On Friday night, the Providence College men’s basketball team finalized its season’s achievements. As the basketball community awaited the NCAA Tournament selection, the committee had to make tough decisions, resulting in a disappointing outcome for the Big East conference.
Unfortunately, the Friars did not secure a spot in this year’s March Madness.
Head coach Kim English expressed his thoughts after the selection show, emphasizing the importance of earning one’s place rather than focusing on perceived deservingness. He noted that some teams with questionable records made it to the tournament, highlighting the subjective nature of the selection process. English acknowledged that despite their efforts, the Friars did not do enough to warrant an NCAA Tournament bid.
English mentioned that Providence is open to accepting a bid to the NIT, with the field set to be announced later on Sunday night.
The team learned its NCAA fate on Sunday evening, watching the selection show privately in their locker room at the Ruane Friar Development Center on campus. Despite their 21-13 overall record, which included six Quad 1 victories and no losses against Quad 3 and Quad 4 teams, the Friars fell short of an NCAA Tournament bid. While two victories at the Big East Tournament boosted their chances, any hope following Friday’s loss to Marquette was ultimately dashed.
In the ACC, North Carolina State surprised everyone by winning. Duquesne came out of an upset party on Atlantic 10. In the semifinals, Temple defeated Florida Atlantic, the defending champion of the American Athletic Conference, to make that a two-bid conference. Oregon asserted their Pac-12 dominance. As the Mountain West champion, New Mexico would have been very much in the hunt if it hadn’t won.
For teams like the Friars who were in the tournament bubble, those five drastically altered the situation.
English expressed disappointment regarding the recent upsets, emphasizing that outcomes are based on what is earned. He noted that failing to secure wins in key games such as against Kansas State, at St. John’s, and at Butler puts a team in a precarious position, reliant on the decisions of others. English stressed the importance of taking control of one’s fate by winning these crucial matchups, indicating a determination to avoid such situations in the future and elevate the program’s standing.
Virginia, Colorado State, Colorado, and Boise State secured at-large spots in the First Four. Providence, along with St. John’s, Seton Hall, and Villanova from the same league, were expected to present strong cases compared to these teams. However, only Seton Hall was mentioned among the last four out.
Despite the Big East’s strong performance in the KenPom ratings, ranking second nationally, the conference only received three bids. Connecticut claimed the No. 1 overall seed, with Marquette earning a No. 2 seed and Creighton a No. 3.
English expressed deep disappointment with the Big East’s performance, noting that despite strong showings from teams like Seton Hall, St. John’s, and Providence, the conference only received three bids. He criticized the selection committee’s reliance on certain metrics, suggesting that the evolution of these metrics has disadvantaged the Big East and its competitive style of play.
English also criticized the emphasis on certain analytics, suggesting that teams could schedule weaker opponents in non-conference play to inflate their statistics. He argued that this approach goes against the traditional sportsmanship of college basketball, where teams often ease up when leading by a large margin to give bench players a chance to play. English suggested that this could lead to a shift in college basketball scheduling, with teams aiming to defeat weaker opponents by larger margins to boost their statistical profile.
He highlighted the challenges of playing in a competitive league like the Big East, where teams face tough matchups against highly skilled opponents. English used the example of a game against Connecticut, where his team’s strong defensive performance was not reflected in the final score. He criticized the system for not accurately reflecting the quality of play in the conference and called for a reevaluation of the metrics used in the selection process.
A few months ago, Providence faced the possibility of missing the tournament after Bryce Hopkins suffered a season-ending injury. Despite winning their first two conference games, they then lost four consecutive games. However, led by eventual Big East Player of the Year Award winner Devin Carter, they regrouped and won seven of their next 10 games, including some key victories.
At Madison Square Garden, Providence defeated Georgetown and then upset second-seeded Creighton to reach the semifinals. Their run ended there with a loss to Marquette, leaving their tournament fate in the hands of the selection committee.
English reflected on the season as a valuable learning experience, emphasizing the importance of roster building to withstand injuries and other challenges. He expressed disappointment in not capitalizing on opportunities during the season and emphasized the need for improvement in retention, scheduling, and recruiting to ensure future success.
Providence had made the tournament in the two previous years, reaching the Sweet 16 in 2022 and exiting in the first round in 2023. They missed the tournament in 2021 and 2019, with the 2020 event canceled. Prior to that, they had a streak of five consecutive tournament appearances from 2014 to 2018.
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