Providence will once again have to lean on a next-man-up mentality when it heads to Indianapolis on Saturday afternoon for a Big East Conference clash with Butler.
The Friars (11-12, 5-7) haven’t been able to escape the injury bug, with their latest loss being Jabri Abdur-Rahim. The fifth-year guard is done for the season due to a torn meniscus in his knee, an injury sustained in a 68-66 loss to then-No. 15 St. John’s last weekend.
Abdur-Rahim joins Bryce Hopkins (knee) as Providence players on the shelf with season-ending injuries, and the Friars also didn’t have Wesley Cardet Jr. (thigh) for their 80-69 home loss to Creighton on Wednesday.
Corey Floyd Jr. went for 16 points and Jayden Pierre added 14, but Providence simply didn’t have enough firepower against the Bluejays. Still, Friars coach Kim English is trying to make the best of his team’s situation.
“It’s been the story of our season,” English said of having players in and out of the lineup due to injury. “Preseason, in season, late season — injuries have been a theme. And it’s very disappointing. But I’m a basketball coach. I coach the players that we have.”
Providence won the first meeting against Butler 84-65 at home on Jan. 8. Pierre and Bensley Joseph scored 18 apiece, Cardet had 17 and Ryan Mela added 10 points and 15 rebounds.
The Bulldogs (10-13, 3-9) were going through their own recent problems, dropping three of four games before crushing Seton Hall 84-54 on Wednesday. Butler had six scorers in double figures, with Pierre Brooks II finishing with a team-high 14 points and Patrick McCaffery and Boden Kapke adding 13 apiece.
Everything was falling for the Bulldogs against the Pirates, as Butler canned 57.9 percent of its field-goal attempts and 50 percent of its shots from beyond the arc. Bulldogs coach Thad Matta is hoping that the offense can continue to impress when the Friars are in town.
“You’ve got to score to win, and I’ve always said this, ‘If guys get hot, it does become contagious,'” Matta said. “I thought the hot shooting helped our defense. … Down the stretch, we’re going to have to shoot the ball well. Even when we’re not, we’re going to have to play great defense.”
In last month’s loss to the Friars, Jahmyl Telfort and Brooks led Butler with 17 points apiece.
–Field Level Media
