Prudential Center – Newark, NJ
Tip-off: Wednesday, 8:30 pm ET
Line: N/A

Struggling Big East brethren Providence and Seton Hall square off on Wednesday night in Newark.

The Friars and Pirates are both headed in the wrong direction with only a month left to get back on track for potential postseason play. Seton Hall has lost five of its last seven contests (4-3 ATS), but may be getting back on the right track after a road win at Georgetown on Saturday (68-66, Hall +3). Prior to that, the Pirates played nationally ranked Xavier tough on the road last Wednesday, losing 72-70 (Hall +5). Back in the Prudential Center to face Providence, Seton Hall is 8-1 (4-4 ATS) this season at home where they will play four of their next five contests. Providence has lost three of their last four games, most recently hanging with defending national champion, #2 Villanova on the road (66-57, PC +9.5) last Wednesday. With a week’s worth of rest in between that game and the tilt against Seton Hall, Providence hasn’t been adversely affected this season with that kind of break (6-5, 7-4 ATS w/3+ days rest). The Friars are just 2-6 (4-4 ATS) on the road this season, however, and sport a mediocre 4-7 Big East conference record to date. It is worth noting that both road wins have come in conference play for the Friars, including their first every win at Marquette (79-78, PC +8) on Jan. 28. In total trends, the Under is 5-1 in Seton Hall’s last six contests. The Friars and Pirates have already met this season, with Providence securing a 65-61 (Hall -1.5) win in the Dunkin Donuts Center. It was the 100th meeting between the two long-time Big East schools and Providence now holds a 52-48 all-time advantage. Last season Seton Hall swept Providence, while prior to that, Providence had a string of four straight wins between Feb ’14 and March ’15. The road team in this matchup is 4-2 ATS in the past six meetings.

Coach Ed Cooley’s Friars knocked out Seton Hall in mid-January on the back of efficient offense and a big free throw advantage. Providence shot 47.8% FG (43.8% 3PT) on just 46 shots (16 less attempts than Seton Hall), but supplemented their effort from the field with 22 trips to the charity stripe (versus just 8 for the Pirates). F Rodney Bullock (16.9 PPG, 6 RPG) and G Kyron Cartwright (10.7 PPG, 6.8 APG) led the way with 22 and 20 points respectively, in the win. The Big East’s active leading assist leader (with Maurice Watson Jr. injured), Cartwright added eight assists and just one turnover in the win. Bullock, Providence’s leading scorer, has really struggled over his past two games, producing just 14 total points (5-for-18 FG, 0-of-5 3PT). Providence just doesn’t have enough weapons to survive in key games without Bullock producing, and they need his length (6’8”) in the game as one of the more undersized power seven teams in the country. F Emmitt Holt (12.4 PPG, 5.8 RPG) teams with Bullock on the frontline, and their job will be to keep the nation’s leading rebounder (Seton Hall’s Angel Delgado) from eating them alive on the glass. At 307th in the country in rebounding, this is a poor matchup for the Friars, who allowed Delgado to snatch 16 boards in their first meeting. Jalen Lindsey (10.5 PPG, 47.7% 3PT) has proven to be an effective sniper in conference play, shooting 16-of-30 3PT over his last five games.

For Seton Hall head coach Kevin Willard, his Pirates revolved around their version of the “big three”: F Angel Delgado (15.0 PPG, 13.1 RPG), G Khadeen Carrington (16.6 PPG) and F Desi Rodriguez (15.7 PPG). All three are part of a junior class that (along with departed Isaiah Whitehead) was to transform the Seton Hall program. The Pirates came away with a Big East Tournament title last season, but have an uphill climb – despite the individual success of these aforementioned three – to garner an NCAA berth this season. Carrington, Delgado and Rodriguez all play north of 30 minutes per game in a thin Pirates rotation and scored 45 of Seton Hall’s 61 total points the last time they played Providence. Chief amongst Coach Willard’s concerns should be getting Carrington and Rodriguez to improve their efficiency in conference play. Since Jan. 16, Carrington and Rodriguez are shooting 26.2% FG and 33.8% FG, respectively (five games). Carrington is averaging just 10.0 PPG in that span. Fortunately not in a slump is Delgado, who’s enjoying a monster year as the nation’s leading rebounder. Tied for second in the nation in double-doubles (17), Delgado has gone from just a role player to a legitimate offensive threat, raising his scoring average 6+ points over last season. The 6’10” junior is averaging 18.0 PPG and 18.0 RPG over his last four games and should threaten those numbers against a smaller Providence frontcourt on Wednesday night. With their main perimeter threats struggling, the Pirates need consistent help from freshman sparkplug Myles Powell (10.7 PPG). The only respectable offensive threat beyond Carrington, Rodriguez, and Delgado, Powell is capable of huge games (26 points, 6-for-12 3PT versus Xavier) but equally capable of disappearing (seven out of 10 Big East games in single-digits scoring).