Can the Friars Shine in San Diego?
It’s Feast Week, and the Friars are heading to San Diego to compete in the Rady Children’s Invitational. Off the back of the best game the Friars have played thus far, they face the Wisconsin Badgers, who just dropped out of the Top 25 after a 28-point loss to #9 BYU.
Game Information:
Tip Off: 5:30 PM ET
Location: Jenny Craig Pavilion – San Diego, CA
TV Streaming: FS1
Providence Overview:
Strengths:
Providence has been a reliably strong offensive team this season, shooting 48% from the field, 31% from three, and an improved 79% from the free-throw line. Five Friars are averaging double figures, led by Jason Edwards (19.3 ppg) and Jaylin Sellers (16 ppg). Kim English’s freshmen have also made immediate contributions—Stefan Vaaks has shown poise from his professional background, and Jamier Jones has been a physical spark early on. Most importantly for this matchup, Oswin Erhunmwunse has been elite defensively; he currently sits tied for first in the nation in blocks.
Weaknesses:
Providence’s defense improved significantly in the Penn State game, but it would be extremely premature to even consider taking this out of the Friars’ weakness column. Simultaneously, the offensive rebound game is still lacking for Providence, as they were outrebounded offensively again against Penn State. Despite significant improvement in the individuals on the court, the frontcourt lacks great depth, as Hargrove is yet to shine as a Friar. Lastly, even though the Friars have great depth offensively, they have shown inconsistency in their ability to make threes, with only 18% dropping last game.
Wisconsin Overview:
Strengths:
Wisconsin has been consistently able to score this season, averaging 46.5% from the field, and the lowest point total of the year was 70 against a top-10 opponent in BYU. The Badgers also bring a lot of physicality to the frontcourt, with four 6’10” players and another two 7-footers. This is significantly deeper than Providence’s frontcourt and provides Wisconsin the opportunity for flexibility for foul or stamina issues.
Weaknesses:
Defense has been an issue for the Badgers, as they have allowed 71.2 ppg with only one big matchup thus far (BYU, 98 points against). Specifically, they were sloppy in the transition game, allowing a lot of open shots due to disorganization. Additionally, in their first test of the season, Wisconsin only shot 38% FG and 24% from beyond the arc. Expect Providence to be able to get a lot of good looks from three.
Providence’s Keys to Winning
1) Reduce Second Chance Scoring Opportunities for Wisconsin
Providence showed encouraging defensive progress against Penn State, though the matchup did not replicate Wisconsin’s physicality. Despite losing the offensive rebounding battle (15–14), the Friars held Penn State to 14 second-chance points while scoring 19 of their own. Against Wisconsin’s size, minimizing second-chance scoring is essential.
2) Stay Out of Foul Trouble
With limited frontcourt depth, Providence cannot afford early fouls from Erhunmwunse, who will be vital on both ends. Hargrove also needs to stay on the floor after reaching four fouls again last game. In a physical matchup, avoiding foul-related lineup disruptions will be critical for Kim English.
3) Hitting Threes
It was the Friars’ worst performance from behind the arc this year, having shot a measly 18% on 33 attempts. In order to compete with a team like Wisconsin, Providence must keep up offensively, meaning they need to get this % up – ideally in the high 30s to low 40s.
4) Better Shot Selection
I decided to add a fourth key for this matchup, just because some of the shots the Friars were choosing to shoot were, to say the least, surprising. It’s great that the shooters are feeling confident to shoot from deep, but with a team that can punish in the paint and midrange, it feels like a waste to rush the possession with a three from NBA distance (several times). This is not to say Providence should not be shooting less from three; it just felt like they did not let the play fully develop on some of their shot choices.
Key Players:
Providence: Oswin Erhunmwunse, Stefan Vaaks, Jason Edwards
Wisconsin: Nick Boyd, Nolan Winter, John Blackwell