Friars vs. Tar Heels: Dancing in Texas

Friars vs. Tar Heels: Dancing in Texas

Game time: 7:20 pm
Location: AT&T Center, San Antonio, TX
Television: truTV
Radio: WEEI 103.7 FM

Providence College takes on the University of North Carolina in the second round of the NCAA tournament tonight at 7:20 in San Antonio, TX. This marks the first appearance in the NCAA's since 2004 when PC lost to the University of the Pacific in the first round.

History Between the Teams

UNC holds a 2-1 edge against the Friars all time. However, that one victory for the Friars was a memorable one as PC defeated the Tar Heels 61-59 at the Providence Civic Center. The game was played in the aftermath of the Blizzard of 1978 as 7000 fans walked for miles in order to see the Friars pull out the victory.

Keys to the Game

The Matchup of Point Guards

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Bryce Cotton is the leader of the Friars averaging 21.4 points and 5.8 assists per game while Marcus Paige leads the Tar Heels averaging 17.4 points and 4.3 assists per game. The winner of this matchup very well may decide who will be the winner of the game.  "I thought I played a lot of minutes until I started looking at his stats," Paige said about Cotton Thursday, "and seeing how many minutes he played this season...and how he's still able to be effective the entire game despite playing that many minutes.  It's going to be a fun match-up."

Rebounding

Rebounding is going to be a huge factor for the Friars. North Carolina is the 9th ranked rebounding team in the country. They have four players averaging five or more rebounds a game led by James Michael McAdoo who pulls down 6.7 rpg. If PC wants to play zone against the Tar Heels it will be imperative to box out on the boards. An early indicator on how the game is going is how many second chance opportunities North Carolina gets on the offensive glass. "Off the top of the head actively, athletically, I'd compare them from the Big East to St. John's a little bit," Kadeem Batts said of North Carolina's frontcourt.  "But the way they run the floor, the way they play above the rim, it's nothing we haven't seen."

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

North Carolina has had some great victories this year against such powerhouse teams as Michigan State, Kentucky, Duke, and Louisville. They also have a couple of unexplainable losses against Belmont and University of Alabama at Birmingham. If the UNC team that beat Michigan State and Louisville shows up it will be a long night for the Friars.

Slowing the Pace of the Game

PC will need to keep the score in the 60s in order to have a good shot of winning. North Carolina is a long, athletic team that likes to get out and run. They average over 76 points a game and thrive in an up tempo pace. The Friars are at their best when they can take a little time off the clock each possession and keep it a low scoring contest. This helps keep the Friars from being fatigued and also helps keep them out of foul trouble. PC needs to take the break when it is there, otherwise they need to keep it a half court contest.

Contributions from Everyone

Everyone for the Friars needs to step up tonight. Batts and LaDontae Henton have to have solid games and Tyler Harris and Josh Fortune need to continue their improved play. If only two or three guys are scoring the Friars are in trouble.  "When I look at Providence, there is really not any weakness," UNC coach Roy Williams said.  "They really have the whole package. They had some games throughout the course of the year that they didn't play well, just like we did.  But man alive, did they play great down the stretch."

Foul Trouble

This is a major key for every Friar game. All five Friar starters need to stay on the floor. If anyone on the bench other than Carson Desrosiers needs to play meaningful minutes the Friars may be in trouble. North Carolina has 9 or 10 guys playing significant minutes so PC can not match them foul for foul. Batts, Desrosiers, and Harris are all prone to picking up quick fouls. In this game PC can't afford to have any of the three get in serious foul trouble.

Zone Defense

The Friars would love to play a lot of zone against the Tar Heels. UNC is not a very good three point shooting team with only Marcus Paige and Leslie McDonald being legitimate outside threats. If they can limit Paige's outside looks the zone could be very effective for PC, provided they box out and keep the Tar Heels off of the glass.

Keep it Close

This is the first time in the NCAA tournament for just about everyone on the team (except for Tyler Harris, who played sparingly as a freshman at NC State before transferring) so there is naturally going to be some early game jitters. It is very important that they don't let the more experienced Tar Heels build up a significant early lead and let the game get out of hand.  A hot Bryce Cotton nailing a couple of early threes would be huge in this game.

What This Game Means

This game is a celebration for all Friar fans. It is so much more than just the first NCAA tournament game in 10 years. It is a validation for all the hard work that Ed Cooley and his players have put in the past three years. Yes, a victory would be great but this year is already a huge success for the PC program. Everything else is gravy.  And who doesn't love gravy?  "This is our last go around," Cotton said, "so we wanted to make sure we could make it a run to remember for our team and for the guys we love."

Follow Craig on Twitter:  @Craigl78

Email:  c[email protected]