NCAA Basketball top 25 power rankings: Tennessee and Villanova rise, Alabama falls
By Joey Loose
23. Providence (11-1)
Since the reformation of the Big East, Providence has been one of the programs that has come out of the woodwork and been competitive in the conference. This league has seen Villanova ascend to some of college basketball’s highest heights, but there has been a sprinkling of success from many of the other teams in the league. Providence’s run of success may have been a few years ago, but a revival of sorts is beginning with this year’s team.
Our first sign came in the first week of the season when the Friars got a very nice road win at Wisconsin. Along the way, they’ve picked up a few more solid wins, including against Texas Tech and recently at Connecticut in their most recent outing. That lone loss in nonconference play came in an abhorrent performance against Virginia back in November, but the Friars have put that in the rearview with a six-game winning streak.
Defense has been a calling card for the Friars, who have given up less than 60 points in each of their last four games. On the other end, the offense has let them down at times, especially in that game with the Cavaliers. The shooting and rebounding numbers have been lacking in recent outings, though the defense, which is slowly climbing the efficiency rankings, has led them to some of these big wins. They handled Wisconsin and navigated Texas Tech, but can they pull this off on a weekly basis against Big East foes, starting next week against Seton Hall?