How Florida Beats Providence as Rady Children's Invitational Concludes

Florida will go for third place in the Rady Children's Invitational after Thursday's loss to TCU.

Florida Gators guard Xaivian Lee has struggled to shoot from deep. | Abe Arredondo-Imagn Images

After a disappointing defeat, the Florida Gators aim to rebound against the Providence Friars. The Gators, with a 4-2 record after an 84-80 loss to TCU, want to finish the month strong. Providence seeks a statement upset over the national champions, adding motivation and significance to this matchup.

Technically Sound

When you play the film of the Friars, a couple of aspects of their team stick out. First, Providence embraces the small ball concept, meaning they will not wow UF with their size. Oswin Erhunmwunse, who is listed at 6-foot-10, is their center.

Under normal circumstances, that would not seem extraordinary; however, weighing just 220 pounds opens eyes. The Friars have little, if any, interior presence and attempt to rely on a perimeter game to win.

Head Coach Kim English mentioned this approach during the spring.

“We don’t want big, lumbering guys out there,” English said of the construction of this roster and the defensive struggles of a season ago. He also vowed to play differently on the defensive end but wouldn’t get into specifics on what that will look like."

So far, with a 4-3 record, they've accomplished that. Next, the Friars score 91.7 points a game as a much smaller team, choosing pace over height. They want to run up and down the court on offense, using speed to get shots. Despite their size, they rebound as a group. Eight players average three rebounds per game, including 6-foot-1 Jason Edwards.

Friars with the lead, 14:59 to play in the 2nd half

Providence - 58
New Hampshire - 40

Edwards with the pass to Sellers for the smooth finish pic.twitter.com/lae4B4XWSb

— Providence MBB (@PCFriarsmbb) November 19, 2025

Lastly, PC does something that many teams do not: they cash in on free throws. Providence ranks 18th nationally, making 79 percent of their attempts from the charity stripe. Surprisingly, English's charges reject 5.1 shots a night, emphasizing team defense—whether helping or man-to-man—which is the basketball equivalent of ball-hawking defensive backs.

Leader

Edwards leads with 19.4 points per game. The senior likes to push the ball fast, using quick moves to get by defenders and advance quickly. He only makes 31.1 percent of his 3-pointers but still tries them, often stepping back after a fake drive.

Boogie Fland will need to pressure Edwards and use his strength to slow the smaller point guard. Providence's offense depends on Edwards. If he's stopped, the team struggles.

Gator Plan

UF must address Xaivian Lee's shooting struggles, as his 22 percent accuracy is impacting offensive flow. Urban Klavar should receive more playing time to improve team performance. Providence, on paper, does not pose a significant challenge, and the Gators' frontcourt, especially the improved Reuben Chinyelu, is expected to create a comfortable halftime lead.

This matchup positions Florida to secure a convincing win and reinforce their progress