Taking Stock of How Providence Can Move Forward Following a Difficult Loss to Xavier
“We thought this was going to be a great game between two desperate teams -- there was one desperate team, and that was Xavier.”
In the wake of losing Bryce Hopkins for the season, Providence head coach Kim English consistently reiterated that his team had more than enough talent to win going forward, only the margin of error had shrunk.
The Friars, 0-4 in January following Saturday’s disheartening 85-65 loss to Xavier, had a chance late against Seton Hall after losing Hopkins, and made dramatic comeback runs on the road versus both Creighton and St. John’s before falling short. Saturday was a different story. Providence played its worst game of the season against against a Musketeer team that enjoyed explosive performances from a pair of underclassman guards.
The loss of Hopkins meant Providence would be forced to play without its most physically imposing player, its best rebounder, and one of the top scorers in the Big East. The defensive drop off following his injury has been the most surprising development of the past two weeks, however, especially when the Friars seemed as though they would have to lean on a stout defense with timely offense to win in a post-Hopkins world.
On Saturday, Xavier shot 51% from the field and connected on 12-24 from deep. They benefited from a 19-point first half from sophomore Desmond Claude before freshman guard Trey Green scored 18 of his 23 points after halftime.
“We didn’t make them do things on our terms,” English said after the game. “Fifty one percent from the field and eight true offensive rebounds is ridiculous.”
A Providence defense that was among the top ten in the country for the first two months of the season has sprung leaks in January. Their 109.0 Defensive Rating (per CBB Analytics) ranks in the 36th percentile nationally. In January, opponents are shooting 40% from three with an Effective Field Goal Percentage of 53.1% (putting PC in the 18th percentile during this stretch).
Ironically, the only team not to do damage against Providence from beyond the arc this month was Creighton. The Jays shot 30.4% from three in Omaha, while Seton Hall shot 43.8%, St. John’s 38.9%, while Xavier hit at 50% on Saturday.
In the wake of losses like these, and in the midst of a losing streak, comes a flood of diagnoses about what’s wrong with the hometown team. While all four losses played out differently, if Providence is to make an impact in the Big East this season it will likely begin with defending more like the team they were in November and December (which is easier said than done with a shorter rotation, little front court depth, and their top glass cleaner gone).