USC-Providence matchup

[IE]

THURSDAY AT PNC ARENA, RALEIGH, N.C.

How they got here: USC lost six of eight games in a stretch late in the season but used a 95-71 victory over UCLA in the first round of the Pac-12 Conference tournament as a strong closing statement. Providence endured its own midseason swoon, when it also lost six of eight games, but won four games in a row before losing to Villanova in the Big East Conference tournament.



Best victories/worst losses: USC defeated Monmouth, 101-90, and Wichita State, 72-69, both at home. In conference play, USC defeated Arizona, 103-101, at home in four overtimes. The Trojans lost, 74-67, to Arizona State, and 84-64 to Stanford, both on the road. Providence's best victories were over Villanova, 82-76 in overtime, and Arizona, 69-65. The Friars defeated Butler three times and Creighton twice. Their worst loss was to DePaul, 77-70. They lost twice to Marquette.

Common opponents: Xavier: USC lost, 87-77; Providence lost, 75-68 and 85-74. Arizona: USC won once, and lost once; Providence won its only game against the Wildcats.

USC lineup: Starters ? G Julian Jacobs (11.8 ppg, 5.5 apg), G Jordan McLaughlin (13.4 ppg, 4.7 apg), G Elijah Stewart (9.8 ppg, 3.6 rpg), F Bennie Boatwright (11.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg), F Nikola Jovanovic (12.1 ppg, 7.0 rpg). Top reserves ? G Katin Reinhardt (11.5 ppg, 2.8 rpg), F Chimezie Metu (6.6 ppg, 3.7 rpg), F Darion Clark (2.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg).

Providence lineup: Starters ? G Kris Dunn (16.0 ppg, 6.4 apg), G Jalen Lindsey (7.3 ppg, 4.4 rpg), G Junior Lomomba (5.5 ppg, 2.0 apg), F Rodney Bullock (11.6 ppg, 6.8 rpg), F Ben Bentil (21.2 ppg, 7.8 rpg). Top reserves ? G Kyron Cartwright (5.7 ppg, 2.2 rpg), F Ryan Fazekas (5.3 ppg, 2.5 rpg), G Drew Edwards (2.5 ppg, 1.7 rpg).

It's a fact: The last and only time USC Coach Andy Enfield reached the NCAA tournament, he shepherded Florida Gulf Coast, a No. 15 seed, to the regional semifinal. ? USC has reached the Final Four twice in its history. In both seasons, USC defeated UCLA three times. USC defeated UCLA three time this season.

 

[IE]

For the third straight season, Ed Cooley and Providence are enjoying an envious position on Selection Sunday.
Like the true blue bloods of the game, the Friars will await the NCAA Tournament bracket knowing they?ll be playing somewhere when the bright lights come on Thursday or Friday. Two years ago, the Friars punched their NCAA ticket by winning the Big East title and an automatic berth. Last season an at-large bid delivered a six seed and a trip to Columbus, Ohio. Providence is a lock for another at-large berth and will find out its seed and destination during the NCAA selection show, which starts at 5:30 p.m. today.
The Friars appear to own a slightly worse resume than last season. The best guess is a 7, 8 or 9 seed, although an upset or two in the final few conference tournaments would make a 7 appear more likely.

?Honestly, just invite us in,? Cooley said. ?I?d rather be a seven or a 10 seed than in the eight-nine game but it truly doesn?t matter.?
What does matter to the Friars, and their fans, is the opportunity of securing their first win in the tournament since 1997. That?s 19 long years, or ever since Austin Croshere, God Shammgod, Ruben Garces and crew nearly shocked Arizona and willed their way into the Final Four.
Cooley was a fresh-faced assistant to Al Skinner at the University of Rhode Island that season but times certainly have changed. Now he?s looking to cap off his fifth season as PC?s coach and add what he sees as the lone missing ingredient to what has been a successful start to his tenure on Smith Hill.

?We?re trying to move the program forward,? Cooley said. ?We?ve won in-season tournaments, we?ve won our conference tournament, we?ve been nationally ranked and we?ve had some special players. Now how do you keep moving forward? We want to have [NCAA] tournament success. That?s the only thing missing from our resume since we?ve been at Providence.?
While it?s clearly impossible to assess the Friars? chances for NCAA success until an opponent is revealed, Cooley says he likes the makeup of this team. He?s not one to compare one of his teams to previous outfits but he did say that ?this year?s team is edgier. This team is grittier. We?ll be ready to play.?

Because bracket breakdowns and nitty-gritty comparisons are all the rage this time of year, the Friars? credentials are as follows: they have a 23-10 record and finished 11-9 against Big East teams. They have an RPI of 38 but are hurt by Butler?s slide out of the top 50 (to 58th) because three of their better wins came over the Bulldogs. Without those three, PC is 2-7 against Top 50 teams and 6-7 vs. the Top 100. Seven road wins will certainly help as well.

ther teams, including Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, St. Bonaventure, Colorado and Virginia Commonwealth. Those are the types of teams that the Friars will see in a potential 8 vs. 9 matchup.
The negative of that seed, of course, is the possibility of a second-round nightmare against a No. 1 seed. If PC is in the 8-9 game, the way the NCAA brackets teams could push the Friars to a trip to either Raleigh, N.C., or Des Moines, Iowa, on Thursday. Here?s why: If (and that?s a very big if) Villanova holds onto a No. 1 seed after losing to Seton Hall in Saturday?s Big East title game, rules prevent Providence from being sent to a pod where a potential fourth game of the season with the Wildcats could unfold.
That means an 8- or 9-seeded PC team would likely be paired opposite Kansas, which will play in Des Moines, or the ACC champion (North Carolina or Virginia) in Raleigh.

While determining the four No. 1 seeds should play out fairly easily, Sunday?s toughest calls for the selection committee will revolve around the final at-large berths. Teams such as Monmouth, St. Mary?s, Wichita State and Valparaiso all will be debated after failing to win their conference tournaments. They?ll be compared with middle-of-the-pack teams from bigger conferences like South Carolina, Butler, Cincinnati, Michigan, St. Bonaventure and Temple.