2022 NCAA Tournament First Round: No. 4 Providence Friars vs. No. 13 South Dakota State Jackrabbits
How to Watch:
- Date: Thursday, March 17
- Time: 12:40 p.m. ET
- Location: KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY
- TV: truTV
- Live Stream: NCAA.com
Tale of the Tape:
| No. 4 PROV | STAT | No. 13 SDSU |
| Big East | Conference | Summit |
| 25-5 | Record | 30-4 |
| 71.8 (172nd) | Points Per Game | 86.7 (3rd) |
| 67.0 | Points Allowed Per Game | 73.4 |
| 0.6233 (13th) | RPI | 0.5917 (38th) |
| 56th | Strength of Schedule | 243rd |
| At-Large Bid | Bid | Automatic Bid |
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Providence leaders:
- Nate Watson C, SR: 13.8 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 55.8% FG
- Jared Bynum, G, JR: 12.7 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 4.2 APG, 1.1 SPG, 41.7% 3PT
South Dakota State leaders:
- Douglas Wilson, F, SR: 16.5 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 1.5 APG, 40.0% 3PT
- Baylor Scheierman, G, SO: 16.2 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 4.6 APG, 1.4 SPG, 47.3% 3PT
Odds, Lines, and Past Performance:
- SDSU Moneyline: +115
- PROV Moneyline: -135
- Spread: PROV -2
- Over/Under: 150
- ATS Record: PROV 17-13, SDSU 17-14-1
- Over/Under Record: PROV 16-14, SDSU 17-15
Odds courtesy of Draftkings. For the latest odds, click here.
The Pick:
- The fact that this spread is so close between a 4-seed and a 13-seed should tell you everything you need to know and exactly why the Jackrabbits were listed as one of our first-round upset best bets.
- Providence ranks as the luckiest team in the country according to KenPom’s metrics, which is indicative of the inconsistent nature of the Friars. The best evidence of that may have been the 85-58 beatdown they suffered against Creighton in the Big East semifinals.
- The Jackrabbits are one of the best offenses in the country. They rank 1st in three-point field goal percentage and are 12th in KemPom’s offensive efficiency metrics. They could be a tough challenge for a Friars team that ranks 79th in defensive efficiency but is pretty good against the three, ranking 58th in the country, allowing just 31.2% from beyond the arc.
- The Friars are also going to want to play slow, with the 273rd ranked adjusted tempo, while the Jackrabbits will want to run, with the 59th-ranked adjusted tempo. Whichever team is able to impose its will is likely to determine the outcome here, but given Providence’s inconsistency and struggles on defense, this might be a strong upset pick.
