Despite its middle-of-the-pack standing in the Big East, No. 20 Providence has built up a strong enough resume to be a virtual lock for the NCAA tournament. Not so much for the Hoyas, who need all the wins they can get. Payback after a close home loss to the Friars two weeks ago is a start.
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HOW THE GEORGETOWN HOYAS CAN COVER THE SPREAD
There is no such thing as a good loss at this stage of the season for the Hoyas, who know that one more defeat likely drops them from any consideration for an at-large NCAA tournament bid. A recent three-game losing streak, which included a loss at Providence, didn’t improve their standing.
Georgetown needs to win, and it needs good wins to cling to its fading tournament hopes. This would definitely qualify.
D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera continues to lead the offensive charge for the Hoyas. He’s an excellent passer and shooter, and he’s gotten help lately from Tre Campbell, which is a good sign for G’Town.
It would be helpful if the Hoyas frontcourt players stay out of foul trouble. The group has size and rebounds the ball effectively, limiting opponent’s second-chance opportunities. That will be crucial against the Friars. Isaac Copeland has turned into a force down low, complementing the outside play of Smith-Rivera, and Jesse Govan needs to be on the court more.
HOW THE PROVIDENCE FRIARS CAN COVER THE SPREAD
The Friars already have a win over Georgetown this season, knocking off the Hoyas 73-69 at the end of last month behind their usually strong defense. Another solid effort will be needed to contain G’Town once again.
Providence tops the Big East in takeaways with 15.3 per game and also leads the league in three-point defense, allowing opponents to connect on just 30.8 percent of their triples. The Friars forced 16 Georgetown turnovers and limited the Hoyas to 26.3 percent from beyond the arc in their earlier meeting.
The Friars will look to their dominant duo of Ben Bentil and Kris Dunn to snap out of a slide that saw them drop to the middle of the pack in the Big East race. When those two are on their game, Providence is one of the toughest teams in college basketball to beat.
Bentil suffered an ankle injury in a loss to DePaul last week that limited him to 14 minutes. He returned off the bench last weekend to score 20 points in 34 minutes, but was not the force he had been. Getting him on a good wheel improves Providence’s chances of victory.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
The Hoyas are who they are – dependent on the outside shooting of Smith-Rivera and L.J. Peak, large at all positions, which makes their interior defense solid. They do a nice job of forcing opponents to shoot from inside the arc, where they can control and defend those shots. Though solid, their interior defense needs to be better and the frontcourt players foul way too much. This is a blessing for Providence and Bentil, who gets to the line more than any player in the Big East and knocks down his freebies at better than an 80 percent clip. If Bentil’s ankle is feeling better, he should feast on the Hoyas’ front line. Add in likely conference Player of the Year Dunn, and there’s more than a good chance the Friars come away with a victory on their home court.
Providence 76, Georgetown 70
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