Providence Basketball: 3 keys to defeating Texas A&M
Keep Texas A&M off the offensive glass
Providence has held their own on the glass this season because their wings are willing to compete with bigger players for rebounds. Isaiah Jackson and Alpha Diallo have consistently ripped down boards in traffic this season and Jalen Lindsey had a 10 rebound game in the Big East Tournament.
However, the Friars have not faced a team with this high level of size and athleticism in the frontcourt. Robert Williams starts at PF, despite being a future NBA center. He is an elite athlete for his size which allows him to rebound at an extremely high level and allows him to protect the rim.
Tyler Davis is not the same caliber of athlete as Williams, but he has a bigger body and is a better offensive rebounder. Williams and Davis are two of the best big men in the country and it will be essential for Providence to keep them off the offensive glass.
The Friars have excelled with a small lineup that features Rodney Bullock at the five, but this lineup was eaten alive and forced off the floor by Tyler Wideman (Butler) and Angel Delgado (Seton Hall). I think the Williams-Davis pairing will be able to do the same.
Texas A&M is the 23rd best offensive rebounding team in the country, according to KenPom, while Providence ranks as a slightly below average defensive rebounding squad.
Kalif Young and Nate Watson will see major minutes in this contest and will need to make an impact. Young is extremely limited as an offensive player, but he will compete on the glass. Watson has improved by leaps and bounds this season, especially as a one-on-one post defender, but he still lacks an aggressive rebounding mindset.
Providence will have to gang rebound and consistently box out in order to limit Texas A&M’s second chance opportunities. Hopefully, Jackson and Diallo can continue to mix it up in the paint against a bigger and more athletic frontline.