Providence has been looking to bolster their non-conference schedule and the Friars will do just that in 2018-19 with a trip to Texas to face the Longhorns on December 21st, a source told pcbb1917.com. A return game in Providence is part of the deal and is scheduled to be played at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center during the 2019-20 season. The Friars and Longhorns have met 5 previous times with the most recent matchup coming at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center on January 5, 2004. Texas took that contest, 79-77, in a game that featured an infamous review.

Texas is coming off an up and down 19-15 season that was filled with drama off the court and a rather inept offense on the hardwood. Shaka Smart and the Longhorns had to go through the leukemia diagnosis of Andrew Jones, one of their best players, plus junior guard Eric Davis being caught up in the FBI investigation involving Christian Dawkins and possible improper benefits. They did enough to squeak into the NCAA Tournament as a 10-seed but fell in overtime to 7-seed Nevada in the First Round after blowing a double digit lead.

Texas will lose star freshman big man Mo Bamba to the NBA Draft and Davis isn’t expected to return for his senior season. Rising senior guard Kerwin Roach is going through the NBA Draft process now, but it appears most people around the Texas program expect him to return for 2018-19. Other key returning players are sophomore point guard Matt Coleman, a player Providence recruited out of the Boo Williams program, big man Dylan Osetkowski and wing Jericho Sims. The Longhorns also have a top-10 recruiting class coming in headlined by former Louisville commit Courtney Ramey and fellow top-60 recruits Gerald Liddell, a Texas native, and Kamaka Hepa. Also being added to the mix will be guard Elijah Long who sat out last season after transferring from Mount St. Mary’s two seasons into his career there.

Texas was a very good defensive team last season finishing 12th in Defensive Efficiency, according to Kenpom.com. They were good at blocking shots, not fouling and preventing their opponent’s from making field goals. The other side of the floor proved to be a real problem. The Longhorns were dead last in Big 12 play in Offensive Efficiency and they ranked 316th nationally in 3-point shooting for the season while being 318th in free throw %. Having some of the younger players like Coleman and Sims develop and the influx of Long and the highly touted freshman group should help things on offense. Roach returning would also help.

This game will pair with other high profile matchups on the 2018-19 Providence non-conference schedule like Wichita State, South Carolina and possibly Michigan if things break right in the Hall of Fame Tip Off bracket. The other interesting aspect is something I mentioned on the latest episode of the Providence Friarcast. CBSSports.com reported this week that Iowa State’s AD, Jamie Pollard, mentioned the Big East and Big 12 have discussed the possibility of a “scheduling alliance”. It’s likely this Providence/Texas marriage was facilitated through the league offices. The league’s match well with both having 10 schools and both being in the top 3 every year in conference RPI for hoops. Look for the full Providence non-conference schedule to be released soon. The last two years it came out during the final week of May.

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