Saint Peter's @ Providence preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 31, 2007 ) St. Peter's 78, Providence 83

The Luwane Pipkins experiment is not bringing the desired results for Providence, which will look to rebound from a tough loss in a non-conference game Saturday against visiting Saint Peter's. Poor shooting from the field and the 3-point line have Pipkins averaging 8.7 points for the Friars, who have a chance to rediscover their confidence against the Peacocks.

Pipkins, a 5-11 guard from Chicago, averaged 15.7 points in three seasons at Massachusetts - including a high of 21.2 points as a sophomore - but hasn't been clicking this season. After a decent showing in a season-opening victory over Sacred Heart, the 1,400-point scorer has gone 4-of-25 from the field and 3-of-16 from beyond the arc in the last two games and even a homecoming to Northwestern, where the Friars fell 72-63, didn't cure his problems. Pipkins was supposed to help cure an offense that ranked last in the Big East in scoring and shooting from the field, from deep and at the line last season, but the Friars ranked 231st out of 350 Division I schools in field goal percentage entering Friday and are only slightly better in the other two areas. The Friars won't get any sympathy from the Peacocks, who managed 44 points in their only game this season after averaging 62.9 points while posting a 10-22 mark last season.

TV: 2 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 2

ABOUT SAINT PETER'S (0-1): The Peacocks will need more than Quinn Taylor and Derrick Woods to show up if they hope to be competitive against the Friars, who they last faced in 2007. Taylor was the only player to score in double figures with 14 points while Woods had seven points and 11 rebounds in the 69-44 loss to Bryant. The Peacocks and second-year coach Shaheen Holloway were without two players who were expected to make major contributions in sophomore forward KC Ndefo, who has been suspended indefinitely, and senior guard Cameron Jones, who missed the game for undisclosed reasons.

ABOUT PROVIDENCE (2-1): Alpha Diallo, who is averaging 16.3 points and 12.7 rebounds, has also fallen victim to the shooting woes. The 6-7 guard from New York City, who has 1,204 points and 630 rebounds in his career, sits at 35.8 percent from the floor, 23.8 percent from 3-point territory and 60 percent at the line. Diallo's rebounding is up by more than four boards per game over last season and his blocks and steals have rocketed up to 2.3 and 2.7 per game for the Friars, who play three straight home games before heading to California to participate in the Wooden Legacy.

TIP-INS

1. Sophomore G David Duke is off to a fantastic start for Providence, averaging 15.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and five assists - all more than double what he managed last season.

2. The Friars are 103-25 against the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, including 3-1 against Saint Peter's of Jersey City, N.J.

3. Diallo was fourth in the country in offensive rebounds per game (6.33), behind only Rhode Island's Cyril Langevine (8.5), Eastern Michigan's Boubacar Toure (7.0) and Youngstown State's Naz Bohannon (6.5).

PREDICTION: Providence 90, Saint Peter's 50