Big East Basketball Power Rankings: Butler, DePaul remain undefeated

Providence has easily been one of the most disappointing teams in the country to begin this season. While the Friars have definitely performed at a high level on some occasions so far, it is impossible to ignore their losses to Northwestern (away) and Penn (home). There should be no doubt about the idea that Providence has enough talent to compete in the upper half of the Big East but that level of play has just not materialized yet this season. Head coach Ed Cooley’s team has struggled to find an identity, particularly on the offensive end of the floor.

Even though the team has dealt with some injury issues early on, they should be performing at a much higher level than they have to this point. As a result, it is hard to place the Friars any higher than ninth in the league at this moment. With that said, I do believe that head coach Ed Cooley will push this team to finish closer to their preseason expectations as the season continues. While I am not as high on Coach Cooley as other writers, he is consistently successful with regard to putting together bubble-worthy resumes.

With regard to individual contributors, Alpha Diallo is leading the way with 13.7 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. Alongside him, the backcourt duo of David Duke (12.5p/5.0r/4.5a) and Luwane Pipkins (10.3p/6.2a) have posted strong numbers to begin this season. Providence’s roster features a ton of depth this season but they lack cohesiveness as a team.

Up next for the Friars will be the Wooden Legacy Tournament. They will take on Long Beach State in the opener before facing Wake Forest/Charleston. Their final game of the event will come against one of UCF/Penn/Pepperdine/Arizona. This might not be the most challenging non-conference event but it should be an opportunity for PC to gather some momentum with some solid wins – if they can perform at a higher level than they have thus far.