The Friars’ non-conference schedule probably won’t be ranked among the toughest in the nation, but for a team with over 50% of it’s scholarship players freshman and sophomores the schedule is more daunting than it looks. Providence opening against a Vermont team that has won 20 or more games in eight straight seasons and returns 4 of 5 starters from last year’s team that fell 6 point short to Stony Brook for the America East’s automatic NCAA Tournament bid is a tough way to start. The next game isn’t much easier when the Friar travel to Columbus, OH to take on the Ohio State Buckeyes as part of the Gavitt Tipoff Games. Things ease up a bit with Grambling St. and St. Francis (NY) coming to the Dunkin’ Donuts Center for the campus site portion of the 2016 Emerald Coast Classic, but the Friars then will take on at two high-major programs over the Thanksgiving weekend when they take on Memphis and either Iowa or Virginia in Destin, FL for the bracketed portion of that preseason tournament. The December schedule is highlighted by a home game against in-state rival and likely top-25 team Rhode Island. The Friars will also take on fellow Atlantic 10 squad UMass. Providence finishes out the non-conference schedule against Boston College at Conte Forum just before Christmas. All in all, Providence has a pretty tough non-conference schedule and I’d bet it’s right up there in the top 3 of the Big East, though the numbers will be hurt by bad RPI teams Grambling, St. Francis (NY) and Maine.
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