Losing two of three games to Villanova and Xavier is nothing to scoff at, but throw one in against DePaul and Providence’s losing streak is officially a concern for head coach Ed Cooley.
After the game against Villanova where they were satisfactorily dominated from what seemed like the first second, Cooley told reporters:
“I’m worried about the guys’ psyche.”
Those are not words you want to hear from a head going before getting ready for the final stretch of conference play–especially when it’s about a team that looked like they had a real chance to win this conference just one month ago. Now, the Friars sit at 6-5 and firmly out of the title race. So, what now?
This is still a team that should be making the NCAA Tournament, so there is plenty of motivation for the players to show up to practice and prepare themselves mentally for the tasks at hand. But up next is quite the challenge.
Providence has never won at Marquette, where they take the floor on Wednesday night. The Friars’ RPI numbers have dipped of late, and they now sit at No. 33 in the most recent standings. According to RPIForecast.com, four more losses would lead to an RPI rating in the 50s, far from comfortable standing when it comes to Selection Sunday.
It’s crazy to think of how quickly we’ve lost faith in a group that has a duo as dynamic as Kris Dunn and Ben Bentil, but it’s happened because the absolute lack of other options they’ve assembled outside of those two.
If they’re going to prove their worth to anyone, including themselves, winning for the first time at Marquette would go a long way.
