Friars Seek a Win Against Butler with the Season Slipping Away
It feels like ages ago that Providence and Butler last met — a wild double overtime affair that ended in heartbreak for the Friars in a 113-110 loss.
There were plenty of troubling signs for Providence prior to that Dec. 13 tilt, but the Big East opener felt like a chance to start anew. PC couldn’t capitalize, however, despite a season-high 32 points from Jason Edwards.
The game had a bit of everything — on the offensive end at least. There were 30 lead changes, 20 ties, and the 223 combined points marked the second-highest total in Big East history. Ultimately, Kim English’s group had no answer for Michael Ajayi (28 points and 15 rebounds), got beat repeatedly on backdoor cuts, and couldn’t keep Butler off the free throw line.
Providence is 2-8 since then and heads into February searching for any glimmer of hope in a tough season — but without any sort of resistance on the defensive end that will be tough to come by.
Butler was 8-2 following that victory and had the look of the surprise of the league. They knocked off a good Virginia team at a neutral site, and both of their losses came to respectable programs (SMU and Boise State) that have been relatively average in their respective leagues.
The Bulldogs are just 3-7 in Big East games since taking out Providence, with a defense that is only slightly better than that of the Friars. PC is 356th in the country in points allowed, at 86.1 PPG, while their Defensive Rating in league play is 123.3 (points per 100 possessions).
Butler is the only Big East team close to PC defensively, with a rating of 122.0 in conference games.
They enjoyed a three-game winning streak over Seton Hall, DePaul, and Marquette, but largely struggled in Big East play — most recently falling, 77-64, at home against Georgetown in a game in which they shot just 5-33 in the second half.
The keys to defeating Butler are relatively straightforward:
Finley Bizjack is averaging 25.8 PPG in their conference victories. In their losses this season the guard is putting up 13.7 a night.
Butler wins on the margins. They don’t turn the ball over much, they don’t foul a lot (15.1 PFs/game — 28th in the country), they get to the free throw line a ton (17th in the country in free throw rate), their opponents rarely get to the stripe (6th in the nation in opponent FT Rate), and they have an absolute terror on the offensive glass in Ajayi.
Ajayi, a Gonzaga transfer, is averaging 16.0 points and 11.2 rebounds per game. He’s third in the nation in double-doubles and 5th in rebounding average. In Butler’s wins those numbers jump to 17.3 points and 12.2 boards a night.
Head coach Thad Matta will be searching for his 500th career victory when Butler travels to Providence on Wednesday night.
This is a matchup that has traditionally favored PC. Providence is 20-9 all-time versus Butler and 10-2 at home. The Bulldogs were struggling when they visited a year ago — losing, 84-65, at the AMP and dropping to 0-5 in league play. Freshman Ryan Mela went for 13 points, 15 rebounds, and four assists to lead the way for PC on that night.
Butler then knocked off PC, 82-81, in the return match — a game in which the Friars put up a desperation 3-pointer at the buzzer that didn’t have much of a chance.
In Kim English’s first season, the Friars tied the initial meeting on a last-second 3-pointer by Ticket Gaines, and won in overtime before Butler returned the favor (75-72) in Indianapolis two months later against a PC team without center Josh Oduro.
Providence is reeling entering Wednesday. They are 1-7 since a stirring win at Madison Square Garden with a current four-game losing streak that most recently included a listless effort in an 87-73 loss at Villanova.
PC was down starters Corey Floyd Jr. and Jason Edwards in that one. Edwards has missed the last half dozen games due to a foot injury.
If the Friars are to fight their way out of last place in the Big East, this would be the week to get on that. PC hosts Butler tomorrow and then DePaul on Saturday before heading to Newark to play Seton Hall on Feb. 11.
These are winnable games, but this group may have taken one too many body blows to muster a February winning streak of any kind. PC hasn’t won consecutive conference games since beating Georgetown and Seton Hall late last January, and they’ve won just three Big East games since then.
Still, if Providence can keep Ajayi from killing them on the glass, they should have a good chance to snap the skid on Wednesday night.
Let’s Go PC we need this one.
Even in this awful, putrid, frustrating year they should have enough to win this game. Individually, these players have pride. I assume they want to win for their coach too. It won’t change anything but, It would be nice to see a strong wire-to-wire double digit win. Go Friars!