Thoughts from the Road: Friars Fail to Show Up in Newark

This Thoughts from the Road: Two Trains Edition is brought to you by the Reilly’s hospitality at the Prudential Center and fueled by Vitamin C.

  • Baffling. Mysterious. Puzzling. Inexplicable. Unexplainable. These are the words that come to mind when watching Providence continue to miss wide open shot after wide open shot. They also threw in some missed layups for good measure. There’s bad shooting and then there’s the Friars. I didn’t think they could “top” their 30% shooting performance from the first matchup between these teams, but they managed to prove me wrong and shoot a whopping 28% in this game. I’ve never seen a team miss so many wide open shots in my entire life. I don’t know how it can be fixed, but Ed Cooley needs to start figuring it out.

  • I got a text from my dad after this game and I think his point is well taken. He said “not a loss; they didn’t show up.” He’s right and it is another unexplainable thing for a team that is desperate for a win and has 8 days between games to simply not show up. I understand that some players were sick — can someone get these kids some Vitamin C! — and that impacted their performance, but excuses are wearing thin at this point. This team is in real danger of finding themselves on the wrong side of the bubble if they continue to play this way. If they keep shooting this poorly and get burned on the defensive end for easy buckets, they will have a hard time beating DePaul, Creighton or St. John’s.
  • Kris Dunn continues to take heavy criticism. Some of it is deserved and some of it is over the top. What is fair to say is that his poor play of late has impacted his draft stock. The extent may not be as severe as some think because NBA scouts and GM’s will still be drafting him for his upside and rare athletic ability. Dunn needs to finish strong to carry his team to the NCAA Tournament, or else this collapse could be one of the worst college basketball collapses in recent memory.
  • Ben Bentil continues to be able to score at will. He had 31 in this game before being ejected for that flagrant 2 foul on Desi Rodriguez. Bentil looked like he was heading for another 40 point performance if he could have finished out the final 3+ minutes. Bentil has been this team’s best and most consistent player for much of the season and they’ll need him to continue to score the ball down the stretch. Bentil needs some help, though. He can’t be relied on to score over 60% of the team’s points.
  • The biggest cure-all for this team would be to make some shots. As I noted in the open, many of their attempts aren’t even contested. If it walks like a bad shooter, talks like a bad shooter and misses countless wide open shots, it’s a bad shooter. Providence needs to figure out other ways to score the basketball because teams are seemingly begging them to take open shots and the Friars have obliged and missed them.

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5 responses to “Thoughts from the Road: Friars Fail to Show Up in Newark”

  1. PG22 Avatar
    PG22

    This team is not going to the NCAA…and will be lucky to get into the NIT. Just another season ending disgrace!! When all other teams have improved and are geling…Providence as usual declines and hits rock bottom. Typical and predictable! How many times is PC going to come out of a timeout (presumably with a play drawn up) and turn the ball over to their opponent. It’s pathetic.
    Thist team does not show up and they have no heart!

    1. Mike Hopkins Avatar

      I agree that their NCAA Tournament hopes are on rocky ground, but they will be a top 3 seed in the NIT if they don’t make the NCAA’s. How many seasons have ending in disgrace since Ed Cooley has been here in your estimation?

  2. Keith Barlow Avatar
    Keith Barlow

    Can’t believe scouts who have closely followed him would recommend taking him. When he returned this year, he effectively gave up much of the upside tag that younger players get. At 22, he is supposed to have corrected flaws that younger players can get away with.

    1. Mike Hopkins Avatar

      Still has elite skills that can’t be taught and can play on the defensive end right away.

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