#9 Notre Dame (21-5/10-4) will travel to Rhode Island to play the Providence Friars (14-13/3-11) in a classic trap game, a trap that has already snared Louisville and Villanova this season.

Eight teams are within two games of the Fighting Irish in the Big East standings, so they cannot afford a stumble against a team with just three conference victories.  Poor shooting befell Notre Dame in its four conference losses.  ND has made just 26.6% of its three point shots in its losses compared to 42.6% in its victories.  Poor shooting is exactly what allowed PC to defeat Villanova (18% from long range) and Louisville (17%).

If the Irish leave Providence in the game, whether by shooting poorly or via sloppy play, the Friars have the ingredients for an upset – a high scoring streak shooter and perimeter ball pressure (fourth in the conference in steals) that can trigger scoring spurts.

What you need to know about Providence

• #2 scoring offense in the Big East, 72.4 ppg
• #16 scoring defense in the Big East, 78.4 ppg
• #16 free throw percentage in the Big East, 65.1%
• #14 field goal percentage in the Bg East, 40.7%
• #14 field goal percentage defense in the Big East, 46.0%
• #15 three-point percentage in the Big East, 28.8%
• #14 rebounding margin in the Big East, -3.4
• #16 assists per game in the Big East, 11.6
• #6 turnover margin in the Big East, +1.1
• #14 assists/turnover ratio in the Big East, 0.9 (tied with SJU)

Providence scores a lot because Providence shoots a lot.  The Friars have taken 872 shots in their 14 conference games compared to ND’s 710, a difference of almost 12 per game.  They usually make a low percentage of their shots; so they count on a ragged, up-tempo game to stay competitive.

Senior Marshon Brooks’ 25.6 points per game lead Providence and the rest of the Big East.  Brooks’ 55% two point shooting is an unusually high percentage for a guard, but he has made only 29% of his not so judicious 90 three point shots in conference games.  Brooks is quick, athletic, and highly skilled taking the ball to the basket.  He has been PC’s leading scorer in 13 of its 14 conference games to date.

Sophomore Vincent Council is PC’s second leading scorer, 10.6 points per game.  Council is a low percentage shooter everywhere on the court – 32% from two point range, 26% from three point range, and 63% from the free throw line.

PC’s X-factor is freshman guard Gerard Coleman.  Coleman averages 9.4 points per game making a decent 43% of his two point shots but just 15% of his threes.  However, his 16-point game against Villanova, 5-9 from the field and 5-6 from the line, showed what he is capable of doing.  Notre Dame must account for him.

Freshman forward Kadeem Batts is the team’s leading rebounder with 7 per game.  Nobody else averages more than 4.5.

What you need to know about Notre Dame

• #6 scoring offense in the Big East, 69.5 ppg
• #5 scoring defense in the Big East, 66.0 ppg
• #6 free throw percentage in the Big East, 72.0%
• #5 field goal percentage in the Big East, 45.6%
• #8 field goal percentage defense in the Big East, 42.4%
• #4 three-point percentage in the Big East, 37.6%
• #9 rebounding margin in the Big East, +0.2
• #6 assists per game in the Big East, 14.7 per game
• #9 turnover margin in the Big East, +0.1
• #3 assist/turnover ratio in the Big East, 1.3 (4 teams tied)

Ben Hansbrough’s 19.1 points per game lead the Irish in scoring and place him 3rd in the Big East.  Tim Abromaitis (12.4), Carleton Scott (10.6), and Scott Martin (10.4) add double-digit averages.

Scott is ND’s leading rebounder with 7.4 per game.  That would tie him for 4th in the Big East if he had played enough games to qualify for the rankings.   Nash, Martin, and Abromaitis  each add more than 5 boards per game.  Eric Atkins brings his league leading 3.2 assist/turnover ratio off the bench.

The Matchup

This is a tempo game.  The Irish don’t need to play a slow game, but they need keep the pace under control.  It will be ragged at times because that’s how Providence plays.  Minimizing how long the ragged stretches last will go a long way towards a Notre Dame victory.

Brooks is very capable of a scoring outburst at any time, even against good defenders.   His season high, 43 points, came at Georgetown, a team with excellent defensive guards.  Martin has drawn the defensive assignment against high scoring guards early in games all season, so expect him to start the game defending Brooks.  As the game progresses, Hansbrough and Scott should get their chances to stifle him.

Providence does not defend well – 14th in Big East field goal percentage defense and 15th in three point percentage defense.   If the threes aren’t falling early, ND must stop taking them because working for good shots works against the Friars.  The PC defense will break down and the Irish will get good shots if they run their offense patiently.  A workmanlike offensive effort and holding Brooks at or below his normal shooting percentage will translate to a comfortable Notre Dame victory.

Game Information

• #9 Notre Dame (21-5, 10-4) vs. Providence (14-13/3-11)
• Wednesday, February 23rd, at 7:00 PM Eastern Time
• Dunkin’ Donuts Center, Providence, Rhode Island
• Television: Big East Syndication.  WMYS Channel 69 and Comcast digital channel 269 in the South Bend area.  Check your local sports channel and cable/satellite sports packages to see if it’s available for you.
• Internet: ESPN3.com

(Note: All cited statistics are for conference games through Monday, February 21st)

– Kevin O’Neill