Providence won another close game Saturday, this one a 76-73 overtime victory against DePaul that extended the Friars' winning streak to eight games and gave them a two-game lead in the loss column of the Big East standings over second-place Villanova. Almost immediately after the final horn sounded, FS1 splashed a graphic across the screen highlighting that Ed Cooley's team is now 9-0 this season in games decided by five or fewer points.
It's an impressive fact.
Throughout the season, as the wins have piled up, some have suggested that Providence is the "luckiest" team in college basketball, the point being that no team can win literally every tight game it plays the way Providence has without being lucky. I partly agree in the sense that there has to be some element of luck — a nice bounce here, a favorable call there, etc. But nobody will ever get me to believe success or failure in pressure situations is dictated entirely by luck, or even mostly by luck. Some coaches and players simply thrive in pressure situations while others do not. Anyone who has ever competed at anything at any level — everybody from Major League Baseball players to weekend golfers — knows this to be true, which is why I think it's better to describe Providence as composed and tough-minded than lucky and fortunate. There's something about Cooley and his players that allows them to keep things manageable under less-than-calm circumstances. It should be respected and applauded, not dismissed or chalked up to randomness.
Anyway …
Providence will be back on the court Tuesday when it hosts Villanova at the Dunkin' Donuts Center. The Wildcats are 4.5-point favorites so, based on the point spread, it should be another close game, which means the Friars could either be 10-0 in games decided by five or fewer points or 9-1 in games decided by five or fewer points by the time the night is done. They're ranked seventh in Tuesday morning's updated CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 daily college basketball rankings. Villanova is No. 12. Tip is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network.
Top 25 And 1 rankings
Rk | Teams | Chg | Rcrd | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Gonzaga has won 14 straight games by double-digits and all 10 West Coast Conference games by at least 16 points. The Zags' next game is Wednesday at Pepperdine. | -- | 31-6 |
| 2 |  | Auburn is 13-2 in the first two quadrants and in possession of an SEC-best 11-1 record in league games. The Tigers' next game is Wednesday vs. Vanderbilt. | -- | 21-13 |
| 3 |  | Kentucky is 9-4 in the first two quadrants with all four losses coming in Quadrant 1 games away from home. The Wildcats' next game is Tuesday at Tennessee. | -- | 22-12 |
| 4 |  | Arizona is 11-2 in the first two quadrants with the losses coming at Tennessee and at UCLA. The Wildcats' next game is Thursday against Oregon State. | -- | 28-7 |
| 5 |  | Kansas is 14-4 in the first two quadrants with three of the four losses coming in Quadrant 1. The Jayhawks' next game is Saturday at West Virginia. | -- | 28-8 |
| 6 |  | Baylor is 13-4 in the first two quadrants with wins over Villanova and Michigan State. The Bears' next game is Wednesday at Texas Tech. | -- | 23-11 |
| 7 |  | Providence is 10-2 in the first two quadrants with wins over Texas Tech and Wisconsin and losses to Virginia and Marquette. The Friars' next game is Tuesday against Villanova. | -- | 21-12 |
| 8 |  | Purdue is 11-4 in the first two quadrants with three of the four losses coming in Quadrant 1. The Boilermakers' next game is Wednesday at Northwestern. | -- | 29-6 |
| 9 |  | Duke is 8-3 in the first two quadrants with an additional loss to Virginia falling in Quadrant 3. The Blue Devils' next game is Tuesday against Wake Forest. | -- | 27-9 |
| 10 |  | Texas Tech is 10-6 in the first two quadrants with wins over Kansas, Baylor, Texas and Tennessee. The Red Raiders' next game is Wednesday against Baylor. | -- | 16-16 |
| 11 |  | Illinois' 10-6 record in the first two quadrants includes two losses in which All-American Kofi Cockburn did not play. The Illini's next game is Wednesday at Rutgers. | -- | 20-13 |
| 12 |  | Villanova is 10-6 in the first two quadrants with all six losses coming in Quadrant 1. The Wildcats' next game is Tuesday at Providence. | -- | 17-17 |
| 13 |  | Wisconsin is 11-4 in the first two quadrants with an additional loss to Rutgers falling in Quadrant 3. The Badgers' next game is Saturday against Rutgers. | -- | 20-15 |
| 14 |  | Michigan State is 10-6 in the first two quadrants but just 3-4 in its past seven games. The Spartans' next game is Saturday against Indiana. | -- | 21-13 |
| 15 |  | UCLA is 8-5 in the first two quadrants but just 1-3 in its past four games. The Bruins' next game is Thursday against Washington State. | -- | 31-6 |
| 16 |  | Houston is 6-4 in the first two quadrants with three of the four losses coming in Quadrant 1. The Cougars' next game is Thursday against UCF. | -- | 33-4 |
| 17 |  | Texas is 9-7 in the first two quadrants with wins over Kansas, Tennessee and Iowa State. The Longhorns' next game is Tuesday at Oklahoma. | -- | 29-9 |
| 18 |  | Tennessee is 9-6 in the first two quadrants with wins over Arizona, LSU and North Carolina. The Vols' next game is Tuesday against Kentucky. | -- | 25-11 |
| 19 |  | Wyoming is 8-3 in the first two quadrants and 12-1 in its past 13 games. The Cowboys' next game is Tuesday at New Mexico. | -- | 9-22 |
| 20 |  | Ohio State is 7-6 in the first two quadrants with five of the six losses coming in Quadrant 1. The Buckeyes' next game is Tuesday against Minnesota. | -- | 16-19 |
| 21 |  | USC is 8-3 in the first two quadrants with an additional loss to Stanford falling in Quadrant 3. The Trojans' next game is Thursday against Washington. | -- | 22-11 |
| 22 |  | Marquette is 9-9 in the first two quadrants with seven victories coming in Quadrant 1. The Golden Eagles' next game is Wednesday against Georgetown. | -- | 29-7 |
| 23 |  | Alabama is 11-7 in the first two quadrants with two additional losses to Georgia and Missouri falling in Quadrant 3. The Crimson Tide's next game is Wednesday against Mississippi State. | -- | 31-6 |
| 24 |  | Saint Mary's is 6-6 in the first two quadrants with five of the six losses coming in Quadrant 1. The Gaels' next game is Thursday against San Francisco. | -- | 27-8 |
| 25 |  | Murray State is 4-1 in the first two quadrants with an additional loss to East Tennessee State falling in Quadrant 3. The Racers' next game is Wednesday against Austin Peay. | -- | 17-15 |
| 26 |  | Arkansas is 8-4 in the first two quadrants with two additional losses to Hofstra and Vanderbilt falling in Quadrant 3. The Razorbacks' next game is Tuesday at Missouri. | -- | 22-14 |
