BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: Providence @ Rutgers

January 25, 2006


Rutgers (2-3) returns to the RAC tonight to meet the Providence Friars (1-4) in a Big East conference match-up that is very important to both teams in terms of post-season hopes. Below are some of the pregame articles on the internet on tonight's match-up.

Emphasis on Boards Pays off for Rutgers (Courier News)
PC/RU Scouting Report (Courier News)
Friars Facing a Team in Crunch Time (Providence Journal)
PC vs Rutgers Match-ups (Providence Journal)

To read our preview and see our game prediction, click read more below and don't forget to leave your prediction in the comments section!

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In the new Big East conference, home games are very vital to the success of your season, especially home games you are expected to win. For Gary Waters and Rutgers, not too many home games are more vital than this one as the Scarlet Knights look to crawl back to the .500 mark in conference play. They have already dropped games at the RAC to nationally ranked Villanova and Pittsburgh, as well as a tough loss on the road at Cincinnati over the weekend, so this is a key game for the RU season. With Louisville coming to the RAC this weekend and a three game road trip that follows, it is almost a must-win game for coach Waters and his program.

Providence is a team that needs to scratch and claw its way to the Big East tournament and they will need to take advantage of every opportunity that presents itself for a win. They did that in their last game out, squeeking past DePaul at home for their first conference win of the season. After tonight's game they return home for three games with UConn, Seton Hall and St John's, so stealing a road win could give them some momentum to make a move past a couple teams, including Rutgers.

This game does have some interesting match-ups as both teams have starting freshmen point guards and power forwards, which will be very interesting to see how they measure up against each other. Rutgers does not have an inside scoring threat like the Friars' Randall Hanke, but they can rotate several big bodies into the game to lean on Hanke, who does shy away from mixing it up in the paint at times.

What Rutgers has but Providence does not is a lock down defender like Marquis Webb or a dominant scorer like Quincy Douby. Their experience also will play a key role as the Friars are down to just 8 scholarship players and six are freshmen or sophomores, which does not make things any easier on the road.

The Scarlet Knights enter the game as 7-pt favorites and I expect it to be a fairly well-contested game, but the Frair's defeciencies on defending the perimeter will probably give Quincy Douby too much room to roam free and lead his team to the win.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Rutgers 72 Providence 67