No, that’s not the way you hope to end a regular season.
Three losses in your last four games…five in your last nine games overall since earning your way into the national spotlight and national rankings. And after falling short (twice!) at home this past week for the first time this season following 15 straight wins, well, let’s just say you’ve presented yourself with quite the uphill climb.
Timing is everything when it comes to the postseason. And the timing for Providence right now is awkward at best.
After a shocking 82-58 defeat Saturday in the Big East regular season finale at home, the Friars find themselves with an unenviable task of tackling a border rival – and one with momentum traveling in the opposite direction. PC stumbles in as a 5-seed for Thursday’s quarterfinal round at Madison Square Garden having lost their last two games, while the 4-seeded UConn Huskies look every bit the part of a title contender surging late in the season after middling play midway through the year.
The two each own double-digit victories over the other earlier this season, with PC beating then-4th-ranked UConn 73-61 on Jan. 4. But it was the Huskies’ 87-69 win in Storrs, CT two weeks ago that appears most relevant right now, with the Friars’ flat-to-poor play of late.
“I did not expect a team to play like that (against Seton Hall), one that had so much to play for,” head coach Ed Cooley said over the weekend. “You’ve got to show up. Am I playing the right guys? Am I playing guys who have a will, a want, and a passion? Hopefully we can reflect and bounce back.
“It is a new season, the Big East Tournament, but it’s a gut-check for our men,” Cooley added. “We’re not fighting like the team I know that we have.”
On a third meeting with UConn, sophomore guard Devin Carter looks at it matter-of-factly: “You have to watch both (UConn games) and take the good and the bad.”
Providence ended the regular season at 21-10, 13-7 in the Big East – tied for fourth with Connecticut but gaining the fifth seed for the upcoming tournament based on tiebreakers. The two will settle their in-season standoff Thursday afternoon in New York at 2:30 p.m. ET.
UConn is the present betting favorite to claim the tournament title. Play begins Wednesday at 3 p.m. ET, with quarterfinal play starting at 12 noon Thursday, semifinals Friday night and the championship Saturday night at MSG.
The Big East Player and Coach of the Year will be announced at Madison Square Garden Wednesday prior to the tipoff of Game 1 (of three that day). As for the all-Big East individual teams, two Friars were named to postseason squads, with sophomore Bryce Hopkins named as a unanimous selection for First Team, and Devin Carter named as an Honorable Mention selection.
Hopkins and Cumberland, RI native Tyler Kolek from Marquette were the only two unanimous selections for the first team by the Big East coaches, who select the all-league teams. One of them will be announced as the Player of the Year Wednesday.
In addition to the postseason awards, the conference made off-court news Monday with the announcement of Executive Associate Commissioner Stu Jackson being named as the new Commissioner of the West Coast Conference – current home of the Gonzaga Bulldogs and St. Mary’s Gaels.
Jackson is a former assistant coach at Providence under Rick Pitino; he also served as head coach at Wisconsin and in the NBA with the NY Knicks, and has been the primary men’s basketball liaison within the Big East since the conference realigned in 2013. He replaces Gloria Nevarez at the WCC, who was hired in November as the new commissioner for the Mountain West.
ALL-BIG EAST FIRST TEAM
Jordan Hawkins, Connecticut, G, So., 6-5, 195, Gaithersburg, Md.
Adama Sanogo, Connecticut, F, Jr., 6-9, 245, Bamako, Mali
Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton, C, Jr., 7-1, 260, Florissant, Mo.
*Tyler Kolek, Marquette, G, Jr., 6-3, 190, Cumberland, R.I.
*Bryce Hopkins, Providence, F, So., 6-7, 220, Oak Park, Ill.
Souley Boum, Xavier, G, Gr., 6-3, 175, Oakland, Calif.
ALL-BIG EAST SECOND TEAM
Oso Ighodaro, Marquette, F, Jr., 6-9, 215, Chandler, Ariz.
Kam Jones, Marquette, G, So., 6-4, 195, Memphis, Tenn.
Joel Soriano, St. John’s, C, Sr., 6-11, 260, Yonkers, N.Y.
Eric Dixon, Villanova, F, R-Jr., 6-8, 255, Willow Grove, Pa.
Colby Jones, Xavier, G, Jr., 6-6, 205, Birmingham, Ala.
ALL-BIG EAST HONORABLE MENTION
Trey Alexander, Creighton, G, So., 6-4, 190, Oklahoma City, Okla.
Baylor Scheierman, Creighton, G, Sr., 6-7, 205, Aurora, Neb.
Devin Carter, Providence, G, So., 6-3, 195, Miami, Fla.
Jack Nunge, Xavier, C, Gr., 7-0, 245, Newburgh, Ind. (repeat
BIG EAST ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Donovan Clingan, Connecticut, C, 7-2, 265, Bristol, Ct.
*Alex Karaban, Connecticut, F, 6-8, 210, Southborough, Mass.
AJ Storr, St. John’s, G, 6-6, 200, Rockford, Ill.
Mark Armstrong, Villanova, G, 6-2, 180, South Orange, N.J.
*Cam Whitmore, Villanova, F, 6-7, 232, Odenton, Md.
Desmond Claude, Xavier, G, 6-5, 195, New Haven, Conn.
BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year
Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton
BIG EAST Most Improved Player
Joel Soriano, St. John’s
BIG EAST Sixth Man Award
David Joplin, Marquette
BIG EAST Sportsmanship Award
Caleb Daniels, Villanova
*Denotes unanimous selection