Providence Looks to Rebound from a Defensive No-Show with Villanova Coming to Town
Previewing Nova, plus the latest episode of The Friar Podcast.
With Villanova returning to the AMP on Tuesday night, Bill and I broke down a Providence defense that continued to spring leaks in their last game out against Xavier — focusing on PC’s inability to slow 3-point shooters.
It can be heard on:
The struggles against Xavier continued season-long issues on the defensive end. Providence hadn’t finished outside of KenPom’s top 100 in defensive efficiency from 2013-2024, but they are on track to do so for the second consecutive season. They are currently #147 nationally. It’s a defense that gives up nearly 38% shooting from beyond the arc and doesn’t turn teams over with any consistency (#322 on KenPom as of Tuesday morning).
The Friars will have to be far crisper against a Villanova club that enters Tuesday with a 13-3 overall mark and 4-1 record in the Big East.
Kevin Willard has done a terrific job in his first year at Nova. The Wildcats have KenPom’s 25th-rated offense, yet the biggest leap from last season came on the defensive end, where they rank 38th nationally — after falling out of the top 100 last season.
Willard made some shrewd offseason additions, highlighted by freshman point guard Acaden Lewis, who is averaging 13.0 points and 5.2 assists per game. Lewis is currently the frontrunner for Big East Freshman of the Year. He’s been terrific. The D.C. native scored a combined 40 points with 15 assists in his last two conference games.
Lewis’ backcourt mate, Bryce Lindsey, has also been a hit. Perhaps the best pure shooter in the league, Lindsey is putting up 15.6 points per game on 41% shooting beyond the arc. Providence recruited the redshirt sophomore out of Baltimore last spring. He spent a year at Texas A&M before breaking out at James Madison last season.
The frontcourt has benefited from a solid season from young hybrid forward Matt Hodge (10.6 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 35% from three) who plays a bit of the Alex Karaban role for Villanova. The redshirt freshman has wasted little time in making an impact.
Senior center Duke Brennan has been one of the most impactful transfers in the Big East this year — putting up 12.3 points and 10.9 rebounds per game. He’s a terror on the offensive glass, grabbing 4.6 per game on that end.
Willard also has a pair of veterans in Tyler Perkins and Devin Askew — who each play 20+ minutes a night. Perkins is a steady junior who stayed at Villanova, despite the coaching change last spring. He’s nearly doubled his scoring average (6.3 to 11.2) and shoots 79% at the free throw line and a tick under 35% from three.
Meanwhile, Askew is in his sixth year of college basketball, with a career that spanned a year at Kentucky, followed by stints at Texas, Cal, Long Beach State, and now Villanova. His 8.6 points per game average is somewhat inflated by a 27-point effort against Sacred Heart and an 18-point outburst in an 89-61 loss to Michigan.
Providence will need a far better defensive effort if they are going to defend their home court successfully on Tuesday.
The loss of freshman Jamier Jones, who sat out on Saturday with a shoulder injury, was critical the last time out. Jones had been playing at an elite level and brings an energy and aggression that was lacking without him.
Jones is averaging 13.8 points and 5.2 rebounds per game in conference play, and has made 20 of his 27 shots from the field (including 4-6 from three) against Big East competition.
PC is the only team that can shoot 55% from the floor, score 48 points in the 2nd half and still lose by 6. Another frustrating game to watch.
Never once did I think the friars were going to win. Team stinks. Coach is way over his head. Keno part 2.