Providence Basketball Heads to Creighton Looking to Keep Momentum Going

Providence Basketball arrives in Omaha riding back-to-back wins and with late-season positioning on the line, a situation made sharper by recent injuries, a suspension ending, and a rotating collection of starting lineups. The Friars have shown resilience in recent games, and their availability and matchups in this road test will shape their push in the final three regular-season contests.

Providence Basketball injury outlook

Kim English said he hopes Stefan Vaaks will be available on Saturday night at Creighton. Vaaks missed the meeting with Xavier with an illness, and Corey Floyd Jr. missed that same game with a hamstring issue; Floyd continues to work his way back. Forward Duncan Powell is finishing the last leg of a three-game suspension tied to the melee with St. John’s. Availability for those three — Vaaks, Floyd and Powell — will affect rotation choices after the Friars have already used 11 different starting lineups through 28 games.

Injuries and absences have been a recurring theme: Jason Edwards has missed eight games, Powell eight, and Floyd six. Several reserves have also missed most of the season. Meanwhile, Jaylin Sellers, Mela, and Oswin Erhunmwunse have played in all 28 games, providing continuity as other pieces have shuffled in and out.

Creighton matchup and stakes

The game in Omaha comes against a Creighton team that has been a difficult opponent historically and is still competitive this season. Creighton enters the meeting at 8-10 in league play and 14-15 overall. Providence beat Creighton earlier in the season, 93-88, with Jamier Jones contributing 18 points and 11 rebounds and Stefan Vaaks scoring 24 in that first meeting.

Providence’s recent stretch includes a 71-68 win at DePaul despite a delayed arrival caused by a mechanical issue on the team plane, and a 94-84 victory over Xavier in which the Friars built a 23-point lead and closed out the game while missing key personnel. How the Friars perform in Omaha will both test Creighton at home and reveal how much the Friars have regained depth and consistency as the regular season winds down.

Standings and path forward

With three regular-season games remaining, Providence sits seventh in the Big East with a 6-11 conference mark. That places the Friars a half-game ahead of Butler and a game clear of Marquette, Xavier and Georgetown. Providence is a game behind DePaul and two games behind Creighton. If things break right over the final week, the Friars could move into the top five in the league; the schedule sets up favorably with a home game against Marquette and a road trip to Georgetown after the Creighton game.

Coach English has emphasized a team-oriented offense rather than a single go-to scorer, but Jaylin Sellers has emerged as a leading figure. English praised Sellers as an example of successful portal recruiting, calling him tough, talented, smart, hard-working, humble and mature. Sellers is scoring at an elite level for the team as March approaches, and recent performances have underlined his growing role.

• Key takeaways: Providence has won two straight, faces Creighton with several players' availability uncertain, and sits seventh in the Big East with three games left.

Analysis and forward look: The observable indicators — recent wins, the rotating starting lineups, and the status of Vaaks, Floyd and Powell — point to a narrow margin for error. If Vaaks returns and Powell completes his suspension, the Friars would regain pieces that helped them build leads in recent games; absent those returns, depth will remain a limiting factor. The upcoming Creighton game is a consequential test: a road win would strengthen Providence’s case for moving up in the standings and entering the league tournament with momentum, while a loss would leave the Friars needing strong results in the final two regular-season games to improve seeding.