Game Notes & Preview: Providence (10-2, 1-0) vs Butler (10-2, 1-0) 12/23/2023

📅 Date & Time: Saturday, December 23, 2023, at 12:00 p.m.

📍 Venue: Amica Mutual Pavilion, Providence, RI

📺 Broadcast: FS1 with John Fanta and Donny Marshall (Fox Sports App); Radio with John Rooke and Joe Hassett on WPRO-99.7 FM/630 AM (The Varsity Network App & YouTube); FriarTV

🤑 Opening Line: Providence -4.5, Over/Under 141

Providence College Friars:

• Record: 10-2
• Recent Performances:
  • The Friars opened Big East play with a convincing win against 6th-ranked Marquette, 72-57, on Tuesday at the AMP behind 22 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists from Devin Carter. Carter had a career-high 5 made 3-pointers against the Golden Eagles. This was Carter’s second 20+ point game of the season with the other coming in another convincing win at home against a team from Wisconsin when the Friars trounced the Badgers in the Gavitt Tip Off Games on November 14th.
• Providence vs:
  • Providence is 18-5 all-time against Butler with all 23 matchups being played after the Bulldogs joined the Big East in the 2013-14 season. The Friars are 8-2 against Butler at home and Providence is riding a winning streak against the Bulldogs of 6 games dating back to December 30, 2020.
• Stat Leaders:
  • Points/Game – Bryce Hopkins, 16.7
  • Rebounds/Game – Bryce Hopkins, 8.3
  • Assists/Game – Devin Carter and Garwey Dual, 3.1
  • Minutes/Game – Bryce Hopkins, 33.9

Butler Bulldogs

• Record: 10-2
• Recent Performances:
  • Butler comes to Providence off a 10-point victory over Georgetown at Hinkle Fieldhouse that was played right before Providence’s game against Marquette on Tuesday. The Bulldogs only two losses came on the road at Michigan State and on a neutral court in their MTE against Florida Atlantic. Both of those losses were back-to-back and Butler has rattled off 7 straight wins since.
• Stat Leaders:
  • Points/Game – Pierre Brooks, 16.5
  • Rebounds/Game – Jalen Thomas, 6.8
  • Assists/Game – Posh Alexander, 5.4
  • Minutes/Game – Pierre Brooks, 32.3

Game Preview:

Providence continues their Big East homestand with the Butler Bulldogs coming to Friartown for a noon tip at the Amica Mutual Pavilion on Saturday. Both teams own their league opening games on Tuesday with Providence dispatching 6th-ranked Marquette in a game they took control of late in the first half and never relinquished. The Bulldogs beat Georgetown at Hinkle Fieldhouse by 10 on Tuesday behind 13 points from Pierre Brooks. While 10 might not seem like a dominating margin, it was roughly the expected outcome and Kenpom listed Butler’s minimum win probability in that game at 88.7% when they trailed, 4-2, 1 minute and 10 seconds in the game.

Butler enters year two under Thad Matta with a much improved roster compiled mainly via the transfer portal with veteran college players like Brooks (Michigan State) and Posh Alexander (St. John’s). A late edit is Butler’s plane had mechanical issues, so instead of flying in Friday before this Saturday noon tip they flew in Saturday morning and seem to be driving straight from the airport to the AMP. That usually either means they’ll get blown out of the building or play amazing.

The Friars’ defense, currently ranked 8th nationally by Kenpom, has been very good and was excellent in their Big East opener against Marquette on Tuesday. Expect to see more of the same against Butler. Butler had an impressive 1.14 PPP against Georgetown in their opener, but it was…Georgetown. Providence’s offense wasn’t quite as good against Marquette, but they held the Golden Eagles to 0.79 PPP the other night. Marquette went for 1.09 PPP against Georgetown last night, for some context.

I look for Jayden Pierre to have a breakout game and for the Friars’ defense to lead to some extra offensive opportunities.

Score Prediction: Providence 70, Butler 62

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Mike Hopkins

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