PROVIDENCE — While seemingly the rest of the college basketball world has played a slew of games this month, the Providence College Friars have gotten plenty of rest.

Due to problems securing dates at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center and the school’s exam break, the Friars haven’t laced their sneakers up very often in the last few weeks. PC has played once in the last nine days and twice in the last 22. When the Friars do suit up to host Saint Peter’s in the final nonleague game of the season today (2 p.m.), they’ll hope that lessons learned in practices trump the rust that can build from a lack of game action.

“It is what it is. There’s a natural break after Christmas, but not like this,” Friars coach Tim Welsh said. “We’d like our fans to see us play over the weekend, like every other team in the Big East did.”

PC’s schedule is bound by restrictions placed on the program both by semester exams and the Dunk’s limited dates, but this year’s slate has been especially challenging. There were construction-related issues last month at the Dunk that prohibited any home games being played until a Nov. 24 visit from Harvard. That necessitated the Friars opening their season on the road at the Puerto Rico Shootout.

Welsh then chose to stack his schedule with four games in nine days during the first week in December, when PC agreed to sandwich a trip to the Ryan Center to play Rhode Island between neutral-court events against Boston College and South Carolina. The Friars went 2-2 that week.

PC didn’t play from Dec. 10-18 because of exams. There were two pre-Christmas games against Sacred Heart and Florida State, but the Friars haven’t played since the Dec. 22 win over the Seminoles. PC would’ve loved to play the Peacocks (or at least practice) at the Dunk either Saturday or Sunday, but the building was booked for Disney On Ice. PC was originally told that it did not have access to the building from Christmas until the second week of January because of Disney and the Boat Show, which begins Friday at the Rhode Island Convention Center. The Boat Show actually won’t use space at the Dunk but a freestyle motocross show is booked in the building this weekend.

After some negotiating, the Dunk agreed to host today’s game, but the Friars won’t play at home again until Jan. 9 against Rutgers. Last season, PC opened its Big East schedule with two home games, and benefited with wins over Marquette and Seton Hall. This year, the Friars travel to the Midwest and play at Marquette and DePaul on Thursday and Friday, respectively.

“These are issues we’ve been trying to solve for years but haven’t gotten it done,” said Welsh. “We’ve already been told that we won’t have the building (the week between Christmas and New Year’s) next year, either.

To go from Christmas into January with only one home game is very, very difficult. It’s a key time of the year. It’s unfortunate, but if that persists I’d be fine with playing a game at the Ryan Center (in Kingston). We’d like our fans to see us play between Christmas and New Year’s.”

PC should be without its two top point guards today. Sharaud Curry has yet to return from Atlanta for Christmas break due to a serious family illness.

He is expected to arrive in time for today’s game but he’s still nursing an injured foot. Welsh says Curry be evaluated in the next day or two by doctors.

Dwain Williams injured an ankle in the Florida State game and hasn’t practiced since. He’s day-to-day right now.

kmcnamar@projo.com