonight’s game against South Florida at home will be the Friars only win the rest of the season.  These things obviously change as the season goes on (the projections had us also beating Seton Hall before our loss to Marquette and their win against Louisville).  If you ask me, projections and these so called “statistics” are all a bunch of witchcraft.

Anyways, with a big rivalry game against UCONN looming on Wednesday, and a general GAUNTLET of tough games against good teams on the horizon, something might come to mind when thinking about this winnable home game tonight:

Sorry Admiral, I think the Friars will come to play tonight.  Keno Davis has had almost a full week to kick their butts after the Marquette debacle.  The team should be focused on tonight’s game, and know that they are not really good enough to be looking ahead in the schedule and overlook lesser teams.  Every BIG EAST game is tough, and hey, even DePaul can find a way to win once in a while.

WHAT TO: KNOW

Game Time: 8PM

Opponent: University of South Florida (11-7, 1-5)

Location: The DUNK

Spread: Providence -6.0

ESPN AccuScore Prediction: PC 75, USF 68 (PC wins 73% of 10,000 simulations)

CBS Prediction: USF 77, PC 74

Pomeroy Prediction: PC 78, USF 75 (62% confidence)

WHAT TO: LOOK FOR

• Without Augustus Gilchrist in the lineup (out with an ankle injury suffered in December), South Florida is pretty limited on the offensive end.  Dominique Jones is their go-to guy, averaging a team leading 19.6 points per game.  With a limited bench Jones is always on the court, playing 88.2% of the team’s minutes (41st in the nation).  The only other offensive threat is 6-11 junior Jarrid Famous, who is the only other active player above 10 points per game (and also above an 100 offensive rating).  With both Jones and Famous on the court (Famous is also out there a ton, 76.9 minute %), they take about half of the team’s shots.  Providence should know what’s coming, the question is if they can find a way to stop both of them.
• Don’t expect a repeat of Darius-Johnson-F$%#-Odom - DePaul has a 304th ranked 3-point percentage of 29.8%.  Well, statistically speaking it is not likely to repeat, but that could change if there are wide open guys on the perimeter all game.  However, this may be a good thing given everyone’s shooting percentage outside of Jones.
• South Florida is going to try slow down the blistering pace the Friars like to play, as they come into the game with an adjusted tempo of 66.3 (#251 in the nation) — almost 10 possessions less Providence’s #6 ranked 75.0!  USF has only played three games above 70 possessions, and they were all wins against not so great teams — Davidson: 70, Central Florida: 71, and Rutgers EIGHTY.  To be fair the game against Rutgers was last week, and the players apparently have all quit on the season (*cough* Mike Rosario *cough*).
• Watch those fouls Bilal.  South Florida has a very good free throw rate on the season (they are the anti-Friars with a 38th ranked 44.2% FT rate).  Although Gilchrist has the team’s highest FT rate in only 8 games played, Famous, Jones, and guard Chris Howard have also had no trouble getting to the line

WHAT TO: READ

StatSheet.com Pregame

Friars.com Gamenotes [PDF]

The Friars return to action for their first game in six days when the squad hosts the University of South Florida on Saturday, January 23 at 8:00 p.m.  It will be homecoming for all Friar alums.  PC has posted a 5-1 record all-time versus USF, including a 4-0 record since the Bulls joined the BIG EAST in 2005-06.  PC is 3-0 all-time at home versus USF, 2-1 on the road and 0-0 at neutral sites.  In the only meeting between the two teams last season, the Friars defeated the Bulls, 77-62, on February 10, 2009 in Tampa, Fla.  USF’s only win over the Friars was a 68-64 victory on November 26, 2002 in Tampa, Fla.

Projo.com: Friars should focus on task at hand

The Bulls (11-7, 1-5) are off to yet another slow Big East start. In their previous four seasons, the Bulls have never won more than four games. Only two (2-32 all-time road mark) of their 12 conference wins have come on the road.

But this South Florida team is the best the school has ever offered the Big East. For one, it may have the best scoring guard in the conference in junior Dominique Jones.

Projo.com: Capsule Preview: USF at Providence

The Bulls come to town looking to grab a badly needed road win. Coming off a 78-70 loss at Cincinnati. Have also lost at Louisville and Syracuse in conference play

PFB: Pregame: Providence College vs. The University of South Florida

Defensively it is no secret that Jones has to be limited.  He will score his points, but we just can’t let him go off on us.  We are thinking the zone may help limit his penetration and inside finishes.  But he can beat you from the outside as well, so we need to check him at all times, and force low percentage shots from him.  We also need to hit the glass.  There are a number of players on this USF team who will hit the boards.  There is nobody averaging 10 rebounds a game but there are a few around seven.  We need to put a body on the green shirts.

ABC Action News: Providence vs. South Florida Game Preview

USF was unable to cool Cincinnati down on Wednesday, as the Bearcats shot an efficient 55.6 percent from the floor on their way to a 78-70 decision. The Bulls made just 43.5 percent of their attempts from the field and a dismal 3- of-18 from long distance. Dominique Jones continued his run with 21 points and six boards, while Chris Howard notched a double-double with 16 points and 10 boards. That now makes it five games in row in which Jones has scored 20 or more points and he continue to pace USF in scoring (19.6 ppg) as well as assists (4.1 apg) for the season

WHAT TO: WATCH

Syracuse v South Florida Highlights

The last 6 minutes, presented with stoppages cut out, of the January 5th game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the South Florida Bulls

Highlights from Louisville vs. South Florida on December 30, 2009.

WHERE TO: WATCH

The game will be on ESPNU if you have it.  My guess is that you don’t because I always have to go out to watch it.

WHERE TO: FOLLOW

Friars.com Gametracker

I’ll be in the Dirty Jersey all weekend, and unfortunately without any access to ESPNU.  I’ll try to follow along on my phone if I can get away with it.  Hit me up on @friarblog

WHAT TO: KNOW

Game Time: 9PM

Opponent: DePaul Blue Demons (7-8, 0-3)

Location: Allstate Arena

Spread: Providence -4.0

ESPN AccuScore Prediction: Providence 76, DePaul 70 (PC wins in 67% of 10,000 sims)

CBS Prediction: Providence 80, DePaul 76

Pomeroy Prediction: Providence 74, DePaul 69 (66% confidence)

PICK the game in ESPN Streak for the Cash!

WHAT TO: LOOK FOR

• DePaul plays to a very, very slow pace (62.9 adjusted tempo, ranked #330), but that just might get thrown out the window given interim coach Webster’s comments the last few days.  However, just because they say they are going to speed up the pace, it doesn’t mean it’s going to magically make the team any better.   More possessions could just lead to more missed shots, as DePaul’s 45% effective field goal percentage ranks 294th).
• DePaul has some pretty poor rebounding numbers, but their best best rebounder (and best player) Mac Koshwal has missed half the games this season.  For example, in their ugly loss against American without Koshwal, DePaul mustered just 5 offensive boards (for an ugly 14.3% offensive rebounding %).
• Much like the Friars, the Blue Demons have great turnover numbers (17.6% turnover %, #34).  However, Providence might be able to force some mistakes if DePaul is going to try and push the tempo.  We saw how steals lead the Friars to victory in Queens against St. John’s.  Can they do it again in Chicago?

Image courtesy of CoachCWCollins on Twitter

WHAT TO: READ

StatSheet.com Pregame

Friars.com Gamenotes [PDF]

PC will travel to Rosemont, Ill. for a matchup with DePaul on Thursday, January 14 at 9:00 p.m. on ESPN2. The Friars and the Blue Demons have met 26 times in the series, with PC leading, 20-6.  Providence has posted a 12-1 mark all-time at home against DePaul, a 6-5 record at DePaul and
a 2-0 record on neutral courts against the Blue Demons.  The two teams first met  on February 16, 1961 when the Friars earned an 81-77 win in Providence. In the Friars’ most recent win, PC defeated the Blue Demons, 83-74, on March 11, 2009 at Madison Square Garden in the second round of the BIG EAST Tournament. The Friars also upended DePaul, 62-54, at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center on January 3 last season. PC has won five of the last six meetings between the schools. In DePaul’s most recent win over the Friars, the Blue Demons defeated PC, 70-65, at DePaul’s Allstate Arena on January 5, 2008.

DePaulBlueDemons.com: Blue Demons Host Providence on Thursday Night

The DePaul Blue Demons return to Allstate Arena for a BIG EAST game against Providence on Thursday night. Thursday’s game is the first in eight days for the Blue Demons and the first since the change in leadership of the program. Tracy Webster was named interim head coach for the remainder of the season on Monday, Jan. 11.

DePaulBlueDemons.com: Defense the Key for DePaul Against Providence

Tracy Webster would love to rekindle DePaul’s early-season magic.

Whatever it was that shot the Blue Demons off to a 5-1 start will hopefully be on display Thursday night against Providence at Allstate Arena in an 8 p.m. BIG EAST Conference showdown televised by ESPN2.

Webster, DePaul’s interim head coach in the wake of Jerry Wainwright’s dismissal on Monday, is looking to reverse a slide that has seen his team lose seven of its last nine games.

It’s going to start with defense.

Projo.com: Capsule Preview; PC at DePaul

The Demons began the year with a good win over Northern Iowa and a narrow loss to Tennessee but an injury knocked top big man Koshwal out of the lineup for eight games. The Demons went 5-3 without him and have lost all four games since his return

Projo Hoops Blog: PC/DePaul Notes

Also, Marshon Brooks is on the trip. He has not practiced much at all since twisting his ankle in Saturday’s game against Rutgers. Coach Keno Davis said Brooks is “day to day” but is hoping he can play Thursday against DePaul.

Go Friars: Friars Preview for DePaul

DePaul is not a very good, but we said the same thing last year and the Blue Demons almost beat a much more experienced Friars team in the Big East Tournament.  The game is on the road, where the Friars have played very inconsistent this season.  The Friars looked great against George Washington and St. John’s, but not so good in losses to Notre Dame and URI.  However, this is just another step in building a young team, and our talent should be able to beat DePaul, even if the game is on the road.  But playing with a new coach, no one will know how inspired the Blue Demons might play except those in their locker room.

PFB: Pregame: Providence College vs. DePaul University

It seems like the key to beating the Blue Demons is in slowing down Mac Koshwal.  Easier said than done, considering we are an undersized team.  The big man can score and cleans up on the glass.  We are going to need a great effort from the front court, especially Bilal.  Bilal doesn’t need to be a stats monster this game but needs to keep Koshwal off of the boards.

ESPN: Meet DePaul’s Tracy Webster

What DePaul sophomore Eric Wallace already has noticed from Webster in practices has been a desire to be more up-tempo.

“Being a former point guard at Wisconsin, he likes to go,” Wallace said. “I think the biggest difference is he’s going to like to push the pace up and down the floor and score more points. Me being an athlete, I like to run, get an alley-oop dunk here or there.”

Chicago Tribune: Can anyone win at DePaul?

Ponsetto has no choice but to take that emphatic stance publicly, for obvious reasons. But the Demons’ epic struggles in a staggeringly challenging Big East, and now the Wainwright firing, give rise to an unavoidable, critically important question: Can anyone win at DePaul anymore?

Chicago Tribune: DePaul trying to hit reset button

The first two days of the rest of DePaul basketball’s life featured condensed, intense practices. Apathy, especially defensively, became a capital crime. A get-it-and-go mindset returned to the offense.

And the exit strategy for two-plus seasons of misery was as bracing as a January breeze off a frigid lake.

“Go do something about it,” said Tracy Webster, the Blue Demons’ interim coach. “That’s the whole thing. Go play, give 150 percent on the court and things will change.”

Daily Herald: DePaul’s Webster will stress ‘crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy defense’

“We’re doing a lot more drills, going at each other a little more,” said sophomore forward Eric Wallace. “The pace of practice is a lot higher.”

What can DePaul fans (and a national ESPN2 audience) expect to see when the Blue Demons host Providence on Thursday?

“We’re going to try to play crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy defense,” Webster said. “And let everything else take care of itself.”

RosenBlog: A solution for the hopeless Blew Demons

Sorry, but nobody’s going to win at DePaul, not with that arena set-up, not with those entrance requirements in a city with a lousy school system, not with all the other small-time thinking and acting that goes on in Lincoln Park.

DePaul ran out the Meyer monarchy, tried an oily salesman, went with a young comer who couldn’t leave fast enough, brought in a solid Chicagoan who even had a Coach Ray-like Cowardly Lion look, and nothing much worked.

NBE Basketball Report: Former Thornton High School products on opposing benches tonight as DePaul meets Providence

“Rodell was a great player,” said Cameli, “I remember the first summer we had him with us in the Chicago summer league when King had all those great players. It didn’t phase Rodell one bit. He scored 18 points in his first game and just continued to play well all summer, as an 8th grader! We won the league that summer.”

WHAT TO: WATCH

CBS Sports on Wainwright’s firing

Highlights from the first half of DePaul’s loss to Villanova

DePaul Cheerleaders

WHERE TO: WATCH

The game will be televised nationally on ESPN2

WHERE TO: FOLLOW

Check back here for a GIANT LIVE BLOG, with some other PC bloggers joining along.  Come chat as we all watch the game on ESPN2.

As always, I’ll be on Twitter @friarblog.

The Friars have their conference home opener tonight against a young but tough Louisville team that seems be searching for their identity. Much like Notre Dame, PC has not played well against Louisville over the past several years (except a lights out shooting performance in the first half at Louisville last year in a game they lost big in the 2nd half).  Let’s hope the young Friars can handle the pressure - from both the big home BIG EAST game and the Cards defense.  Hopefully the DUNK will be a rockin’, and there should be some good Pitino jokes flying around.

WHAT TO: KNOW

Game Time: 7PM

Opponent: Louisville Cardinals (10-4, 1-0)

Location: The DUNK

Spread: Louisville -3

ESPN AccuScore Prediction: Providence 77.8, Louisville 77.7 (Providence won 50.6% of the 10,000 sims.  Damn that’s even.

CBS Prediction: Louisville 78, Providence 76

Pomeroy Prediction: Louisville 85, Providence 82 (60% confidence)

WHAT TO: LOOK FOR

• Both teams come into the game with very similar offensive numbers.  Providence has been playing slightly faster games (75.3 adjusted tempo vs. Louisville’s 72.4), but their adjusted offensive efficiencies are very close (Louisville 111.5 / Providence 110.2).  The Cards take almost as many three pointers as the Friars (with slightly less success) but have a great 52.8% on 2-point shots (ranked #35).  It should be interesting to see if their advantage inside will lead to Notre Dame-like wide open threes.
• Louisville’s pressure defense could exploit one of PC’s biggest strengths.  In both losses to the Cardinals last season (which included a drubbing in the BIG EAST tournament) the Friars were simply not able to handle the guard pressure.  Sharaud Curry was hassled as soon as he would touch the ball, leading to numerous turnovers in both games.  While Providence has been excellent in not turning over the ball this year (16.5% Turnover %, ranked #6 in the nation), they have not seen a defense as intense as Pitino’s squad.  Vincent Council is going to be huge here, as Curry had to rely on Geoff McDermott for point help last season. I would aslo think Johnnie Lacy would see more time tonight if Providence has trouble with the press.
• Will anyone control the defensive glass?  Both teams have put together really great offensive rebounding numbers so far.  Providence is ranked #6 with a 42.6% offensive rebounding percentage, and Louisville is right behind with 41.6% (ranked #9). Sophomore Samardo Samuels is the only Card close to Greedy Peterson with 3.7 OR per game, but 4 other Louisville players (Terrence Jennings, Preston Knowles, Jared Swopshire, and Rakeem Buckles) get at least 1.5 per.

WHAT TO: READ

StatSheet.com Pregame

Friars.com Gamenotes [PDF]

The Friars will return to action on Wednesday, January 6 versus Louisville at Providence. The Friars and the Cardinals have met 13 times in the all-times series, with Louisville leading, 9-4. PC has posted a 2-3 mark alltime at home against Louisville, a 0-5 record at Louisville and a 2-1 record on neutral courts against the Cardinals. The two teams fi rst met on March 20, 1971 with the Friars earning a 64-58 win at Madison Square Garden. Louisville has won the last eight contests between the two teams, including a 73-55 win in the last meeting on March 12, 2009 in the BIG EAST Tournament in New York. PC’s last win over Louisville was a 57-51 win on November 30, 1977 in Providence.

UofLSports.com: Pitino Previews Wednesday’s Game against Providence

Projo.com: Capsule Preview: Louisville at PC

The Cards have lost at UNLV, at home to Charlotte and Western Carolina and at Kentucky last Saturday…The Louisville-UK game was a sloppy, defensive struggle with both teams getting off to horrible offensive starts. Kentucky led 18-5 after 14 minutes…The Cards won Big East opener, 73-52…Samuels leads team in scoring and rebounding. His only non-double figure scoring game came with 9 points at Kentucky

Go Friars Blog: After Surviving Red Storm, Pitino is Next

You do not want to play Rick Pitino after a loss.  Never.  Louisville is coming off a loss to Kentucky at Rupp Arena over the weekend.  Nothing burns Rick more than losing to Kentucky and losing to John Calipari.  Pitino is notorious for being so brutal on his teams after big losses, that his players come out and play very strong the next outing just so they don’t have to deal with him.  And this time of the year is even worse.

Go Friars Blog: Some Points to Keep in Mind Tonight

Even though Jerry Smith and Edgar Sosa only scored 11 points each vs Kentucky this past Saturday – Rick Pitino is more upset with his post play.  For the past two days Pitino has been stressing to the local Louisville media that he has challenged his big guys to step up.  He wants better passing, increased rebounding and more assertive shot selection down low.  Look for the Cardinals to go inside early because of this challenge and for Samardo Samuels to come out aggressive tonight.

Friar Basketball: THIS is the Big East, Vincent Council

Wednesday night Vincent Council finds out what all the Big East hype is about.  While only shooting 1-10 in his first two Big East games, Council bounced back well from a subpar effort in South Bend with a solid floor game in Queens, flashing no look passes while dishing out 6 assists.  The defensive intensity jumps about three notches (on a three notch scale) and if last season is any indicator the Friars are going to need him.

State of Friars Basketball: Friar Preview for Pitino’s Crew

Louisville has been the class of the Big East since they arrived in 2005, but this year has been noted by many as a down season for the Cardinals. However, even with the losses of two first round draft picks, the Cardinals are 10-4 (1-0), and had won 5 in a row before being defeated by 9 on the road at #3 Kentucky. The cast may be different, but they are still the same fiesty Cardinals that have given the Friars fits for the past 5 seasons. However if you are looking for the glimmer of hope, the Friars have played Louisville well at the Dunk, losing by 5 in 2006, and 8 in 2008, proving that the spread of 3 in favor of the Cardinals could be fairly accurate.

Courrier Journal: U of L, Big East both a mystery

UofL has won more Big East road games the past three seasons than any other team, including an 8-1 record last season. So far Pitino hasn’t seen that same resiliency away from home from this group.

Stamford Advocate: Loose Louisville prepping for Providence

Louisville has won 20 Big East road games over the last three years, best in the conference. Yet those Louisville teams had bona fide stars in Terrence Williams and Earl Clark. Louisville is starless this season and games that looked winnable two months ago don’t exactly look that way now.

WCPO: Providence vs. Louisville Game Preview

Both teams are averaging over 80 ppg, so each can obviously score a good deal of points. However, the Cardinals are the better defensive club and that is why they should prevail on the Friars’ home floor tonight.

WHAT TO: WATCH

Highlights of Louisville - Kentucky from this past weekend

Highlights vs. Western Kentucky last month

Season Preview from the beginning of the year

WHERE TO: WATCH

The game will be on ESPNU if you get it.

For online viewing, the game is on ChannelSurfing.net here

If you are in the NYC area, I’m trying to organize a little Friar watching gathering.  I’ll be with some buddies The Irish Rogue (on 44th St, near 9th avenue).  Come join!

WHERE TO: FOLLOW

Friars.com Gametracker

As always, I’ll be on Twitter @friarblog.