Providence vs. Georgetown College Basketball prediction, preview
I’ll admit, during a time of year where the games usually start to mean more, this is a pretty ugly game. Providence and Georgetown have both had pretty ugly seasons, but the Hoyas have been playing worse basketball of late.
Georgetown enters Saturday night on a seven-game losing streak. The Hoyas dug deep and gave Saint John’s everything it could handle on Tuesday night. But an eight-point lead at halftime wasn’t enough, and that might’ve been Georgetown’s last ditch effort to get a big win. Meanwhile, the Friars had a three-game winning streak snapped in embarrassing fashion, losing by 22 points to a bad Marquette team.
The loss was so bad that reports have already surfaced that Kim English will be fired as the Friars’ head coach. But the firing won’t happen right away, it’ll come after the Big East Tournament. I’m not even sure “house money” is the correct term here, but Providence is going to be playing with a completely free “screw it” attitude.
Not only are the Friars playing off a 22-point loss and for the pride of their coach, but they should also be looking for some revenge on this Georgetown team. The Friars led the previous matchup in Providence by 21 points over the Hoyas, and somehow let that entire lead evaporate in a loss (probably part of the reason that English will reportedly be fired).
Again, neither of these teams are good, but the best unit on the floor by a wide margin will be the Friars’ offense. Providence ranks 35th on KenPom in offensive efficiency, and plays at one of the fastest tempos in the country. I believe Providence has the ability to play this game with more freedom, and we should see that translate to success. I’ll back the Friars as short road underdogs.
