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Providence Friars forward Ben Bentil is listed as day-to-day after suffering an ankle injury earlier this week per a release from the school. ESPN's Jeff Goodman amongst a host of others reported the news earlier Thursday.
The Friars forward was not 100 percent after rolling his ankle in the meeting vs. the DePaul Blue Demons. He played gingerly but ultimately was not his usual, effective self. Subsequently, the No. 11 Friars fell in Rosemont to DePaul, and Bentil's ineffectiveness was one of the major reasons why.
So now as the Friars go forward they may be without Bentil for their big matchup against the Villanova Wildcats on Saturday. 'Nova too is dealing with their own issues, as Daniel Ochefu's concussion has held him out of their last two games against St. John's and Creighton. To their credit, the vaunted Wildcats are 2-0 in those two games without their big man including a blowout win against the Bluejays Wednesday night that extended a ridiculous winning streak to 37 games in a row at their home venue, The Pavilion.
Bentil was a big contributor in Providence's takedown of the 'Cats two weeks ago at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. The Delaware native chipped in 31 points and 13 rebounds in the victory in what was perhaps Providence's most impressive performance of the season sans their win over Arizona in the Wooden Legacy event in November.
So suffice it to say, the Friars are hoping Ben heals up quickly. His play has been integral to their successes in the 2015-16 campaign and if they play shorthanded, they are not nearly the same team without Bentil at 100 percent.