Can PC Friars Start the Big East Season With a Big Win Against Marquette?

Tuesday, December 19, 2023

Robert McMahon, Sports Columnist

 

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Marquette star and Cumberland-native Tyler Kolek comes to Providence Tuesday night

Does PC, a slight underdog in tonight’s game, have a pathway to beat 7th-ranked Marquette?  If you attended Saturday’s PC-Sacred Heart game, you had to be shaking your head with doubts about the Friars' chances against this Marquette quintet. PC struggled for 30 minutes in the Sacred Heart contest before putting away the 4-8 Pioneers.

 

The game against 9-2 Marquette will be another homecoming for Marquette guard Tyler Kolek. The Cumberland native, who played his high school ball at St. George’s prep in Middletown, somehow slipped under PC’s recruiting radar back in 2019. He ended up at George Mason for two years before being snagged by Shaka Smart at Marquette. Kolek, this year’s pre-season pick as Big East player of the year, seems to play with a bit of a chip on his shoulder when he plays against the Friars.

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Along with UCONN and Creighton, Marquette will be one of PC’s toughest Big East games. The Golden Eagles are 7th ranked for several reasons. They have some big-time wins, beating Texas and Kansas when Kansas was ranked #1. They lost to Purdue by only 3 points. They outscore their opponents by 14 points/game. They have a consistent lineup.  The starting 5 is the same every game and they rely primarily on just 3 other players who provide 20 minutes of playing time/game off the bench.  They minimize mistakes, averaging only 10 turnovers/game.

 

Marquette is led by 3 top scorers. Guard Kam Jones at 15.6 pts/game, guard Kolek at 15.0 pts/game, and 6’11” big man Oso Ighodaro at 13.7 pts/game.

 

Before an expected amped-up crowd of 12,000+ at the AMP, this is a winnable game for the 9-2 PC Friars.  They have 3 top scorers in Bryce Hopkins at 17.2 pts/game, Devin Carter at 15.5 pts/game, and Josh Oduro at 14.0 pts/game.  PC’s field goal percentage is a pretty good 47% compared to Marquette’s 49%.  But PC’s margin of error is thin if they are going to beat the Golden Eagles.  My three keys to the game:  The Friars have to take care of the ball and reduce their turnovers which are averaging 16/game.  They have to hit their free throws, which have only recently inched up to 70% per game.  Finally, Devin Carter can’t get into foul trouble.  Saturday’s game against Sacred Heart revealed how different PC is without Carter in the lineup.

 

I’m optimistic for PC’s chances for several reasons.  Bryce Hopkins has regained his outside shooting touch by modifying his 3 pt shot release.  It was a relief to see him make some clutch 3-point shots against Sacred Heart. Though I’d like to see Hopkins drive to the basket more to get Marquette’s big guy Ighodaro into foul trouble.  The Sacred Heart game also revealed that Freshman Rich Barron has got a reliable outside shot. He made 4 of 6 treys coming off the bench.  I hope he can keep his stroke going in tonight’s game.  I also think that Marquette hasn’t played against a defense as intense as PC’s.  They are not going to score 80 pts against this PC team.

 

Tonight’s home game against Marquette might by PC’s best chance of grabbing a win against the Big East’s big three of UCONN, Creighton, and Marquette.  Let’s see if the Friars can capitalize on this opportunity.

 

Answers to last week’s Trivia Questions:

 

Q.  Where did PC Coach Joe Mullaney coach immediately after the 1968-69 season?

 

A.  Mullaney was lured to Tinseltown and coached the LA Lakers for two seasons:  1969-1970 and 1970-71, coaching Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlin, and Elgin Baylor. A backup guard on the 1969-70 Lakers team was former PC standout Johnny Egan. Even though Mullaney had great regular season records, he was let go after 2 years because he couldn’t bring an NBA title to LA during his tenure.  Mullaney later coached several ABA teams, Brown University, and again at PC.  But his best years were during his first stint at PC.  One of his sons Joe Mullaney, Jr.  was a successful PC women’s team coach and has been the coach of the Villanova women’s team for the last 28 years.

 

Q. Who was the only PC player to be selected All-American for two seasons in a row?

 

A.  Jimmy Walker, arguably the best player to ever don a PC uniform, was first team All-American in the 1965-66 and 1966-67 seasons.  He averaged 30 pts/game in the 1966-67 season besting some guy from UCLA, Lew Alcindor, as the leading scoring in the country.

 

This week’s Trivia Questions:

Which PC player had the longest NBA career of any PC player, scoring over 18,000 points?

Who is the only PC player with three NBA championship rings?

 

Answers in next week’s column on 12/26/23

Bob McMahon is the former Director of Parks in the City of Providence and a lifelong Providence College Friar fan.


 

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