1st True Road Game

This is Providence's first true road game of the season, which means this is the first road game game for the freshman.

Playing Arizona in California was close to a road game, but this will be a whole different level.

Ryan Fazekas plays by far the most out of any of the Friar freshman, averaging 26 minutes per game and starting every one.

Fazekas averages eight points per game and is shooting .455 from three-point land.

Cooley vs. Hurley

It's always fascinating to look from Ed Cooley to Dan Hurley, back to Cooley. Both coaches are so intense, Cooley ripping his jacket off and Dan Hurley stomping it's foot.

Two years ago, last time at the Ryan Center, the two coaches got into it at half court and had to be separated by the officials and last season there was plenty of verbal jousting to go around.

Hurley is also looking for his first win over the Friars.

The chess match will be interesting as well, Cooley's Friars will mostly sit in a zone while Hurley is going to have to figure out how to guard Kris Dunn and who to guard him with.

Foul Trouble

Both teams have struggled with foul trouble over the first couple of weeks of the season. You could say this is the case for many teams around the country struggling with the enforcement of touch fouls.

URI

For URI, Hassan Martin and Kuran Iverson need to stay on the floor. Martin has picked up at least four fouls in four of URI's seven games so far this season, fouling out in of them.

Iverson has only fouled out of one game so far this season but will be vital for URI as he comes off a double-double.

PC

For the Friars, Dunn, Bentil and Bullock need to stay on the floor.

Dunn has picked up four fouls in two of the Friars last three games and had to sit on the bench during crucial points of games against Arizona and Michigan State. Dunn's aggressiveness on defense sometimes hurts him in certain situations.

Ben Bentil is the only big that PC has on the floor and really on the team. When you ask the question "who is more important, Dunn or Bentil?" the answer is Dunn, but it's closer than you might think.

Rodney Bullock needs to stay on the floor for offense, he is averaging 13 points per game for the Friars this season.

URI Offense

No E.C. Matthews means the majority of the Rams offense is in the hands of transfers Four McGlynn and Kuran Martin.

McGlynn averages 13 points per game for URI and is shooting 43% from the field and 44% from three-point land.

Kuran Iverson comes into the game with 12 points per game and is shooting a 52 % from the field.

"Kuran, more now then at the start of year, has realized what his role is, he had a double double against Holy Cross, so I think he is starting to take over a little bit," said Steve McDonald.

Certainly, Hassan Martin and Jared Terrell contribute to the offense, Martin is capable of a double double at any time but the majority of the URI offense will run through McGlynn and Iverson.

Bentil vs Martin

Other than Kris Dunn, the matchup of Ben Bentil against Hassan Martin is the most fascinating matchup on the court.

"Bentil and Hassan will be a nice matchup to watch, Hassan know he hasn't played great so far this season and will look to be a factor. The winner of Bentil vs. Hassan could win the game," said URI radio play-by-play man  Steve McDonald.

Bentil averages 17 points and 7 rebounds per game for Providence and comes in having scored at least 20 points in each of the last four games.

Hassan Martin comes in averaging 11 points and six rebounds per game for Rhode Island.

Who Guards Kris Dunn?

The biggest question for URI is who/how will they defend Kris Dunn?

Dunn is arguably the best guard in the country and comes into this game after putting up a triple-double against the University of Hartford.

On the season, Dunn averages 18 points, 6.6 rebounds and 7.6 assists per game.

Hurley on his radio show with Steve McDonald hinted that he would show Dunn multiple looks and multiple players.

However, don't be surprised if Jared Terrell gets a good amount of time on Dunn. Terrell earned his way into the starting lineup last season because of his defense.