Tag Archives: Xavier

Game Previews & Recaps

Providence Big East Schedule Review: Part II

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This is Part 2 of a 3 part series giving my impressions of Providence’s Big East schedule in 6 game blocks. This second block looks at games 7-12 from 1/22/15 through 2/11/15. My evaluation of each 6 game block will take into account a few factors: road trips/travel, potential fan attendance/games over school breaks, opponent’s schedule around time of PC game and other factors.

Game 7: vs. Xavier

  • Where: Dunkin’ Donuts Center – Providence, RI
  • When: 1/22/15 7:00pm
  • How: Fox Sports 1/WEEI 103.7 FM
  • Last season’s final RPI: 47
  • Last season’s final Kenpom rating: 59

This will be the first home game for the Friars where the students are back from break. Hopefully that means the student section will be full and rocking. What else is there to do on a Thursday night in January? Xavier loses Semaj Christon to the NBA and Justin Martin to transfer but they have an impressive recruiting class coming in including incoming freshman Larry Austin who had Providence as one of his final schools before selecting the Musketeers the weekend he was scheduled to visit Friartown. For Xavier, this game comes in the middle of arguably the toughest stretch of their conference schedule as they will be coming off games at Butler and Villanova with Marquette at home between this game in Providence and that game in Philadelphia. Xavier struggled on the road in the inaugural season in the Big East with a 2-6 record. The Musketeers play on the road in 3 of the 6 games leading to their trip to Providence.

Xavier will likely be somewhere in the 3rd-6th range along with Providence in terms of conference standings by the time March 8th rolls around so this game could make a big difference to both teams in the final league standings. Providence is coming off a trip to Omaha and should be at least 4-2 in league play entering this matchup. Xavier may end up being 4-2 as well based on how their first 6 games look right now.  This game is the beginning of a pretty tough 6 game block which will include a trip to Cincinnati for the rematch on February 7th.

Continue reading Providence Big East Schedule Review: Part II →

Recruiting News

BREAKING: 2014 PG Larry Austin Commits to Xavier

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Providence was putting a lot of effort into 2014 PG Larry Austin from Illinois but it wasn’t enough as Austin gave his commitment to Chris Mack and Xavier today. After getting his release from Tennessee following Cuonzo Martin taking the job at Cal, Austin had plenty of suitors but only actually made one visit and it was to Xavier.

Providence will continue the search for another guard but the herd is really starting to thin. Naddir Tharpe may get his tires kicked now as it would probably be better to bring in someone who would only tie up a scholarship for a year or two than reach for an available high school senior point guard.

 

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Big East News

ESPN’s Jeff Goodman: The Fab 50 for 2014-15

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ESPN’s Jeff Goodman came out with “a detailed look ahead at the nation’s top programs and how they’re positioning themselves for the 2014-15 campaign … and beyond.” Providence didn’t make Goodman’s cut of top 50 teams (cue the conspiracy theorists) while teams like UTEP, Stephen F. Austin, Toledo and Louisiana Tech do make the cut ahead of the Friars. There are 3 Big East teams mentioned and it could be argued that PC will be better than #40 Xavier next season. Click here to see the full top 50 (ESPN Insider). Below are the 3 Big East teams:

Continue reading ESPN’s Jeff Goodman: The Fab 50 for 2014-15 →

Big East News

First Season In the Books: How Did The Big East Do?

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Rewind to Big East media day, October 16, 2013. Val Ackerman, the Big East’s new commissioner said the following to the media: “There’s no doubt the eyes of the basketball world and the eyes of others in college sports are definitely on the Big East.”

How true those words would be. And not surprisingly, the “eyes of the basketball world” were quick to be negative. Without the backing of ESPN, the Big East was constantly knocked and, even when good things happened, not given its full due. It was not an ideal first season for this new basketball-centric league. Marquette and Georgetown were picked 1 and 2 in the Big East Preseason Coaches’ Poll. Many thought that it was crucial for Marquette, a team that has had a good run of success since joining the conference in 2005, and especially Georgetown, a school that was a big part of the original Big East’s foundation, to be successful both in the conference and nationally. Injuries and lack of on court chemistry seemed to do in both the Golden Eagles and Hoyas as the teams would finish 6th and 7th after 18 regular season games. Only two teams were ranked heading into the Big East Tournament and there was a concern that those two teams might even be the only schools to make the NCAA Tournament.

You Only Get One First Impression

Continue reading First Season In the Books: How Did The Big East Do? →

General News

Around the Big East Last Night #pcbb

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St. John’s lost to Xavier last night at Madison Square Garden and their tournament hopes are rapidly declining. They may regret that 0-5 conference start even more if 1 win is the difference between NCAA and NIT. It looks like they will have to make a big time run in the Big East tournament if they want to dance on the blue carpet this year. Xavier got a career night out of freshman Jalen Reynolds. If he can play like he did last night down the stretch and through the Big East tournament, Xavier is a totally different team.

DePaul snapped a 10 game losing streak by beating embattled Seton Hall in Chicago. Seton Hall is such an enigma, similar to St. John’s, in that the roster is full of talented players but they haven’t been able to put things together consistently. The Pirates have dealt with a rash of injuries and suspensions and it will be interesting to see if they come out to play on Friday night against the Friars after losing to a perennial Big East doormat. It also looked like Fuquan Edwin may have injured his thumb which could play a factor on Friday. He finished the game but never looked comfortable after the injury occurred.

Just one game in the Big East tonight as Butler will travel to Villanova.

Bracketology/RPI

ESPN’s Eamonn Brennan: College Basketball Bubble Watch #pcbb

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Eamonn Brennan has his latest Bubble Watch through Monday’s games. Here is how he views the Big East:

Big East Conference
Work left to do: Xavier, Georgetown, Providence

This is the first edition of the Bubble Watch to cover the new-look Big East, which means it’s the first to not have, like, 12 bubble teams to work through in any given set. It’s jarring! (But also kind of nice.)

Xavier [16-7 (6-4), RPI: 46, SOS: 51] The Musketeers’ win over Cincinnati back on Dec. 14 wasn’t just a nice little mini-upset in a heated local rivalry game. It was the distinguishing win on this team’s profile. The next-best victories are over Tennessee (Xavier also lost to the Vols on a neutral court), Providence, St. John’s, Georgetown and Wake Forest. Meh. Throw in losses to USC and Seton Hall, and you’ve got yourself a pretty good team with an underwhelming CV.

Georgetown [15-9 (6-6), RPI: 52, SOS: 24] It was easy to write the Hoyas off a few weeks ago, and maybe we still should. But the Feb. 1 win over a depleted and exhausted Michigan State team at least keeps them in the conversation, which is surprising, since this is a suspension-riddled version of the same team that lost to Northeastern (RPI No. 218!) in November.

Providence [16-9 (6-6), RPI: 53, SOS: 60] While the Musketeers would probably be in the tournament if the field were seeded today, Providence doesn’t even have that much going for it. The Friars’ only big win (against Creighton) came at home; their only road win against a top-100 opponent was at St. John’s. Their home game on Feb. 18 against Villanova will be a big, big fixture.

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Links of the Day

#pcbb Links of the Day 2/10/14

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Recruiting

New highlight mixtape of PC commit Paschal Chukwu vi Corey Porter TV