Big East Basketball: 2018-19 storylines for Providence at Marquette
3. Last place in the Big East is on the line
It’s obviously not for the host team.
The visiting Friars currently sit a 1-3 in the Big East and are a half-game back of last place in the conference, currently held by Creighton. A loss on Sunday would tie the Friars for the last spot.
Providence was picked to finish fourth in the Big East preseason poll, three spots above the Golden Eagles.
Of course, being last place in mid-January isn’t overly concerning. But when you would have lost four of your last five and hadn’t earned a double-digit victory in over a month, it may seem problematic. And it’s the exact scenario the struggling Friars will likely be facing.
Most of Providence’s issues have come from the offensive end. The Friars shot below 42 percent in all of its conference losses this season. In its three consecutive wins prior to conference play, Ed Cooley’s group shot north of that figure in each outing; they shot 46 percent from the floor and 39 percent from beyond the arc in a nine-point win over Texas in Austin a month ago.
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Scoring efficiently is an area the Friars can perform well in and it results in wins. Shooting 37 percent from beyond the arc on the season, they are clearly capable of hitting the long ball. Providence has an opportunity to post high shooting percentages against an underwhelming Marquette defense.