PHILADELPHIA — Any look into a Providence College practice is guaranteed to include coach Ed Cooley preaching the importance of giving up what he calls “tough twos.”
In Cooley-speak this term refers to a desire to limit open 3-pointers and instead settle only for contested shots closer to the basket. No college coach likes to be burned from the 3-point line and that has been a defensive guideline for the Friars since Cooley arrived seven years ago.
That was the largest concern entering Tuesday’s game at top-ranked Villanova. The Wildcats came in hot from behind the 3-point line after making 17 3-pointers in a 32-point win at Georgetown and then 15 more in a 20-point win in Hartford against UConn.