(PRE-GAME) @Providence, Sat., Feb. 6, 2p, FS-1 / 570 AM WMCA

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We are going to need a big game from Roberts tomorrow.  He is going to need to provide big time defense and rebounding.
 
Well truth is this is the first time I've seen sju play really, really good man and pressure D.  No over-helping etc.  if we keep doing that, it's hard to out-gimmick us.  The teams that get us, usually rotated the ball faster and we make a lot of mistakes and are too slow to recover.  I saw none of that last game or two.  In addition we have been pretty good on the defensive glass.  Play great perimeter defense here and we win this game, I agree.  Make it as hard as possible for their guards at both ends and their other guys will have to create offense, and they've been challenged with that all year. 
 
TX Redman" post=417283 said:
MCNPA" post=417248 said:
Where'd all the providence fans go from the Friar Talk message board?  Zero talk about the game over there.  They have a more active board?

Some activity here:  https://247sports.com/college/providence/board

(WARNING: the Friars board contains posts of fans taking shots at players, the coaches, recruiting and tactics.  Not the type of stuff you would ever see on Redmen.com :)  )

They appear to be very down on Cooley...  who in fairness has attracted good talent but has maybe under-achieved?   They were very poor against the Hall, we need to be ready for some blowback.

 
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Every fanbase wants to fire the coach during a losing streak.  Cooley's a good coach, only had 1 losing season in 9 full years at Providence, with 5 of those being 20+ win seasons.  He's been to the NCAA tournament 5 of those 8 years that a tournament was held.  It wasn't held last year, so can't count that against him.  Also, people forget it was just 1 off-season ago that Michigan was looking at Cooley and he turned down that job.  Providence is lucky to have him, and I say this as someone who's not a big Ed Cooley fan, and was and on twitter making fun of him for complaining about his freshman not winning freshman of the week over Posh.
 
Hopefully recent trend of PC turning ball over a lot and Duke struggling a bit continue. Down a couple of players and basically a two man team offensively, Watson & Duke,  lead me to believe we win this one. Then again PC & Cooley's backs are against the wall and that can be dangerous. Go Johnnies! 
 
As a fan, I can get worked up by an opposing coach's comments, or sideline behavior as much as anyone.   Boeheim in his younger days would throw sideline fits that any 9 year old brat would be envious of, and as a fan, you'd have wanted to see someone take a poke at him.  

I don't think Cooley is anywhere near the worst, and I also know he happens to be a tremendous individual.   He has singlehandedly taken Providence basketball out of the doldrums and into national prominence, and is certainly in the conversation of the resurgence of the Big East as a national powerhouse.   Remember, when the new Big East rose out of the ashes of the collapsing old conference, the future of small private college basketball was very much in doubt.   Cooley is one of the guys who built his team into an NCAA tourney program.    

I only hate him 2 or 3 days per year.   Today can be one of them, but by Monday I'll go back to respecting him for the job he's done, and his loyalty to his hometown Providence by not chasing after bigger bucks.

 
 
Paultzman" post=417372 said:
Hopefully recent trend of PC turning ball over a lot and Duke struggling a bit continue. Down a couple of players and basically a two man team offensively, Watson & Duke,  lead me to believe we win this one. Then again PC & Cooley's backs are against the wall and that can be dangerous. Go Johnnies! 

I've watched all the PC games,I mightas well since im paying tuition, they can't handle any type of pressure defense. As good as Duke is, he has been very disinterested the last few games. Keep Watson off the glass and hope Reeves doesn't get hot. I think SJU should be okay. Pace has to be fast, Cooley has them playing like at a snails pace.
 
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Let's get them in early foul trouble so I can avoid a heart attack.
 
Paultzman" post=417386 said:
St. John's now a 1.5-point underdog 
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3 point swing since yesterday, all the $ going with the home team. For Pulp Fiction fans its time for us to pull a Butch Coolidge.
 
Posh couldn't possibly take out BE top two guards in back to back games, could he? Maybe it's one of our bigger guards turn. 

Providence I'm sure will do it's best to play this game in the 50's. Plenty of 2-3 zone on one end and running through flex deep into the shot clock on the other. I don't see them blowing us out, but if they get control of game early we could be in trouble. Let's jump on them out the gate and force them to play at a higher pace. 
 
As always, our defense is the key.  Let's do our best to keep Watson somewhat under control and harass the heck out of Duke and Reeves.  If we do that with intensity, our points will come.

Tough game with Providence trying to stop the bleeding at home, but clearly winnable. 
 
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I really wish I was confident for this game but when Ed & Providence have their backs against the wall they just fight back. With no answer for Watson and Duke still being Duke I'm genuinely nervous.
 
Same starters for St. John's: Alexander, Cole, Champagnie, Roberts and Dunn.
Zach B
 
With all our guys playing and PC missing 2 rotation guys, this one should be ours for the taking. Let's go Johnnies! 
 
We have the depth and are in shape.  Pressure them to death all game long.  
 
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