By ADAM ZAGORIA
NEWARK — To say that expectations for both Providence and Marquette coming into the Big East season were low would be putting it mildly.
Providence was picked seventh in the 11-team conference, Marquette ninth.
But here we are in late January and both squads are wildly out-performing those picks.
After Jared Bynum hit a game-winning three on the road at No. 21 Xavier Wednesday night to trigger a 65-62 victory, Ed Cooley’s No. 17-ranked squad is 17-2 and still atop the Big East standings at 7-1.
Providence is ranked 33rd in the NET and is 4-1 in Quad-1 games. The Friars lead Villanova (8-2) in the league standings and aren’t shying away from eyeing the Big East regular-season title.
“We just knew that we needed this one to stay on top and we wanted it more,” Providence’s Al Durham told John Fanta of the Big East Conference after putting up 22 points in the win. “We wanted to win more than anything and I think that showed tonight.”
The early narrative around Providence this season was that Cooley’s squad was lucky.
The Friars beat Wisconsin without Johnny Davis. They beat UConn without Adama Sanogo. And they beat Seton Hall without bigs Ike Obiagu and Tyrese Samuel.
But led by Durham, Nate Watson, AJ Reeves, Noah Horchler and Bynum, plus Defensive Player of the Year candidate Justin Minaya, the Friars can no longer be called lucky. They’re tough, they’re experienced and they’re good.
“Keep talking, we’re not going to say anything,” Bynum told Fanta of the doubters. “We’re not going to respond, we’re just going to keep doing what we’re doing.”
The early narrative around Marquette was that the Golden Eagles were a team in transition but would eventually figure it out under first-year coach Shaka Smart. After all, they only returned three players from a year ago when Steve Wojciechowski was fired after seven seasons.
“I can understand why people picked us ninth, we only had three returning players from last year,” Smart said. “New coach, a bunch of new guys.”
But after Wednesday’s 73-63 victory at Seton Hall in which redshirt freshman Justin Lewis went off for 33 points, nine rebounds and six assists in front of a handful of NBA scouts, No. 22 Marquette has now rattled off seven straight wins, including victories over then-No. 20 Seton Hall, then-No. 11 Villanova, and then-No. Xavier.
Smart’s club this season also has beaten then-No. 10 Illinois in the Gavitt Tip-Off Games, and then-No. 16 Providence.
The Golden Eagles are No. 31 in the NET and 5-4 in Quad-1 games.
Smart, who led VCU to the 2011 Final Four and then left Texas after six seasons in which he failed to win an NCAA Tournament game, said his team has learned humility and the value of defense since a four-game losing streak that began with a home loss to UCLA Dec. 11.
“When you lose four in a row like we did there’s some real humility that has to come out of that and then we’ve able to win some games since then but we’re the same team and the same guys,” he said. “Hopefully we’ve gotten a little bit better and grown in some areas. I think the guys have figured out that our anchor has to be defense and we’ve done a better job there.”
Both Providence and Marquette have exceeded expectations and both are red hot. Fittingly they are slated to meet Saturday in Providence in a game that could be pushed to Sunday by the impending storm.
“Show up, show out and we’ll give you guys a performance that we’ll keep on doing what we’re doing,” Durham told Fanta of his message to fans.
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