When Providence and Xavier last met, there were significant questions about what the Friars could salvage of a season that looked to be slipping away.
Providence had been winless (but competitive) in the two-and-a-half games they had played without Bryce Hopkins, but after seeing an 11-point first-half lead result in an 85-65 home loss to Xavier, PC dropped its fourth straight game and looked lost in all sorts of ways.
Kim English’s group had no answer for Desmond Claude in the first half, as the sophomore out of Connecticut scored 19 of his 21 points in the opening 20 minutes to give Xavier a 41-40 advantage at the break.
The bottom fell out for the Friars early in the second half after Xavier ran off a 9-0 run and Josh Oduro went to the bench two minutes in with foul trouble. The Musketeers opened the half on a 17-3 spurt to take a 15-point edge. They never looked back.
The win proved to be Xavier’s best offensive effort of the season. Their 130.4 Offensive Rating remains their high water mark of the 2023-24 campaign.
Providence has rebounded from Xavier’s visit, riding the outstanding duo of Devin Carter and Josh Oduro to a 6-3 record since the loss to Xavier. They are 6-2 with Oduro in the lineup during that time.
At 17-9 overall and 8-7 in the Big East, the Friars find themselves at the heart of the NCAA Tournament bubble discussion. Providence is a sterling 14-2 at home this season, but in order to legitimize its tournament hopes, PC will have to improve upon a 2-6 road record — a significant blemish on their postseason resume.
Opportunity certainly awaits, as three of their final five regular season games come on the road, beginning with Wednesday night in Cincinnati.
If Providence is to win on Wednesday night at Xavier, controlling the pace will be essential. Sean Miller’s group has the fourth best Offensive Rating in league play (110.3) and ranks third in Turnover Percentage and Offensive Rebound Percentage.
Their 64.0 field goal attempts per game in Big East play are the most in the league. They take ten more two-point field goal attempts per game than Providence (42 vs. 32).