Providence @ Rhode Island preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 1, 2018 ) Rhode Island 50, Providence 59

Providence coach Ed Cooley told reporters during Big East media day back in October that he thought his team had a chance to be special and perhaps the best he's had since arriving in 2011, but he finds his squad lucky to be over .500 just over a month into the season. The Friars go about the task of making up for an up-and-down showing in non-conference play so far Friday when they visit in-state rival Rhode Island.

Prior to beating Pepperdine 80-77 in the seventh-place game of the Wooden Legacy on Sunday, Providence dropped three in a row to mid-major programs. The Friars, who were predicted to finish fourth in the Big East and returne all five starters from last season's 18-win squad, have mostly failed to live up to expectations as first-team all-conference selection Alpha Diallo hasn't been able to build on his impressive junior campaign despite leading the team in scoring (13.2 points) and rebounding (8.9). The Rams have dropped eight of the last nine meetings but enter this matchup the more battle-tested of the two programs, having already played unbeaten Maryland and West Virginia as well as Alabama and LSU. Rhode Island put a scare into the Mountaineers in their most recent game Sunday before settling for an 86-81 road loss.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2

ABOUT PROVIDENCE (5-4): With Diallo struggling to find his range for the second straight game, sophomore guard A.J. Reeves (6.8 points) and junior center Nate Watson (9.0) chipped in 15 points apiece off the bench while combining to go 11-of-18 from the floor. Graduate transfer Luwane Pipkins ranks fourth in the Big East in assists (5.2) and leads the conference in steals (2.2) but has scored five or fewer points four times in his first nine contests with the Friars after averaging 15.7 in 90 career games with Massachusetts. Sophomore guard David Duke, who has taken 28 fewer shots than Diallo and made 50 percent of his 3-point attempts, ranks second on the team in points (12.9), fourth in rebounds (4.6) and second in assists (4.1).

ABOUT RHODE ISLAND (5-3): Fatts Russell (team-high marks of 21.1 points and 4.9 assists) became the first Ram since Tavorris Bell (2000-01) to score at least 20 points in six straight games after erupting for a season-high 32 against West Virginia; during his torrid stretch, the 5-10 junior is averaging 24.3 points while shooting 50 percent from the floor and 91.4 percent from the foul line. Cyril Langevine (10.5 points, Atlantic 10-best 10.5 rebounds), who is one of three A-10 players averaging a double-double, finished with 18 points and 12 boards in last season's loss to Providence. Senior guard Jeff Dowtin (13.9 points) tied a season low with eight points Sunday but is two assists shy of becoming the sixth player in school history to reach 400 for his career.

TIP-INS

1. Providence ranks 24th in the country with a Big East-best plus-5.3 turnover margin.

2. Russell is shooting 36.6 percent from long-range this season after converting only 22.3 percent of his 3-point attempts in 2018-19.

3. Pipkins (15) has made only four more 3-pointers than Duke (11) despite hoisting up 31 more attempts (53-22).

PREDICTION: Rhode Island.76, Providence 69