The Holy Land of Hoops

Is PC on the ropes already? A win here would sure help if the Friars have NCAA hopes.

Nobody will be a road fave at Villanova this year so no one is on the ropes with a loss there. Actually, anyone who steals a win there will be miles ahead of everyone else.

Friars put themselves on the ropes by losing to the Hall as I'm thinking the Hall will be road dogs for evey game this year. Stealing a win today will get the Friars back to even.

All that said, everyone will likely crap the bed at least once this year with a loss that should not have been so PU simply has no margin of error without an unexpected win.

Last year, PC won at Villanova on a last second shot by Cotton. PC had blown a 10 pt lead with 4 minutes left because they couldn't break VU's press. Once VU tied it with 45 seconds left, Jay Wright called off the press... we then got an offensive rebound with around 20 seconds left before Cotton's shot. Earlier in the game, Josh Fortune hit around 5 threes to keep us in the game.

Two years ago at Villanova, PC built a 17 point lead in the 2nd half, but VU just dominated the last 10 minutes and took the lead with under 2 to play.

This year, we're coming off 2 straight OT losses, The school just learned that 4-star Brandon Austin will transfer. And Austin is from Philadelphia, so VU will pound us in Austin's backyard. In September, this game was circled as one where Austin would have a nice coming home. Instead today's game will be nice and demoralizing.

Providence is in big trouble this year.

From a conference perspective, we want nova to win. PC is toast, we need our top teams to continue to be nationally respected. Home losses to providence don't garner much respect.

Providence's flight was cancelled, had to bus it down.

Nova struggled to defend providence in their meetings last year. I think nova is much better defensively this year and will have the answer. However, providence could get hot and beat them with guard scoring.

Providence is a much slower team on the post. We are bigger, but nova has more quickness and can score in the post. Will be tough to stop pinkston down low.

I assume this game is on campus for nova?

Yeah Providence swept nova last year, so I wouldn't be entirely shocked if Providence won, but it's better for the conference at this point if Nova wins.

Ugly, ugly start

Nova looks very, very good

Cotton will be absolutely exhausted by the mid point of this conference schedule. PC is asking so much from the kid.

i read somewhere that Providence has more victories at the Pavilion than any other team (except Nova, of course)

Is josh hart the second best nba prospect (behind mcmuffins) in the big east?

Providence is so outmatched here. Nova is making this look like a game against towson or lafayette.

This makes st john's effort from yesterday against gtown look good!