Providence @ DePaul preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 2, 2019 ) Providence 55, DePaul 67

Stopping junior forward Paul Reed will be the focus of Providence when it hits the road Saturday for a Big East game against DePaul. The Friars were able to contain Omer Yurtseven in a big win over Georgetown on Tuesday, but will have to use a different strategy against Reed and the Blue Demons.

No team has been able to stop Reed, who was seventh nationally entering Friday in blocks, when he plays his full complement of minutes as he has scored in double figures in every game and was one of four players with 10 or more double-doubles. The Friars used Kalif Young and Nate Watson and all 10 of their fouls to limit Yurtseven, but with their No. 2 scorer out, the Hoyas has no other viable scoring option. Charlie Moore is just that for DePaul with five 20-point games to go along with four double-digit assist games but he struggled in his first foray into the Big East, going 4-of-15 from the field - including 1-of-7 from 3-point territory - and turned the ball over eight times for the second time this season. Alpha Diallo, a senior guard who leads all active Big East players in career rebounds in conference games (354), is the man for the Friars and was again against Georgetown with 20 points, eight boards and four steals.

TIME: 2 p.m. ET. TV: Fox Sports 1

ABOUT PROVIDENCE (8-6, 1-0 Big East): Luwane Pipkins should have simple goal when he steps on the floor - get at least four assists. The graduate transfer from Massachusetts, who is averaging roughly half the points this season (9.4) that he did over the last two seasons with the Minuteman (18.9), has had four or more assists in nine games and the Friars are 7-2 in those contests. In fact, the win over Georgetown was the first for Providence that Pipkins didn't hit the assists mark, but sophomore David Duke picked up the slack by recording eight helpers.

ABOUT DEPAUL (12-2, 0-1): A big game from Jalen Coleman-Lands from beyond the arc will go a long way in helping the Blue Demons win this game after he struggled in that area against Seton Hall. Coleman-Lands, who leads DePaul in 3-pointers made and attempted, is coming off a 1-of-7 showing in the Big East opener, but faces a team that is ranked near the bottom of the Big East in 3-point defense (32.9 percent). With three more shot attempts, Jaylen Butz will join select company in DePaul history by qualifying for the school's all-time list in career field goal percentage, where he would currently rank third at 59.9 percent.

TIP-INS

1. Diallo, who leads the Big East with 2.21 steals per game, just ahead of Moore (2.07), has averaged 17.8 points, 11 rebounds, 3.3 steals and three assists in the last four games.

2. Providence has dropped two of the last three meetings with DePaul, but still enjoys a 30-12 edge in the series - including 11-8 in Chicago.

3. The Friars are shooting 24.4 percent from 3-point range in six road games and 39.5 percent at home.

PREDICTION: DePaul 78, Providence 72