In need of a big win, Providence readies for Rick Pitino and St. John's

With Providence in desperate need of a win, here comes… Rick Pitino.

Not ideal.

Pitino, now in his second year at St. John’s, has the Storm rolling with a 9-2 mark on the season and an offense that ranks 10th in the country in points in the paint, 8th in second chance points, and 18th in points per game.

St. John’s is athletic, physical, and will take to the floor on Friday night at the AMP (8pm on FOX) fresh off an 89-61 demolition of DePaul in which 80 of their points were scored inside the 3-point arc or at the free throw line.

This will be a gut-check for Providence in more ways than one.

The Friars are six days removed from a loss to St. Bonaventure in which they were outscored 38-18 in the paint and gave up 19 offensive rebounds. A similar effort against St. John’s will likely lead to the same fate on Friday night.

There are all sorts of questions facing Kim English’s group (7-5 on the season) heading into this one:

Will Bryce Hopkins return after sitting out against the Bonnies due to knee soreness?

Can they avoid turning the ball over at a high clip against Pitino’s aggressive defense?

Does Providence have enough on the interior to handle Zuby Ejiofor and his 4.5 offensive rebounds per game?

Of course, there are tactical challenges when Pitino comes to town, but perhaps the most significant question of them all for Providence just so happens to tie back to English’s mantra: Mindset. PC has seemed disconnected for portions of the season to date. Who comes out with the requisite fire on Friday? Does English elevate anyone in his rotation who has brought the appropriate energy against the Bonnies or in practice? Does he demote those who haven’t?