Providence Takes Care of Business Against DePaul, Starts 4-0 in Big East Play
Entering this week, Providence had to have known they had a big early season opportunity in front of them.
After kicking off Big East play with a win at Seton Hall, followed by taking down #24 Marquette in double overtime, the Friars headed West to take on a pair of programs they have had tremendous success against under Ed Cooley in Butler and DePaul.
Both the Bulldogs and Demons are struggling, and Providence made quick work of each of them on this two-game Midwestern swing.
Thursday night saw the Friars jump out to a 28-point halftime advantage before rolling to a decisive 72-52 win over Butler.
Sunday was closer, but not by much.
The Friars got out of the gates quickly once again, taking a 10-2 lead — and DePaul never threatened from there. PC led for 39 minutes on Sunday, had a comfortable 38-23 halftime advantage, and their defense was the catalyst in the first half for the second consecutive game.
After holding Butler to 6-24 shooting in the first half on Thursday, the Friars saw DePaul go just 7-28 in the first half three days later.
Defending the 3-point line had been a challenge throughout November, but DePaul went 4-19 one game after Butler finished 2-15.
PC took out DePaul’s two leading scorers in the first half. Umoja Gibson (fresh off a 31 point effort against Georgetown) picked up a pair of fouls in the game’s first two minutes and made one field goal in the opening 20 minutes, while Javan Johnson (who came into this one averaging nearly 17 points a game and shooting 47% from 3) shot 0-6 in the first half, and 0-4 from three.
The star of the night for Providence was Devin Carter. He was everywhere. The sophomore matched a career high with 22 points, while blocking four shots and coming up with five steals. Carter is quite simply more athletic and more energetic than nearly everyone he faces.
Carter is the first Friar under Cooley to have five steals and four blocks in a game. In fact, only three players had five steals and two blocks in a single game under Cooley before Carter’s terrific performance on Sunday.
“He is an elite, elite defender and competitor,” Cooley said of Carter.
Providence’s 74-59 win over DePaul wasn’t nearly as crisp as their victory against Butler. The Friars turned the ball over 19 times, and missed ten of their 29 free throw attempts.
They did get another solid effort from Jared Bynum, who hit momentum-slowing shots seemingly every time DePaul showed life. Bynum finished with 18 points and knocked down three of his five 3-point attempts.
For all of the calls a month ago to send Bynum to the bench in favor of freshman Jayden Pierre, he is averaging 9.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.7 steals, while shooting 33% from three and 83% at the foul line since the start of Big East play. And that’s with a clunker against Seton Hall in the opener (0-4 shooting, two points, three assists).
Bynum’s last three games?
16 points, eight rebounds, three assists vs. Marquette
11 points, seven assists, three rebounds at Butler
18 points, four rebounds, two assists at DePaul
He is 7-16 (43%) from deep over the past three games.
The Friars got a pair of threes from Noah Locke (PC opened the game 4-5 from deep and shot 7-14 from three on Sunday), 10 rebounds out of Ed Croswell, and 12 points and eight boards from Bryce Hopkins, who grew up about 20 minutes from Wintrust Arena.
PC continued punishing opponents in the interior, scoring 34 more points in the paint against DePaul.
Following Sunday’s win, Providence improved to 12-3 on the season and they are currently tied with Xavier for first place in the Big East heading into Wednesday’s monster matchup with Connecticut.