Stout Stallions: Defense keys Providence entering FHSAA boys basketball final four
Through win after win after win for Providence boys basketball, through an 11-minute shutout midway through the regional final, Stallions head coach Jim Martin keeps emphasizing one message, and his team isn't forgetting it.
Defense matters. All the time.
"Our coach is always drilling us," senior forward David Fonville said. "Play hard the whole entire game, locking them up, sticking to our plan."
That defensive attitude has led Providence to the RP Funding Center in Lakeland, where they tip off the Florida High School Athletic Association Class 3A boys basketball semifinals against Windermere Prep at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
Yes, it's natural for people to focus on scoring numbers for a team that's won its last 15, including four starters who average 9.8 points or more per game.
But Providence basketball means more. Like the 45.9 points allowed per game. Or 20 in a row without allowing any opponents to get to 60 in regulation.
"It's communication among our whole team, being able to communicate what's happening from one side of the court to the other," Caleb McAbee said. "We can move as one, like a unit, and I feel like if we're able to do that, that's what really separates a good team from a great team."
GUARDS SET TONE FOR STALLIONS
For Martin, the defensive foundation starts with senior guards McAbee and Brady Patterson.
"They set the tone for the rest of the team defensively," Martin said.
They certainly did that in Friday's Region 1-3A final against Episcopal. Matched up against the Eagles' Kent Jackson, a Jacksonville University signee
The result: For more than 11 minutes, Providence kept Episcopal off the board while building a double-digit lead.
"Our goal was to really take him out of the game, not allowing him to catch it and allowing me, Brady, Abdul [Mansaray], everybody who got matched up on him to stay close to him," McAbee said.
With McAbee and Patterson locking down the perimeter, the Stallions have -- at least so far -- compensated effectively for their modest team size with agility and discipline.
"They're guys that are a little undersized, but they can switch on a lot of things and really can cover… We can switch every screen," Martin said. "They're smart and they're pretty versatile, and we'll cover anybody on the floor."
WINNING HABITS UNDER PRESSURE
At first, the 2023-24 season didn't look like a winner.
Providence not only had to replace forward Jaylen Robinson, who transferred to Daytona-based DME, but they struggled out of the gate with losses to Gateway Charter, North Broward Prep and Weston Sagemont in a rare 1-3 start.
But they've found ways to adjust, even when that means placing Jacksonville University signee Chris Arias, the tallest Stallion starter at 6-6, in seemingly difficult matchups against opposing bigs. It's worked, height disadvantage or not.
"When taller players are on me, I just use my quickness to go right past them," he said.
They've won their last 15 games, going undefeated since a Dec. 29 loss to Tampa Blake. In their last dozen, only two teams have scored as many as 50 against the Stallions: Impact Christian and Ponte Vedra, both semifinalists in their own classes.
Sometimes, it's been messy. In last Tuesday's regional semifinal against Florida High, Providence had to come from behind in the second half to force overtime, eventually grinding out a 43-41 victory.
But when the going gets tough, they've learned how to close out games without mercy, and foul shooting is a not-so-secret ingredient.
Looking for a Stallion to foul late? Opponents' options are few. Fonville is nailing 89 percent of his free throws. McAbee converts 86 percent. Arias, 81 percent.
"We're playing with confidence, especially in big-time games at the very end of the game and in the fourth quarter," Fonville said, "and we're taking care of the ball."
LEARNING FROM LAST LAKELAND VISIT
Providence's most recent night in Lakeland still leaves a sting.
The Stallions entered the 2023 semifinal at 28-2, ranked No. 1 in the state, and solidly favored entering their semifinal against Windermere Prep. Instead, they sputtered through a lackluster start, lost the rebound battle 36-29, missed half their free throws, shot only 25 percent from the field after halftime and sank to a 55-43 loss.
"We feel like we have a little bit of unfinished business from last year," Martin said. "We didn't play well, and now we've got a chance to go back there. Those guys played a lot of minutes last year, and they feel like we left something in Lakeland."
It's not just the same venue as last year. Providence will take on the same opponent, Windermere Prep, under former Stallions assistant Brian Hoff.
For the Stallions, who start five seniors in Arias, Fonville, Mansaray, McAbee and Patterson, Wednesday means one more chance to pursue a fourth championship trophy to go with the hardware from 2010, 2013 and 2015.
"We're not taking it for granted," McAbee said. "Last year, I think we went in and expected it to be just like it was all season. This year, we have a better appreciation for what we've got going on, and we're going in a lot more prepared."
Class 3A boys basketball semifinal
Who: Providence (24-5) vs. Windermere Prep (23-7)
When: 7 p.m. Wednesday.
Where: RP Funding Center, Lakeland.
The skinny: The offensively-balanced Stallions, with superb outside shooting from Chris Arias (13.8 points), Caleb McAbee (12.0 points), Brady Patterson (10.2 points) and David Fonville (9.8 points), encounter a young Windermere Prep team that contrasts with Providence in many ways. The Lakers deploy a 7-foot sophomore center in Sinan Huan (11.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 4.7 blocks), along with a skillful junior point guard in Samuel Shoptaw (9.6 points, 6.8 assists) and a top-30 national prospect in sophomore shooting guard Brandon Bass Jr. (21.1 points). The winner would play at 8 p.m. Friday against reigning champion Riviera Prep or Berkeley Prep.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Providence Stallions basketball: Defense key for FHSAA boys final four
