A snoozy Monday night college basketball slate is overshadowed by the College Football National Championship game, but there are still a few matchups worth keeping an eye on from the smaller screen while the big game is on. One in particular takes place in Milwaukee, where the Golden Eagles host the Providence Friars after dropping their third straight game. Meanwhile, the Friars are coming off a big Friday night win at the Dunk over Creighton. Is this the spot where Shaka Smart and Marquette get back on track, or will Providence keep things rolling on its Midwest road trip?
Bounce Back Birds
After witnessing one of the best games of the season on Friday, Marquette went into the South Loop of Chicago and was handed a clean loss by Chris Holtmann and the DePaul Blue Demons. Despite the result, the Golden Eagles looked solid against a top 40 defense. Yes, it is a rivalry, and some argue otherwise, but it is very real to both programs, even if the history has been one sided. Given how Friday played out, this feels like a strong bounce back spot for Marquette at home.
So far this season, the Golden Eagles rank 21st in away home court metrics on Haslametrics, where they receive a massive edge. Providence sits 261st in that category. Interestingly, Marquette defense improves at home more than its offense. Its adjusted defensive efficiency jumps from 100th to 85th. The Golden Eagles have also been excellent at forcing turnovers, ranking 40th nationally, while doing a strong job limiting three point attempts, ranking 78th at home.
This will be Marquette's 11th game against a top 100 opponent, and it has yet to secure a win in those spots. Providence is 2-9 against top 100 teams, with its second win coming Friday against Creighton. The first was against St. John's on January 3. Does the quick turnaround, emotional home win, and travel out west take a toll on the Friars? I think it does.
In four true road games this season, Providence has struggled defensively in several areas. It ranks as the fourth worst team in the country at forcing turnovers and sits 63rd in defensive rebounding. On the offensive end, the Friars are 285th in offensive block percentage and 263rd in three point percentage. Overall, through eight games away from home, Providence has only secured wins against St. John's and Penn State back in November. Given how Friday unfolded for Marquette, the Golden Eagles should be more than ready to get back on track against the Friars.
