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In a matchup of two teams that started off hot and have cooled off a bit as of late, the Seton Hall Pirates will head to the Dunkin' Donuts Center to take on the Providence Friars.
The Pirates started off 2-0 in Big East conference play, but have lost back-to-back games, including an embarrassing home loss to Creighton last Saturday.
The Friars are not in as dire straits, but have stumbled in their past few games, a home loss to Marquette and an ugly road win over Creighton on Tuesday night.
Last season, the Friars swept the season series, including a 69-62 win in Providence. Seton Hall's last win in the series came on New Years Eve 2013 in Double Overtime at The Dunk.
Here's what you can look for when you tune in tomorrow afternoon.
How to watch, listen or stream
Game Time: 4:30 p.m. ET
TV: FS1
Radio: WEEI 103.7 FM (Providence) || 970 AM The Answer (Seton Hall)
Online Streaming: Streaming is available via FOX Sports GO where available.
Gamblin' Info
Providence is currently a 6-point favorite headed into tomorrow's game. In some spots, they've bumped up to 6.5-point faves.
3 things to watch
1. Providence's Offense: To put it lightly, the Friars' offense has been nothing but ugly over the last two games. It took them nearly seven minutes to score a basket in their win over Creighton, and struggled to hit even the most wide open of looks. Often times, it seems as through the Friars are stagnant on offense, hoping for Kris Dunn and Ben Bentil's two-man game to bail the out.
Bentil and Dunn are gifted scorers and fantastic players, but the Friars will need someone like Rodney Bullock, Jalen Lindsey, Ryan Fazekas, or Junior Lomomba to assume the role of a third scorer on offense.
2. Seton Hall's Attitude: Rumors have swirled over the past week over the collective attitude in the Seton Hall locker room, including rumblings that Isaiah Whitehead, Angel Delgado, and Desi Rodriguez were benched for their attitude problems in the loss to Creighton. Similar reports of a locker room schism preceded the Pirates' collapse last season; it's up to the Pirates to show that the latest rumors are nothing more than a blip on the radar. When everyone is clicking, the Pirates are as dangerous as any team in the league. They need to show that everyone is clicking tomorrow.
3. Battle of the Backcourts: This game will likely come down to which team's guards perform the best. Dunn is a Player of the Year candidate for the Friars, but he needs Lomomba and reserves Kyron Cartwright and Drew Edwards to supplement the impact he will have on the game.
For Seton Hall, they usually go as Whitehead and Khadeen Carrington go. The Pirates guard tandem is capable of combining for upwards of 40 points a game if they're on, but their impact needs to be felt on the defensive end as well. Whichever backcourt plays better tomorrow afternoon will likely come away victorious.
Bonus: The Crowd: Try as the Providence Athletic Department may, they were unable to move the 4:30 tip-off time, which conflicts with the New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs playoff game. The crowd at The Dunk is usually great, and the fans have come out in droves this year, but it will be interesting to see how many people choose to pass on the basketball game in favor of the NFL.