Brian Reddy: Beyond the Box Score 11/21/23

Each week, I hope to provide opinions on areas of the games that do not show up in the stat sheets, focusing on Providence and occasionally the rest of the Big East. As a warning, Corey Floyd, Jr. is my favorite Friar on a team full of favorite Friars and I will try to find a way to work him into this every week. This time, it was easy.

Corey Floyd, Jr.

Looking at his stat sheet from Sunday against Georgia will not give the reader an appreciation for what Corey accomplished on the court. Floyd has been playing off the ball during the entirety of his college career, and most of high school, too. Due to the absence of Jayden Pierre and Garwey Dual, he was pressed into action at the point on short notice. During the first half, he was understandably reticent, and the offense struggled to gel. During the second half however, even though the Friars played at a methodical pace, they consistently got good looks at the basket and turned a two-point deficit into a seven-point victory. This was in no small part to Floyd playing 18 minutes without a turnover and making a number of key plays. He made a clutch three pointer at the end of the shot clock (after missing his first four attempts), made a cross court pass from the block to Devin Carter for another three (video below), hit two late free throws, then made the baseball pass to Devin Carter against the press for the final points of the game to seal a 7-point victory.

The coaching staff deserves a lot of credit for preparing and instilling confidence in Corey, plus utilizing Devin Carter, Ticket Gaines, and Bryce Hopkins to take the pressure off him. It was clear down the stretch that Corey was much more confident in his role, and this will only help going forward. Dual is expected back on Friday, but Jayden Pierre will likely need a little more time. Now Garwey can play his aggressive style without worrying about being the only point guard available, and Floyd will continue to earn starter’s minutes whether he starts or not.

Richard Barron

Richard got his first serious playing time yesterday, again out of necessity. As Coach English said, no excuses, and Barron showed a fearlessness on the court. He drilled a three pointer the first time he got the ball, and also made a nice dish to fellow reserve Rafael Castro for a big dunk in the second half. He missed two other three-point attempts and a running tear drop off the glass, but made sure Georgia had to pay attention to him.

Barron was a late signee who had previously committed to Coach English when he was George Mason and was not highly rated. He has demonstrated that he is not afraid to shoot the ball or make plays, and with a build somewhere between a fullback and defensive end, he should be solid player over his Friar career.

This video, courtesy of Friar Basketball shows big moments from Floyd and Barron down the stretch:

Bryce Hopkins

Sometimes the numbers don’t lie, and Bryce’s shooting stats (40% shooting from 2 and 14% shooting from 3) make it clear that he’s struggling with his shot. He also averages 3.6 turnovers per game to date, compared to 2.3 last season. Whatever the reason, this trend is a cause for concern. Given that Hopkins shot 36% from three last year while being the focus of most opponents, he has proven he can shoot. His foul shooting has also been solid, including 5 for 6 yesterday, with four big free throws down the stretch against Georgia. His rebounding has also remained comparable to last season, with a least 8 rebounds in four of the Friars’ first five games.

The one area where Bryce appears to have taken a leap forward is with his defense. In the Wisconsin and Georgia games especially, it was noticeable that he was more focused and determined on the defensive end. He was more consistent and less likely to fall for fakes, providing additional reinforcement to a team loaded with defensive-minded guards. As long as he continues to utilize his entire toolbox of skills, he will be a positive force for the Friars until his shooting touch returns.

Gavitt Games

Fans of both conferences and the media are often quick to react to each day’s result in these conference vs conference matchups, and this was no exception. After St. John’s was blown out by Michigan (on the same night Villanova was upset by Penn), the Field of 68 did a segment on how the Big East may be overrated. The following evening, it was the Big 10 who got the same treatment after Providence, Marquette, and Creighton all posted strong wins. I prefer to look at the individual games, and from that perspective, the Big East acquitted itself very well. Three of the four Big Ten wins were in matchup where they were heavily favored. Purdue, Rutgers and Michigan State won at home against teams that are expected to be in the lower half of the Big East. Only Michigan winning big at MSG could be considered a surprise. On the other side, the dominant victories by Providence and Villanova in games that were thought to be closely matched were impressive, and Marquette was able to go into top 25 Illinois’ home arena and walk out victorious.

The Gavitt Games were started as a partnership between the two conferences as a way to honor Dave Gavitt. Jim Delaney, the former commissioner of the Big Ten and disciple of Gavitt, noted that Gavitt would often say the college basketball had the best way to end the season, but did not begin it correctly. Gavitt himself began the early season conference vs conference series with the ACC-Big East Challenge in 1989, but that ended after three years. Hopefully, once the new Big East television contract is completed the Gavitt Games will return.