Sleeping with the Enemy: The Friars of Providence

It’s another game for your Georgetown Hoyas! On Saturday they match up with Providence we turn to our buddy The Warrior Friar. Let’s roll!

After you played us you lost three by bounce digits (including to DePaul) but beat Villanova. What’s been making the Friars so inconsistent?

There’s been a couple of things that have caused the Friars to be the most head-scratchingly inconsistent team in the Big East. I think, first and foremost, leadership can be lacking on the court at times. When Rodney Bullock and/or Kyron Cartwright play confidently, the rest of the team excels. When Cartwright is off the court for foul trouble, or Bullock starts getting in his own head and feeling insecure about his game, the team suffers. I think beyond leadership though you have a real problem on offense where the team’s effort comes from how well they’re doing scoring wise. That’s great if you have a high-caliber scoring team, but the Friars are not that team and get polar vortex levels of cold on offense. When that happens their defense takes a hit, and so does their control and poise on the court.

Although it was only half a game and in an emergency circumstance, what was it like to see that Providence played a game on campus?

It was surreal if I’m being honest. Like the game almost didn’t count. And then we blew it and I wished it actually didn’t count. But it was a fresh, different experience. Also really makes you appreciate the difference between a downtown arena and an on-campus one. I’ve been a big believer that Providence should always play their games downtown in the city, but after seeing it on campus I could get used to the idea of having an on-campus arena someday. It would need to be way bigger though. And the on-campus bar would need to be open or connected in some way for drinking purposes.

Seems like Alpha Diallo has made some strides forward in his sophomore campaign. What have you seen him do better this season?

Really just a ton of confidence. He seems to play much more aggressively on offense and take his shot rather than wait for it. Defensively he’s improved - he’s not the perfect lock-down defender I want him to be or that Providence needs him to be - but he’s definitely doing more on offense.

Tell us a bit about Providence’s recruiting class for next year.

I truthfully don’t know a ton about it beyond the top two guys, AJ Reeves and David Duke. Duke is apparently a do-it-all guard, and AJ Reeves will help us a ton with shooting the ball better (hopefully getting rid of those scoring droughts we’ve suffered through this year). This probably isn’t my question to answer though. Sorry!

If you had to go with your gut right now, do the Friars make the tourney?

Yes, but probably a play-in game. We only have a couple bad losses, but we have some great wins, and I think the scales tip in our favor.

How do you think the recently announced developments in the FBI probe affect both the Big East and college basketball at large?

Everyone’s fucked. Just kidding, only most people are fucked. I think the Big East will largely come out unscathed. I think the ACC and the Pac-12 are about to get smacked hard.

What character from “The Simpsons” do you relate the most to?

This is a good question...probably Milhouse. I was a nerdy kid growing up who was the butt of the joke sometimes but still had my own thing going on and was a good friend to the people I cared about. Nowadays I’m more like Homer, which is a stupid answer in a way but it’s the one I’m going with.

Which type of cuisine is your favorite and why?

Sushi. I’m a fiend for hot dogs and pizza, but I could literally eat sushi for every meal, every day, for the rest of my life and be happy. I love sushi so goddamn much. I think I’m gonna get sushi tonight for dinner.

Final score prediction?

Friars overcome a very scary and coming-into-their-own Georgetown team to help solidify an NCAA bid, 76-73.