Bynum returns to lend Friars big assist in dispatching Butler

On Wednesday night at the AMP, the Friars were facing a seven-point deficit against Butler nine minutes into the first half after PC had misfired on seven of its 11 shots from the floor, including all five of its 3-point attempts.

Enter Bynum.

The Friars reeled off 11 straight points as Bynum scored on a driving layup to pull PC back to within 16-15 of Butler, and Bynum next set up Clifton Moore for a basket as the Friars took the lead with 9:52 left.

“I still think that we’re one of the best teams in America,” Cooley reiterated with Bynum back on the court in PC’s Big East xx-xx victory over the Bulldogs. “We’re pretty damn good — we’re here to win.”

The No. 23 ranked Friars (15-5, 7-2) have won 10 of their past 12 games, with a NET ranking of 39, owning Quad 1 wins over Marquette, UConn and Seton Hall.

Bynum energized PC into shooting 9-for-15 over the final 11 minutes of the first half and into a 36-26 lead, having two of the Friars’ six assists on 13 field goals made.

Minus Bynum, PC had just nine assists on 25 field goals made (with 12 turnovers) in losing at Creighton, then had 13 assists on 29 baskets (with 13 turnovers) in losing at Marquette. Against DePaul on Saturday, the Friars totaled 15 assists on their 28 field goals made.

In the Friars’ first outing without Bynum against St. John’s the not so smooth distribution of the ball at the offensive end began to make its mark with PC having 12 assists on its 27 field goals made (with 16 turnovers).

Bynum means that much to the Friars, especially in moving the ball on offense and getting it to the right spots at the right times. In the four Friar outings minus Bynum, PC has totaled 50 assists, but 55 turnovers.ynum

With or without Bynum, the Friars are currently ranked No. 23 nationally in the Kenpom offensive efficiency chart. Moreover, PC is the fourth best Big East member in terms of scoring (at 78.8 points per game) and its rate of accuracy in shooting from the floor (.466) is third best in the conference.

“Our synergy offensively is just not there (without Bynum),” Cooley intimated. “It’s a slow process for Jared coming back. He’s on restricted minutes, we’ll see what we can do. He’s a fifth-year senior who knows how to set the pace, how to set the table, knows how to win.”

Both reserve guards Alyn Breed and Jayden Pierre had been slowed by viral illnesses, but have filled the bill rather admirably. “Those are our primary ball-handlers,” Cooley said, the Friars also having to lean on Devin Carter, Noah Locke and Bryce Hopkins for better ball movement and in transition. “Our lack of execution, our mental and emotional mistakes – the emotional discipline that we talk about,” Cooley added of fluidity on offense. “Not having Jared we’ve been a little out of sync, not ourselves offensively.”

Bynum started 16 straight games, but left after eight minutes against UConn at the AMP with a first half abdominal issue. Through those 16 games, Bynum had a phenomenal assist (71) to turnover (28) ratio, the seventh best figures in the Big East. “His next level comes through with how he leads,” Cooley said of Bynum’s intangibles, in practice, on the bench and in channeling his energy on the court.

“We want ball movement, body movement. – to play with pace, to play with confidence,” Cooley said of trying to find the right combinations of players to make the offense flow. “We’re trying to score more in transition, to play faster with the athletes that we have.”

The Friars had nine players contribute points during the first half in taking the lead with Devin Carter (seven points, six rebounds), Moore (six points) and Corey Floyd (seven points, matching a career high) leading the way.

“We need all of the energy and effort that we can get,” Cooley said of the Friars’ third straight win. “We have to find a way to win (with or without Bynum). We’ve changed our style a little, in respect to our personnel and playing in transition,” Cooley said. “We want to make sure that our offense is running with pace. We want to get up the floor, to push the ball.

“I tell the players all the time, trust one another, believe in what we’re doing and be there at the end (of a game). Hopefully we can get Jared back soon, but we don’t know when that will happen.

“We won’t be a championship level team until we’re full throttle. We have to find a way.

PC beat the Bulldogs by 20 points earlier in the season, Butler arriving in Providence with four losses in its previous five games.

PROVIDENCE —