The Friars controlled the tempo, slowing the game below Kansas’s season average and holding the Jayhawks to 6 fastbreak points. They crashed the boards, collecting 13 offensive rebounds. And they held Ochai Agbaji, a Naismith Player of the Year finalist, to just 5 points, his season low. It was the game the Friars wanted.
It wasn’t enough.
From the opening tip, Providence seemed overwhelmed by the Jayhawks and their athleticism. The Friars struggled to create space on offense and could not get into the flow of their offense.
“They were switching. They were trying to make it hard for us,” said Al Durham after the game.