Getting to know the Providence Friars

No. 9 Notre Dame will look to bounce back from their first loss in over a month when they play Providence on the road tonight. The Irish were riding a 7-game win streak before falling apart in the second half against West Virginia on Saturday afternoon. The traditional “rebound” after getting out of a rough relationship is usually a less attractive, likeable date. And the same goes for the Friars. Providence has one win in the month of February — a Feb. 2 squeaker over USF — and has dropped off considerably since starting the pre-conference season with an 11-2 record. The Friars are 3-11 in the Big East with wins over the Bulls, Louisville and Villanova. They fall just outside the top 200 teams in the country when it comes to shooting percentage (43.1 percent) and somehow still manage over 75 points a game. In other words, the Friars get a lot of possesions, or in even more other words, they don’t play a lot of defense leading to more possessions for each team. Pro...