McDermott and the Friars needed a huge rally to beat DePaul in Big East tournament action.
It looked as if another NCAA team was going to play itself the bubble Wednesday morning. But Providence held woeful DePaul without a basket for over eight minutes in the second half and held on to win 83-74.
Sharaud Curry poured in 25 points to lead the Friars. Weyinmi Efejuku added 23 points and five assists.
DePaul finished the season with a 9-24 record and only a single win against Big East opponents. This is little reason to hope, especially if star G Dar Tucker tests the NBA waters. Tucker scored 31 points to lead the Blue Demons.
Providence likely needs to upset No. 1 seed Louisville tomorrow to make the NCAA tournament. The Friars have a low RPI and only 3-9 against top-50 teams. However, one of those wins came against then No. 1 Pitt.
Don’t be surprised if Providence pushes Louisville tomorrow morning. The Friars are experienced and Louisville has little to play for, so an upset is certainly possible. Stay tuned.
Categories: Big East · College Basketball · March Madness · Nightly Round-Up · Providence Friars
Tagged: Big Dance, Big East tournament, Dar Tucker, Dar Tucker NBA draft, More, NCAA tournament, Providence bubble-watch, Providence rallies past DePaul, Sharaud Curry, Weyinmi Efejuku
The Providence Friars added a much-needed signature win to the NCAA tournament resume by dropping No. 1 Pitt 81-73 at the Dunkin Donuts Center Tuesday night.
Providence led 44-26 at the half and led by double-digits for almost the entire game. Weyinmi Efejuku led a balanced Friar attack with 16 points.
Pitt struggled from the perimeter, as Levance Fields and Sam Young shot a combined 9-25. The Panthers also committed 18 turnovers and didn’t seem ready to play.
Meanwhile, Providence couldn’t have played much better. The Friars shot 49 percent from the field and committed only nine turnovers against a tough Pitt defense.
McDermott leads an experienced Providence squad (Pic via statsheet.com)
Although a 17-11 record isn’t overly impressive, a 9-7 record has the Friars in position to make the NCAA tournament under first-year head coach Keno Davis.
The decline of Georgetown and Notre Dame makes it likely that Big East teams including Cincinnati and Providence have a good chance to sneak into the Big Dance.
Davis has yet to completely install his system at Providence, but the Friars are a dangerous team nonetheless. Efejuku, Geoff McDermott, Sharaud Curry and Jonathan Kale have a wealth of experience and seem to be peaking as the season continues.
Providence closes out the regular season with visits to Rutgers and Villanova.
Categories: Big East · College Basketball · Nightly Round-Up · Pitt Panthers · Providence Friars
Tagged: Big East upsets, Dunkin Donuts, Geoff McDermott, Jonathan Kale, Keno Davis, More, Pitt Panthers, Providence Friars, Providence Friars bubble watch, Providence NCAA tournament bubble watch, Providence Pitt basketball recap, Providence upsets Pitt, Sam Young, Sharaud Curry, Weyinmi Efejuku
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