Originally Posted by
Jon702
Here's some reasoning for you. Lol.
Nropp:
DePaul travels to Providence to take on the Friars in a game that was regularly scheduled for Tuesday. In a way, it's a bit of a slight break for DePaul who would have had to play three games in six days, all on the road, but I really don't think there is any breaks they get with this matchup. Travel is delayed, then pushed back, plus you have to include at least one of these days this week being an off day (teams have to take one day off per 7 days and there is ZERO chance Purnell is giving them Friday off with Villanova coming to town), and I think you get a mess that takes the court this afternoon. DePaul, as I mentioned, is embarking on their third straight road game. They got a win at Seton Hall in the first roady, but the wheels sort of came off the bus in their most recent game against Xavier where they gave up 47 points in the 2H and were trounced when Xavier started some full court pressure. You can throw out all the travel issues, the third leg of the roady, coming back to life by getting blown out in their past game, and whatever else you want to throw out (perhaps the lookahead to Villanova at home on Saturday), and throw it out again, and it is still pretty clear that Providence is the WORST match-up for DePaul that they will face on the season.
I've already touched on DePaul's issues versus size this season. You can read that here. As a whole, they've been a bit better against size this year in terms of wins and losses, but from an efficiency perspective, nothing much has changed. This afternoon, they will play the tallest team in the Big East in Providence who trots out 6-3, 6-6, 6-7, 6-9, and 7-0 in their starting lineup, and also bring in 6-5's and 7-2's, and 6-9's off the bench. Why is opponent size so crucial to DePaul's offense? In past years, it has really been all about their lack of scoring on the inside. They've been a team in Big East play who had all these bruisers and attackers that scored at the basket and took mid-range jumpshots, and they just couldn't score on size. This year, it is a bit different type of scheme, and we'll get to that here in a bit. But, more importantly, this really just comes down to Billy Garrett being able to see over the defense. The 6-6 PG, given time, is the catalyst of this team. He will find the open man in the full- court, and he will be patient in the half-court if you do not exhibit any pressure on him. He is one of the main reasons that DePaul has had the success they've had this season. Look at the current makeup of the Big East. There are very few guards that will pressure opposing PG's. Marquette pressures a bit, but they trot out three 6-1 guards. Villanova exhibits a bit (DePaul lost by 17). St. John's, maybe sometimes, on and off, but their lack of offense really hurts them. Providence will bring it, and they will bring it with the best on-ball defender in the conference in Kris Dunn. Look at the job Dunn has done on opposing PG's in the conference thus far, the #'s yield an average O-RTG of 88, 10 ppg, only making 3 shots a game and just as many turnovers as assists.
It's a big reason why Providence is having such a good season thus far. He should have no troubles slowing down Garrett this afternoon, which really limits DePaul as a whole. In addition to that, DePaul also faces a defensive team who is going to hawk the three-point line. There hasn't been a team in the Big East the past few seasons that has taken away more three- point shots than Ed Cooley's Friars. It was ultimately the reason they had so much success against Creighton last season, and ultimately the reason they've had quite a few good wins the past few years against jump-shot shooting teams. If you've seen DePaul play this year, you've likely seen a million three-point attempts. Purnell is trotting out a roster that goes five wide and spreads the court and passes the ball around to find an open three. Simply put, it's their only form of offense. In order to beat Providence and Cooley's scheme, you almost certainly have to have another avenue to score the basketball. If Garrett can't find the open guy being pressured by Dunn all day, and if DePaul can't shoot open three's (which has in large part been a HUGE factor in their success in the zone-heavy Big East), then DePaul must rely on offense inside the arc...against the tallest team they'll face all season, which really reverts us back to "Wow, DePaul has been awful against size". I'm just not sure how DePaul scores...at all...in this game. Of course, DePaul can get some instant offense in transition, but that's only if they can force turnovers which should be a tall task in itself against the Friars who have played four straight games under the 11 turnover plateau (including two games in the single digits). Offensively for Providence, there is a lot to like, too. DePaul is the type of defense that wants to force pressure and force your guards out of their comfort range. They do this because they lack interior defense and they want to get out in transition and go off a turnover. They've been getting crushed by teams this season who have attacking rosters, and have consistent interior play, and I'm not sure what changes today. Providence attacks with Dunn and Henton, and also has the luxury of having Harris and Desrosiers down low for easy buckets. Providence should have no problems scoring inside or getting the maximum attempts at the foul line. Simply put, this is DePaul's worst match-up of the season, and it comes at the worst of times with the travel, the off-day, the lack of prep, the continued roady, the lack of effort in the 2H Saturday, the Friars' motivation to move into 1st place by itself, and the lookahead with Villanova upcoming this Saturday
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