NBA Draft Watch: Providence @ Texas Preview/Prospects of Note

A tip-off in Texas set for Friday at 9 PM EST —to be televised on ESPN2 — pits two potential tournament teams looking to finish up their non-conference schedule with a strong victory that would be to their benefit come Selection Sunday in March.

Texas rose to being ranked the 16th team in the country following a win over North Carolina in late November before dropping three consecutive games to Michigan St., then at home against Redford and Virginia Commonwealth (VCU), head coach Shaka Smart last location. The Longhorns rebounded with a couple victories since that losing streak, defending their home court, defeating Purdue and Grand Canyon. They enter the game at 7-3 led in scoring by senior combo guard Kerwin  Roach (14.3 points, 39.3 field goal percentage).

An explosive athlete, Roach operates as a primary ball handler (4.3 assists) who plays off the bounce and uses his bounce to elevate at the rim over defenders often taller than him —standing 6'4. Displaying attributes (5.1 rebounds per game) that could be of benefit as future pro, specifically impacting a team as a spark plug who thrives in making plays in the open floor, he'll hope to strike hot again as he did against North Carolina when he went for 32 points — shooting 12 of 15 from the field, including making each of three 3 point attempts, adding six rebounds, seven assists, and four steals.

Despite not having been seen apart of the starting lineup so far this season, freshman Jaxson Hayes has still shown skills that have allowed him to emerge as someone to watch. Standing 6'11, 220 pounds with a wingspan of 7'4, Hayes is far from a stationary big man, thriving as a rim runner who hustles in transition on both sides of the floor. His impact is made felt on each end, specifically as he is often rewarded for running the floor and finishing above the rim (connecting on 37 of 44 shots near the basket, with 33 coming off assist), then on defense as a bonafide shot blocker —collecting multiple blocks in all but one game this season, averaging 2.5 per game on just 20.6 minutes.

Scouts and front office personnel would likely wish to see Hayes received increase minutes and touches from the post, but what he's shown as an agile, energetic, big man with above-average athleticism and finishing ability has certainly drawn their attention.

Taking the trip to Texas to take on the Longhorns, Providence will be without their second-leading scorer in sharpshooting freshman AJ Reeves (14.2 points, 50 FG%, 45 3P%). Injuring his foot in the Friars 79-78 loss to Massachusetts (UMASS) on December 7th, Reeves is two weeks into the timetable that was reported to have him sidelined four-to-six weeks upon his initial diagnosis.
Prior to his injury, the 6'6 wing had surfaced on the scene early on, with a 29 point performance to open the season — setting a record at Providence for most points in a debut, while splashing 7 of 9 shots from three.

So far into his brief college career, Reeves has shown his spot-up shooting to be a strength of his game. Even so, he too has flashed signs of a confident scorer that could score moving without the ball and has enough athleticism to convert on contested attempts at the rim. Although the injury serves is a brief impediment to his his ascending progression and Providence's overall potential, should he return healthy in due time he'll have the opportunity to impact the team leading up to March and regain momentum.

Without the availability of Reeves, Providence will rely heavily on the efforts of junior Aphla Diallo, as they have done so throughout the season. Leading the team in multiple categories (34.8 minutes, 17.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.8 steals) Diallo has taken another step forward in his third season for the Friars, after making a significant jump between his freshman and sophomore season. A jack-of-all trades, two-way player the 6'7 wing/forward plays with adequate agility and tacit toughness that allows him to be a factor from the perimeter and in the paint.

Diallo has made strides into becoming a threat from the three point mark — shooting 20 of 48, 42% after making 24 of 107, 22% — while also increasing in his ability to create his own shot from inside the arc. He also has emerged as a well-rounded player on the other end, capable of competing on the glass with players bigger than him while also ably playing the passing lanes and applying pressure on-ball defense to player's outside the paint.