If, like me, you rearranged your week to sit down with your family and watch Xavier take on the waning moments of Kim English’s Big East career, I have bad news for you.
There’s not much to say beyond that. The last time these two teams met, a January 10 game at Cintas, the Muskies rolled behind a 37-75 shooting performance and just 4 turnovers in 80 possessions. Five Muskies scored 14+ points that afternoon, led by Malik Messina-Moore’s 23. Providence tried to make some noise late, but X closed easily for a 94-87 win.
Both of these teams are functionally dead and buried this year. They’re still embroiled in the cluster of Big East squads battling it out for 6th in the league. Seeding has big implications for the chance to move forward in the Big East Tournament; this game has serious postseason implications.