Georgetown @ Providence 12/22/21 Game Cancelled due to COVID

[DanMcQ]

I'll be there. Hope Dante (sans boot) will be there too.

[hoyalove4ever]

That is the story of this game! Have fun and GO HOYAS!!!

[daveg023]

Hoping for an emotional let down for PC, but it’s also their home opener. Let’s hope Reeves cools off, as other than him their shooters are average. Watson is going to be tough to guard though. Really miss Tim here.

When is the last time we were 1-0 in the BE? Feels like it must be 6 years ago at this point.

[bostonfan]

Providence is like TCU in some ways. They are an experienced, physically mature team that is going to try to force the younger Hoyas into mistakes. Providence has some flaws as a team and other than Reeves, who is a streaky shooter, they don't have that many guys who scare you from the there point line and they can go cold for extended periods of time. Handling Watson in the post is going to be a challenge for the young Hoyas. He can take a game over once he gets rolling, so you ned to find a way to deny the easy passes to him and then in the cases here he does get the ball you need to double him to make him give it up. If Tim was available I think he could match him physically, but Watson is a much more skilled low post player.

Limit turnovers and bad shots and the Hoyas can give themselves a chance to win at the end.

[professorhoya]

When do we get Tim back?

[hoyaboya]

Dec 20, 2021 13:32:33 GMT -5 bostonfan said:

Providence is like TCU in some ways. They are an experienced, physically mature team that is going to try to force the younger Hoyas into mistakes. Providence has some flaws as a team and other than Reeves, who is a streaky shooter, they don't have that many guys who scare you from the there point line and they can go cold for extended periods of time. Handling Watson in the post is going to be a challenge for the young Hoyas. He can take a game over once he gets rolling, so you ned to find a way to deny the easy passes to him and then in the cases here he does get the ball you need to double him to make him give it up. If Tim was available I think he could match him physically, but Watson is a much more skilled low post player.

Limit turnovers and bad shots and the Hoyas can give themselves a chance to win at the end.

Seems like a team ripe to play zone against, particularly given some of the Hoyas' current physical weakness in the post without Big Tim.

[hoya9797]

Dec 20, 2021 12:44:57 GMT -5 daveg023 said:

Hoping for an emotional let down for PC, but it’s also their home opener. Let’s hope Reeves cools off, as other than him their shooters are average. Watson is going to be tough to guard though. Really miss Tim here.

When is the last time we were 1-0 in the BE? Feels like it must be 6 years ago at this point.

2019

[johnnysnowplow]

Dec 20, 2021 13:44:48 GMT -5 hoyaboya said:

Dec 20, 2021 13:32:33 GMT -5 bostonfan said:

Providence is like TCU in some ways. They are an experienced, physically mature team that is going to try to force the younger Hoyas into mistakes. Providence has some flaws as a team and other than Reeves, who is a streaky shooter, they don't have that many guys who scare you from the there point line and they can go cold for extended periods of time. Handling Watson in the post is going to be a challenge for the young Hoyas. He can take a game over once he gets rolling, so you ned to find a way to deny the easy passes to him and then in the cases here he does get the ball you need to double him to make him give it up. If Tim was available I think he could match him physically, but Watson is a much more skilled low post player.

Limit turnovers and bad shots and the Hoyas can give themselves a chance to win at the end.

Seems like a team ripe to play zone against, particularly given some of the Hoyas' current physical weakness in the post without Big Tim.

Who’s got the coaching edge here…?

[iowa80]

PC is 4-0 in Quad 1 wins, best in country. This is a very good team.

[hoyaboya]

Dec 20, 2021 15:57:16 GMT -5 johnnysnowplow said:

Dec 20, 2021 13:44:48 GMT -5 hoyaboya said:

Seems like a team ripe to play zone against, particularly given some of the Hoyas' current physical weakness in the post without Big Tim.

Who’s got the coaching edge here…?

Both guys are highly overpaid, with the same number of Big East Tournament titles and NCAA Tournament victories. Since Cooley's had a lot more swings at the plate to deliver his mediocre results, I'll say Ewing has the coaching edge in this one.

[calhoya]

Providence is the very definition of "experienced" as one of the oldest teams in the nation with 9 players aged 22 or older. Very tough challenge for a young Hoya team and the perfect time for Carey and Rice to step up in leadership roles.

[hoya9797]

Dec 20, 2021 16:46:51 GMT -5 hoyaboya said:

Dec 20, 2021 15:57:16 GMT -5 johnnysnowplow said:

Who’s got the coaching edge here…?

Both guys are highly overpaid, with the same number of Big East Tournament titles and NCAA Tournament victories. Since Cooley's had a lot more swings at the plate to deliver his mediocre results, I'll say Ewing has the coaching edge in this one.

Cooley has won one NCAA tournament game. The idea that you distill a guy’s career down to a handful of games is dumb.

[bluegray79]

It's been said that "Hope is not a strategy." Still, folks seem to hope that we can pull off a win against PC because they don't have many good shooters, don't shoot the 3 particularly well, and only Reeves is a real threat, so if we cover him effectively, we stand a pretty decent chance. That reasoning seems to depend more on hoping than on having a plan -- or a strategy -- to do what we have been unable to do consistently in our first 11 games, and that is defend against the 3 and prevent teams that don't shoot real well from having breakout games against us.

Coach Ewing said it well in the TCU post game interview -- that multiple players need to contribute, and that means good ball movement and getting guys lots of touches. That looks like the beginning of a strategy, and it is up to Coach and staff to make it into a working plan.

2 specific concerns: 1) it may be that teams are starting to figure out Aminu and are keying in on him more effectively; and 2) as was mentioned above, PC has real maturity on its side. Mature teams find ways of winning close games and maybe games on nights when they are struggling.

Good ball movement, a tight zone defense, and many fewer turnovers should give us a chance. I hope we have a sound strategy to make it happen. Go Hoyas!!!!!

[hoyaboya]

Dec 20, 2021 16:55:58 GMT -5 hoya9797 said:

Dec 20, 2021 16:46:51 GMT -5 hoyaboya said:

Both guys are highly overpaid, with the same number of Big East Tournament titles and NCAA Tournament victories. Since Cooley's had a lot more swings at the plate to deliver his mediocre results, I'll say Ewing has the coaching edge in this one.

Cooley has won one NCAA tournament game. The idea that you distill a guy’s career down to a handful of games is dumb.

Thank you for the correction, Providence won a play-in game vs. USC in 2016. Providence was 50-41 in the last three seasons coming into this one with 0 NCAA Tournament appearances during that span.

Some quotes from Cooley after last season:

“There’s some soul searching I think we all have to do — and it all starts with me,” Cooley said of not being in the Ruane Center preparing for an NCAA Tournament game this week.

“Again, I will 100-percent take accountability for my program,” Cooley said, almost in disgust at not extracting better individual and team performances after a 13-13 season in which PC lost 10 Big East Conference games.

“(Athletic Director) Bob Driscoll and (PC President Rev. Fr.) Ken Sicard trust me with this program, and I don’t feel I’ve done a really good job delivering for them,” Cooley added. “So the soul searching starts with me. I need to do a better job. We all need to do a better job. But it all starts with me and that’s where we’ll begin. It wasn’t a season I’m proud of and, hopefully, we can get better as we move forward.”

www.thesunchronicle.com/sports/local_sports/cooley-left-frustrated-in-himself-his-team-after-friars-lost-season/article_4367d5b9-f973-5198-8fa3-2f67c3ad00f1.html

[hoyaboya]

Dec 20, 2021 17:16:24 GMT -5 bluegray79 said:

It's been said that "Hope is not a strategy." Still, folks seem to hope that we can pull off a win against PC because they don't have many good shooters, don't shoot the 3 particularly well, and only Reeves is a real threat, so if we cover him effectively, we stand a pretty decent chance. That reasoning seems to depend more on hoping than on having a plan -- or a strategy -- to do what we have been unable to do consistently in our first 11 games, and that is defend against the 3 and prevent teams that don't shoot real well from having breakout games against us.

Coach Ewing said it well in the TCU post game interview -- that multiple players need to contribute, and that means good ball movement and getting guys lots of touches. That looks like the beginning of a strategy, and it is up to Coach and staff to make it into a working plan.

2 specific concerns: 1) it may be that teams are starting to figure out Aminu and are keying in on him more effectively; and 2) as was mentioned above, PC has real maturity on its side. Mature teams find ways of winning close games and maybe games on nights when they are struggling.

Good ball movement, a tight zone defense, and many fewer turnovers should give us a chance. I hope we have a sound strategy to make it happen. Go Hoyas!!!!!

Agree with some of this, don't agree with other parts of it. Mo has gone for 23 and 13 and 21 and 11 in two of his last three games - against Syracuse and TCU respectively - so not seeing the commentary on teams figuring out Aminu and "keying in on him more effectively". Also, we only had 10 turnovers against TCU, way down from the 23 against Howard - so limiting turnovers by itself is not necessarily a key to victory.

[hoya9797]

Dec 20, 2021 17:18:27 GMT -5 hoyaboya said:

Dec 20, 2021 16:55:58 GMT -5 hoya9797 said:

Cooley has won one NCAA tournament game. The idea that you distill a guy’s career down to a handful of games is dumb.

Thank you for the correction, Providence won a play-in game vs. USC in 2016. Providence was 50-41 in the last three seasons coming into this one with 0 NCAA Tournament appearances during that span.

Some quotes from Cooley after last season:

“There’s some soul searching I think we all have to do — and it all starts with me,” Cooley said of not being in the Ruane Center preparing for an NCAA Tournament game this week.

“Again, I will 100-percent take accountability for my program,” Cooley said, almost in disgust at not extracting better individual and team performances after a 13-13 season in which PC lost 10 Big East Conference games.

“(Athletic Director) Bob Driscoll and (PC President Rev. Fr.) Ken Sicard trust me with this program, and I don’t feel I’ve done a really good job delivering for them,” Cooley added. “So the soul searching starts with me. I need to do a better job. We all need to do a better job. But it all starts with me and that’s where we’ll begin. It wasn’t a season I’m proud of and, hopefully, we can get better as we move forward.”

www.thesunchronicle.com/sports/local_sports/cooley-left-frustrated-in-himself-his-team-after-friars-lost-season/article_4367d5b9-f973-5198-8fa3-2f67c3ad00f1.html

It wasn’t a play in game. They were a 9 seed.

[hoyaboya]

Dec 20, 2021 17:22:52 GMT -5 hoya9797 said:

Dec 20, 2021 17:18:27 GMT -5 hoyaboya said:

Thank you for the correction, Providence won a play-in game vs. USC in 2016. Providence was 50-41 in the last three seasons coming into this one with 0 NCAA Tournament appearances during that span.

Some quotes from Cooley after last season:

“There’s some soul searching I think we all have to do — and it all starts with me,” Cooley said of not being in the Ruane Center preparing for an NCAA Tournament game this week.

“Again, I will 100-percent take accountability for my program,” Cooley said, almost in disgust at not extracting better individual and team performances after a 13-13 season in which PC lost 10 Big East Conference games.

“(Athletic Director) Bob Driscoll and (PC President Rev. Fr.) Ken Sicard trust me with this program, and I don’t feel I’ve done a really good job delivering for them,” Cooley added. “So the soul searching starts with me. I need to do a better job. We all need to do a better job. But it all starts with me and that’s where we’ll begin. It wasn’t a season I’m proud of and, hopefully, we can get better as we move forward.”

www.thesunchronicle.com/sports/local_sports/cooley-left-frustrated-in-himself-his-team-after-friars-lost-season/article_4367d5b9-f973-5198-8fa3-2f67c3ad00f1.html

It wasn’t a play in game. They were a 9 seed.

I stand corrected. The great Ed Cooley has won 1 NCAA Tournament game in 11 years as head coach of the Providence Friars and it was a 9 vs. 8 game. He hasn't made the NCAA Tournament since 2018. Providence is off to a very nice start this year so maybe he'll have some postseason success for the first time in his 16-year head coaching career.

[prhoya]

Dec 20, 2021 17:18:27 GMT -5 hoyaboya said:

Dec 20, 2021 16:55:58 GMT -5 hoya9797 said:

Cooley has won one NCAA tournament game. The idea that you distill a guy’s career down to a handful of games is dumb.

Thank you for the correction, Providence won a play-in game vs. USC in 2016. Providence was 50-41 in the last three seasons coming into this one with 0 NCAA Tournament appearances during that span.

Some quotes from Cooley after last season:

“There’s some soul searching I think we all have to do — and it all starts with me,” Cooley said of not being in the Ruane Center preparing for an NCAA Tournament game this week.

“Again, I will 100-percent take accountability for my program,” Cooley said, almost in disgust at not extracting better individual and team performances after a 13-13 season in which PC lost 10 Big East Conference games.

“(Athletic Director) Bob Driscoll and (PC President Rev. Fr.) Ken Sicard trust me with this program, and I don’t feel I’ve done a really good job delivering for them,” Cooley added. “So the soul searching starts with me. I need to do a better job. We all need to do a better job. But it all starts with me and that’s where we’ll begin. It wasn’t a season I’m proud of and, hopefully, we can get better as we move forward.”

www.thesunchronicle.com/sports/local_sports/cooley-left-frustrated-in-himself-his-team-after-friars-lost-season/article_4367d5b9-f973-5198-8fa3-2f67c3ad00f1.html

McD’s walls would crack if Pat said those words.

[hoyaboya]

The Friars are ranked #22/#23. It marks the first time the Friars have been ranked since Feb. 22, 2016.

friars.com/news/2021/12/20/no-22-23-mens-basketball-game-notes-vs-georgetown.aspx

[hoyaboya]

Dec 20, 2021 17:29:17 GMT -5 prhoya said:

Dec 20, 2021 17:18:27 GMT -5 hoyaboya said:

Thank you for the correction, Providence won a play-in game vs. USC in 2016. Providence was 50-41 in the last three seasons coming into this one with 0 NCAA Tournament appearances during that span.

Some quotes from Cooley after last season:

“There’s some soul searching I think we all have to do — and it all starts with me,” Cooley said of not being in the Ruane Center preparing for an NCAA Tournament game this week.

“Again, I will 100-percent take accountability for my program,” Cooley said, almost in disgust at not extracting better individual and team performances after a 13-13 season in which PC lost 10 Big East Conference games.

“(Athletic Director) Bob Driscoll and (PC President Rev. Fr.) Ken Sicard trust me with this program, and I don’t feel I’ve done a really good job delivering for them,” Cooley added. “So the soul searching starts with me. I need to do a better job. We all need to do a better job. But it all starts with me and that’s where we’ll begin. It wasn’t a season I’m proud of and, hopefully, we can get better as we move forward.”

www.thesunchronicle.com/sports/local_sports/cooley-left-frustrated-in-himself-his-team-after-friars-lost-season/article_4367d5b9-f973-5198-8fa3-2f67c3ad00f1.html

McD’s walls would crack if Pat said those words.

I give him all the credit in the world for standing up and saying what he did after last season. Believe it or not, I've grown to like Cooley a lot more in the last 9 months or so. I think this is the year his team breaks through, stays in the top 25 consistently and makes a run in the NCAA Tournament. I just think he's vastly overrated by some Big East fans given what he's actually accomplished in his relatively long Providence coaching career.

I'm impressed with this blurb in particular from the game notes vs. Georgetown:

"Veteran Lineup: The Friars' roster features five graduate students. It marks the first time ever the Friars have had five graduate students on the roster. The Friars' starting lineup of Nate Watson (134 games), Noah Horchler (99 games), Al Durham (135 games), AJ Reeves (91 games) and Jared Bynum (58 games) have combined to play 517 college basketball games. The Friars' sixth man Justin Minaya has played in 90 college games. The Friars top six players have played in 607 combined games."

friars.com/news/2021/12/20/no-22-23-mens-basketball-game-notes-vs-georgetown.aspx