How Corey Floyd Jr.'s emergence started a few weeks ago, and the road ahead for the Friars after a close one at Butler
Improbably, a Providence team playing without Josh Oduro and with starting point guard Jayden Pierre a game-time decision due to a recent calf injury somehow had a 71-64 lead with four minutes to go at Butler.
With Oduro home welcoming his first child and Pierre coming off the bench hobbled, outsiders would have figured that the only way in which PC was to have a shot on Saturday afternoon would come from a gargantuan effort from Devin Carter and a cold shooting day for the home team.
Neither really came to fruition. Carter was good but not super-human for once (18 points, 6-16 shooting), and the Bulldogs were in the midst of a 60% shooting second half. Yet, there Providence was with a seven-point lead late in what could have been a significant step toward their NCAA Tournament hopes.
The Friars got back into this game with sizzling shooting from beyond the 3-point arc early in the second half. Garwey Dual, Rich Barron, and Carter all connected on threes in the first four minutes of the second half, then a reemergent Corey Floyd Jr. caught fire.
Floyd knocked down three shots from beyond the arc in a span of about three and a half minutes to tie the game at 53 with over ten minutes left on the clock.
Floyd was then fouled on a 3-point attempt and hit two out of three to tie the game, once again, at 55.
The journey of Corey Floyd Jr. has been an interesting case study in Providence this year. Like any fanbase, Friartown can create its scapegoats throughout the course of a season, yet that has never been the case with Floyd, who has struggled to find his footing offensively this season.
Whether it was being the first to announce he was staying with Providence after last spring’s coaching change, the “us against the world” mentality that has taken over the fanbase this season, or sheerly because Floyd is such a likable player, Friar fans have been ready to pop whenever Floyd has shown signs of life.
The flashes started a few weeks ago, and on Saturday versus Butler Floyd put it all together — scoring a career-high 20 points in 30 minutes. It wasn’t just that Floyd caught fire from beyond the arc in the second half that was so encouraging, it was the aggression with which he played.
Floyd put up 16 shots from the field, took eight free throws, and his finishes at the rim were as impressive as his outside shooting. Floyd beat bigger defenders off the dribble as PC played small and bullied smaller men inside.
“Really happy for Corey, and we expect that from Corey,” Kim English said. “That output is not surprising to us.”
The turnaround for Floyd started ever so quietly against Georgetown on Jan. 27. He came up with three steals in that game, grabbed five rebounds, hit a big second-half three, and chucked a 75-foot alley oop to Devin Carter.
Only those who have watched Providence closely all season noticed the change.
It carried over a few days later when he returned to Connecticut and scored seven early points and grabbed eight rebounds against his former club.
While Carter and Oduro justifiably caught all the headlines in Providence’s overtime thriller against Creighton, Floyd was a more subtle story: the player who seemed caught between when to shoot, drive, or pass for much of the season didn’t stop firing away (4-13 from the field) and hit two critical threes in a 10-point effort. Sure, the stat line wasn’t overly efficient, but he didn’t let early misses lead to indecision.
That same aggression carried over into Saturday in Indianapolis, and was nearly the reason why Providence walked away with what would have been a massive road win.
After Floyd tied the game with his free throws, Providence seemed to take control over the next five minutes. Behind a Ticket Gaines three (from Floyd), another Floyd free throw, and a short jumper from Floyd, PC pushed ahead, 61-59.
The Friars went on an 8-2 spurt after Carter finished an and-1, Barron hit a jumper, and Pierre dribbled off a screen for a three that made it 71-64 Friars with four minutes to play.
Pierre’s basket would be their last of the game, however, and Providence couldn’t make the one or two plays they needed down the stretch to avoid a 75-72 loss.
They also couldn’t avoid some critical mistakes:
An unforced turnover that led to a short jumper for Butler (71-68)
Splitting a pair of free throws (72-68 at 2:16)
Missing the front end of a 1-1 up 72-68 with 1:29 left
Giving up an offensive rebound off a missed free throw, up 72-69 with 1:14 to go, which turned into a Jahmyl Telfort left-handed hook to make it 72-71 with 55 seconds left
Back rimming an open corner three on the next possession
Still, the Friars had a final chance.
Then, this happened after Pierre Brooks gave Butler the lead and Providence had a chance to go for the win:
Floyd looked to cap his big day with the ultimate exclamation point, didn’t get the foul call, and Butler escaped with the narrowest of victories at home.
There certainly looked to be contact, but regardless, PC fell a game behind Butler at 6-7 in league play with seven games remaining in the regular season.
The Friars couldn’t have fought much harder, they just didn’t make enough plays late.
“Incredibly disappointed about the loss, but even more disappointed for our guys because they really battled,” Kim English said afterwards.
“They gave absolutely everything they had. Sometimes you come up short.”
There’s a lot to like about the way Providence is playing of late. Oduro has proven he can put up numbers against the best centers the league has to offer, Carter is playing at an All American level, and there have been glimpses from the likes of Floyd, Barron, and Dual of late.
But there is a significant sense of urgency with seven games left in the season, and the Friars so squarely on the bubble according to the bracketologists. With seven games to play, including a road trip to Marquette and a home contest versus #1 UConn, there are a series of matchups that Providence must win in the coming weeks. That starts on Tuesday when they host Rick Pitino and St. John’s. Both clubs are tied for seventh in the conference with 6-7 league marks. They are also tied with 6-7 Villanova, and a game back of Butler and Xavier.
More from Friar Basketball…
Ryan Mela and the Newman School took on Oswin Erhunmwunse and Putnam Science in the NEBL semifinals on Saturday. See impressions of that game, as Mela returned from a lower body injury in time for this big matchup.
Bill Ricci went one-on-one with Josh Oduro following his 32-point night against Creighton, and Bill also shared his thoughts on the current state of the Friars.
Fans can also see every made field goal against Creighton:
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Very encouraging game vs. Butler. Would have beat them like a drum with Oduro running rings around Screen. From what I see of St. John's we should be able to beat them at home Tuesday.
Oduro is better than Soriano and will score often in the paint. He has great moves under the basket that will surely beat Soriano. Carter is most likely being slowed down a bit with a sore hip but he is a real gamer. Hopefully Pierre's leg injury will heal quickly. Go Friars!