Game Notes & Preview: (15) Providence (9-1) vs. Bryant (2-8) 12/12/15

Where: Dunkin’ Donuts Center – Providence, RI

When: 12:00pm EST

How: FS1 (Justin Kutcher & Vin Parise)/WEEI 103.7 FM and Friars.com (John Rooke and Joe Hassett)/FriarTV

Game Notes

  • Providence and Bryant will meet for the 6th time on Saturday with the Friars leading, 5-0. The Friars and Bulldogs have played 4 of those 5 games since Bryant moved up to Division I. The first matchup between the teams was December 21, 1994, while Bryant was a Division II program. Bryant has only been Division I since 2008. The Bulldogs are 0-10 all-time against the Big East.
  • Providence is 50-12 all time against the Northeast Conference. The last game Providence played against a team from the NEC was on March 25, 2013 when the Friars defeated Robert Morris, 77-68, at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in the NIT.
  • Bryant is 2-8 on the season. Their 2 wins are against Division III Emerson College and Prairie View A&M. Their most recent game was a home loss against Army on Tuesday night. The Bulldogs are led in scoring by sophomore guard Hunter Ware, who averages 13.7 points/game. Junior Dan Garvin is the leading rebounder, averaging 8.7 rebounds/game.
  • The Friars moved up in both polls on Monday after a 2-0 week that included an exciting road win at the buzzer against in-state rival Rhode Island. Providence is ranked 15th in the AP Poll and 18th in the USA Today Coaches’ Poll this week.
  • Opening Line: (15) Providence -21.5 vs. Bryant 12/12/15

Game Preview

Providence will be shorthanded on Saturday afternoon when they take on their third in-state team in Bryant. Ben Bentil injured his ankle against Boston College on Wednesday — x-rays negative — and Kris Dunn took ill during the first half of that game and didn’t leave his dorm room on Thursday. Ryan Fazekas has a confirmed case of mononucleosis despite practicing on Monday and will be out for a few weeks, most likely. That means Providence will start sophomore Kyron Cartwright at the point and freshman Quadree Smith at center. Bryant has had a rough start to the season — they also have a lot of red when you look at their Kenpom.com page — with only 1 or their 2 wins coming against another Division I team — a team ranked near the bottom of Division I — and Tim O’Shea has been tinkering a lot with different starting lineups as he tries to search for his best team as conference play rapidly approaches.

The probable starters according to the game notes and prior box scores are:

Providence
  • Kyron Cartwright – #24 – Sophomore
  • Junior Lomomba – #32 – Junior
  • Jalen Lindsey – #21 – Sophomore
  • Rodney Bullock – #5 – Sophomore
  • Quadree Smith – #10 – Freshman
Bryant
  • Shane McLaughlin – #4 – Senior
  • Hunter Ware – #1 – Sophomore
  • Nisre Zouzoua – #2 – Freshman
  • Marcel Pettway – #12 – Freshman
  • Dan Garvin – #22 – Junior

The key to victory for Providence will be to attack Bryant’s zone and avoid getting stagnant. If the Friars attack the zone, get the ball inside and move the ball around to open shooters they should score well against the Bulldogs. Bryant’s tallest starter is 6’6 so Providence should also be able to have an edge in the paint and on the glass. Look for Rodney Bullock to lead the way for Providence again with Dunn, Bentil and Fazekas on the shelf. Bullock must avoid foul trouble in this game, which has been an issue for him early in his career. Providence, depleted and battered, still has enough to handle Bryant.

Prediction: Providence 74 Bryant 64

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