Shaheen Holloway and Seton Hall are finding their groove with stout defense after already surpassing their win total from last season.
Meanwhile, Providence has struggled against Power Five talent, but is set on turning things around behind a high-octane offense.
The teams have a key confidence booster on the line heading into the new year when the Friars host the Pirates on Friday night.
Seton Hall (10-1, 0-0 Big East) is coming off a decisive 81-59 win over Rutgers on Saturday when AJ Staton-McCray (18 points) put up his ninth straight game with 10 or more points. He leads the team with 14.3 points per game and is the only player averaging more than 11.
Defense has been the key to the Pirates’ success as they head into their conference opener. They’ve held eight of their first 11 opponents to 61 points or fewer and their lone loss was a two-point defeat to USC at the Maui Invitational.
The Pirates enter Friday with the sixth-best scoring defense in the country, allowing just 61.6 ppg, which will be key against a Providence team scoring the 13th-most points in the nation (91.7).
“They’ve got five guys on the court that score at all times … This is one of the better teams in the conference, for sure, and to go up there is one of the toughest places to play,” Holloway told the Asbury Park Press this week.
While the Friars (7-5, 0-1) have had success on offense, their Achilles heel has been their defense. That was evident in their 113-110 loss in double overtime to Butler last time out, as they allowed 80 or more points for the sixth time this season.
Jason Edwards did all he could for Providence, dropping a season-high 32 points, including six made 3-pointers. He paces five double-digit scorers for the Friars with 19.2 ppg.
The Friars shoot an efficient 48.7% from the field and are top 10 in the country shooting 79% from the free-throw line, but are 1-5 against Power Five schools.
“I’m excited to keep watching these guys grow,” Friars coach Kim English said on Wednesday. “We believe in this team, and even with some tough losses, I’m really excited about this.”
