Busting Brackets
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Big East Basketball Power Rankings: Providence, SJU trending oppositely

By Lukas Harkins

ANAHEIM, CA - DECEMBER 01: Head coach Ed Cooley of the Providence Friars looks on in the second half of the game against the Pepperdine Waves during the Wooden Legacy at the Anaheim Convention Center at on December 1, 2019 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
ANAHEIM, CA - DECEMBER 01: Head coach Ed Cooley of the Providence Friars looks on in the second half of the game against the Pepperdine Waves during the Wooden Legacy at the Anaheim Convention Center at on December 1, 2019 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MARCH 14: Coach Cooley of the Friars reacts. (Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MARCH 14: Coach Cooley of the Friars reacts. (Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images) /

player. 476. . . . Providence Friars. 5

Providence started this season at 6-6 with some dreadful performances (see the loss to LBSU) and warranted sticking in the No. 10 spot for a few weeks. Since falling to .500, though, the Friars have now rattled off four consecutive wins and that includes a flawless 3-0 start to Big East play with two road victories. Providence’s turnaround over the past few weeks has been simply remarkable as it looks like a completely different team on both ends of the floor.

The Friars have scaled back their pace of play during this stretch and they are being far more deliberate offensively to create open looks for one another. Head coach Ed Cooley is seemingly turning this team into what we thought it would be in the preseason and that is a scary thought. After Providence’s exceptionally poor non-conference, the team appears to be playing with a desperation that makes it very dangerous.

The Friars’ NCAA Tournament hopes are now back to being very much alive and that will be interesting to monitor moving forward. Luwane Pipkins and Maliek White, most notably, appear to finally be hitting their strides this season on the offensive end of the floor. Providence has shot up efficiency rankings as a result of its recent performances and it is worth wondering what the ceiling really is for this team.

Could this be just a “flash-in-the-pan” four-game stretch? Yes, but it honestly feels like Providence has turned a corner. We will continue to find out more about this team as it looks to defend “The Dunk” during this coming week with Butler and St. John’s coming to town.

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