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With less than two weeks until the Friars take the court in Kim English’s second season, I figured I’d take a few minutes to do what several others have already done, and write out my predictions for Providence’s 2024-25 campaign.
As with all of these amateur-produced season predictions, I urge you to take my predictions with a grain of salt. These are solely the product of my own opinion and how I think, and how I’d like, each of these matchups to go. If you agree with them, that’s awesome, and if you don’t, that’s fine too.
Also, a quick shout out to the Divine Friars Basketball Newsletter, who just did a similar season preview. I used the format from his latest newsletter as inspiration for this article. If you haven’t already, I’d highly recommend subscribing, he produces some great Friar content delivered directly to your inbox.
Alright, without any further ado, let’s dive into how I see Kim English’s second season in Friartown unfolding.
November: 7-1
11/4 - Home vs. Central Connecticut | Win
11/9 - Home vs. Stonehill | Win
11/12 - Home vs. Hampton | Win
11/16 - Home vs. Green Bay | Win
11/19 - Home vs. Delaware State | Win
11/27 - Neutral vs. Oklahoma (Battle 4 Atlantis) | Win
11/28 - Neutral vs. Arizona/Davidson (B4A) | Loss
11/29 - Neutral vs. TBD (B4A) | Win
While the front-half of the November slate consists of the cupcake buy-games (which Kim English said he’ll be approaching much differently this year, based on last year’s NCAA Tournament selection “justifications”), the back-half includes a trip back down to the Bahamas, where the Friars will face some incredible competition in the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament.
Via Kevin McNamara on X
Providence opens the Battle 4 Atlantis with a rematch against Oklahoma, who thoroughly pounded the Friars in last year’s Big East/Big 12 Battle. I think the Friars take revenge this time around. If that prediction comes true, then they’ll face the winner of the Arizona/Davidson game (which will likely be Arizona). I think the Friars drop that one (which will ruin my Thanksgiving) and bounce back over whoever they draw the following day.
December: 6-0 (13-1, 3-0 Big East)
12/3 - Home vs. BYU | Win
12/7 - Road @ Rhode Island | Win
12/10 - Road @ DePaul | Win
12/14 - Neutral vs. St. Bonaventure | Win
12/20 - Home vs. St. John’s | Win
12/31 - Home vs. Marquette | Win
Last season, the month of December was personally one of my favorite stretches. The Friars went 5-1 last December, which included home wins over Rhode Island and Marquette, plus an overtime thriller over Butler (2 days before Christmas!). A year prior, the Friars went a perfect 6-0 in the month of December (as part of a 9-game winning streak which vaulted the team into the Top-25). The season before that was no different, with the Friars going a perfect 6-0 in December.
In my opinion, and as the past few seasons suggest, December is the month when this team starts to warm before conference play, and I don’t think this year will be any different.
BYU at home (while students are still on campus)? Johnnies five days before Christmas (with a rumored Billy D jersey retirement)? Marquette on New Year's Eve (instant classic material, btw)? Come on now!
This should go without saying, but if it weren’t for Bryce’s season-ending injury in early-January, I firmly believe that the Friars would’ve carried last December’s momentum into conference play - the same way that they have in the seasons prior.
January: 4-3 (17-4, 7-3 Big East)
1/5 - Road @ Connecticut | Loss
1/8 - Home vs. Butler | Win
1/11 - Home vs. Seton Hall | Win
1/14 - Road @ Creighton | Loss
1/17 - Road @ Villanova | Win
1/25 - Home vs. Georgetown | Win
1/28 - Road @ Seton Hall | Loss
I know I just teased how a successful December for the Friars typically leads to a hot start to conference play in January, so I’m sorry for what I’m about to write, but I think the Friars start 2025 with a loss. Granted, playing at 2:00 pm on a Sunday, in Storrs, against the reigning back-to-back National Champions is not an easy thing to do for anyone, regardless of how hot their December might be. I think the Friars keep it competitive, but Connecticut will win this one.
As for the next stretch of games:
Back-to-back home games against Butler and Seton Hall should be must-wins. Not to mention we need to reverse the Shaheen Holloway AMP curse.
Omaha is a tough place to play, especially when you’re going up against a forty-year-old Ryan Kalkbrenner, who’ll be playing in his 15th season at Creighton (his fifth according o those pesky "official reports"). It’ll also probably be dollar beer night at the Chi Health Center for the tenth Creighton home game in a row.
Villanova, similar to last season, has a less talented roster than the Friars on paper. Here's to hoping that Kim English remembers how ‘Nova’s sweep of Providence last season likely kept us from dancing. I think the Friars win going away at the Wells Fargo Center.
January 25th. Home. Ed Cooley. Saturday. 9:00am Murphy’s (or Trinity, depending on your preference). Win.
A Tuesday road trip to Newark smells (bad, like most of Jersey) like a close road loss. Garwey Dual revenge game.
February: 5-2 (22-6, 12-5 Big East)
2/1 - Road @ St. John’s | Loss
2/5 - Home vs. Creighton | Win
2/8 - Road @ Butler | Win
2/12 - Home vs. Xavier | Win
2/15 - Home vs. Villanova | Win
2/19 - Road @ Georgetown | Win
2/25 - Road @ Marquette | Loss
The New York Metropolitan Area contingency of Friars fans (present company included) will likely make for a great atmosphere at the Garden for Providence’s trip to St. John’s. But I think that at this point in the season, Rick Pitino is going to have his guys playing really well at home. St. John’s wins this one.
Expect a couple periods of free basketball, and a tug-of-war style rock fight, but I think the Friars top Creighton at home. Another instant classic.
Last year, the Friars coughed up a late lead in Indianapolis, but still had the chance to win late if it weren’t for an atrocious no-call on Corey Floyd Jr. at the rim. Expect a revenge game at Hinkle to complete the season sweep of the Bulldogs.
Similar to Shaheen Holloway, Sean Miller also boasts a 2-0 record at the AMP in his first 2 seasons back at the helm of the Xavier Musketeers. February home court advantage should hopefully reverse the Sean Miller AMP curse. This game getting scheduled for the Wednesday before Valentine’s Day also suggests that this might be Providence’s pink-out game. Dress accordingly.
The home stand continues - can’t let hot seat Kyle Neptune take one from us at home again. Home court advantage is massive here. If the Xavier game isn’t the pink out game, this one surely is. Friars sweep ‘Nova on a Saturday evening in February.
A Wednesday night road trip to D.C. before a plane ride to Milwaukee has all the makings of a trap game. I’m sorry if you don’t like that take, but somebody had to say it. HOWEVER, as we saw last year, Friar fans are more than capable of making Capital One Arena a Providence home environment (it's easy enough, nobody down there gives a shit about Georgetown basketball anyway). Consider Georgetown swept, and Providence improves to 5-0 against Ed Cooley since he left for “greener” pastures.
The 25th of February will probably be National Marquette Day, or some other made up Marquette-themed celebration that they have over there. Combine that with Shaka Smart’s 6-on-5 defensive strategy, and his elusiveness of technical fouls for going on the court during game play, and I think the Friars drop this one to close out February.
March: 1-2 (23-8, 13-7 Big East)
3/1 - Home vs. Connecticut | Loss
3/5 - Home vs. DePaul | Win
3/8 - Road @ Xavier | Loss
Oh, how the schedule unfolds. The Friars draw two of the conference’s preseason-ranked top three teams to close out the regular season (really, they draw three of the preseason-ranked top four teams if we include the 2/25 game at Marquette in this stretch). Damn it…
Unpopular opinion, but I don’t think that Connecticut at home is a gimme. Dan Hurley is going to have his guys playing at an elite level this time of year. Not to mention, he (and his wife) hates Providence fans, and it always seems like playing (winning) at the AMP gives that guy some extra juice. It won’t be the blowout that it was last season, but I think the Huskies take this one to complete the season sweep of the Friars. God, I would love for this prediction to be proven wrong.
The last home game of the season will be senior night…sorry, DePaul. Maybe don’t try to poach our players during college basketball free agency next spring? Friars complete the season sweep of DePaul, comfortably.
Xavier’s last home game of the season is also likely to be senior night. Friars have seen some success at the Cintas Center in seasons past, but this Xavier team is poised to be much stronger than some previous Xavier squads that have faced defeat from the Friars at Cintas. I think the Musketeers win fairly comfortably on senior night, and the Friars will finish Big East play with an X-shaped chip on their shoulder heading into Madison Square Garden…
Final Predictions:
Overall: 23-8
Big East Play: 13-7
Home: 15-1
Road: 5-6
Neutral: 3-1
Providence sweeps: Butler, DePaul, Georgetown, Villanova
Providence splits with: Creighton, Marquette, Seton Hall, St. John’s, Xavier
Providence is swept by: Connecticut
Closing Thoughts
Like I mentioned at the beginning, I wouldn’t put too much stock into these preseason predictions, because anything can happen. Just look at last season.
I’ve seen a few other season previews/predictions floating around PCBC and the Providence content landscape net out around the same record of 23-8, so here’s to hoping that we’re not all that far off.
Anyway, if you’re looking for some more Friars content be sure to listen and subscribe to my podcast, Providence P.O.V., where Peter DiBiasi and I talk Friars hoops twice a week. As always, be sure to keep up with House Enterprise for additional Friars, Big East, and sports content produced by our awesome staff.
Cheers. Go Friars.
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