Friday Night Big East Showdown: Creighton vs Providence Preview
Creighton Bluejays (11-7, 5-2 Big East) will meet Providence Friars (8-9, 1-5) on Friday at Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence, Rhode Island.
The Bluejays are coming off one of the most remarkable wins of the season. Their overtime win against the Georgetown Hoyas was an epic game. We saw a team that didn’t quit. Their confidence never wavered. Austin Swartz led Creighton with 33 points.
While the Bluejays are coming into this game with confidence, the Friars are looking for redemption. Providence lost to the Villanova Wildcats on Tuesday, 88-82. Guard Jaylin Sellers led the Frisrs with 24 points on 9-for-18 shooting.
Creighton and Providence have a history. The Friars led the all-time series 21-17. However, the Frisrs haven’t forgotten that they got swept last season by the Bluejays.
The Bluejays won the first meeting 84-64 at Omaha on January 14, 2025. One month later, they won 80-69 at Providence. Ryan Kalkbrenner scored 35 points and 12 boards in the second meeting.
For some reason, we can’t see Providence having another double-digit loss against the Bluejays this Friday. We understand their record isn't impressive, but let’s remember how Providence performed against a good team like the St. John’s Red Storm.
The Friars went on the road and beat them 77-71 at Madison Square Garden, which caught many of us by surprise. In that game, the Friars had four players with double figures. Stefan Vaaks led them in scoring with 16. Forward Jamier Jones recorded a double-double with 15 points and 10 boards in 25 minutes.
Therefore, any team on any given night can get hot with the ball in its hand. Creighton might feel good about themselves after their latest win, but they can’t get too overconfident against Providence.
We still think that the Bluejays are the better team. We believe they are better, well-coached, and ready for this game. The Bluejays will need more than Swartz to step up. We need to see more scoring from the bench. One player can’t carry the load. Exceptional ball movement and intangibles will be keys to victory against Providence.
Prediction: Creighton wins 85-77
Creighton will show Providence respect by playing hard and not having to catch up late in the game, as in the previous game against Georgetown.
Tip-off is at 6:30 pm. The Bluejays and Friars game will be televised on FS1. Any time there’s a Big East showdown, there’s a level of excitement that comes with it. Hopefully, we see a great game between both teams.
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