PROVIDENCE – The Connecticut men’s basketball team was on its way to a second straight national championship, and its final regular-season game featured an ample display of its dominance.
Providence College began to burn. The Friars were buzzing at the Amica Mutual Pavilion and a magical night seemed to be brewing.
The Huskies began to expose all of the weaknesses that Providence carried during the 2023-24 season. It looked like only a select few Friars would have broken up the visiting team’s rotation in a 74-60 loss, and Providence coach Kim English offered a sobering analysis just minutes after the final whistle.
“I don’t know if I can say this, but we were caught by surprise this season – without the depth we needed,” English said. “We’re going to build this squad to withstand one or two injuries.
“We’ll have 13 guys next season. I’m really excited about what we’re going to do here.”
Devin Carter was the Big East Player of the Year and headed to the NBA Draft. Josh Oduro and Ticket Gaines have exhausted their eligibility. Bryce Hopkins is a few months into long-term recovery from a left knee injury — when and how he returns next season brings its own set of questions.
Providence dove into the transfer portal last month and emerged with four commitments. The Friars will have a different look after finishing 21-14 and losing to Boston College in the first round of the NIT. Did they keep English’s promise?
We will only be able to answer that when games resume in November. For now, let’s take a step back and summarize the work English and his team have done since falling to the Eagles. We’ll take a look at Providence by position — the notations in parentheses represent how many years of college eligibility each player carries into the 2024-25 campaign.
Shipowners
Bensley Joseph (one), Jayden Pierre (two)
Pierre showed more of a scoring touch in his second season, taking advantage of the additional playing time to reach double figures in 14 games. He’s a capable three-point shooter and has improved his finishing at the rim thanks to a full second year in a college strength and conditioning program.
Joseph offers the experience that comes with two deep NCAA Tournament runs in Miami and some more defensive steel. He’s also a solid pitcher from deep who has seven double-digit games in his first two years, with 15 last season.
One thing to note here: Joseph has never posted an assist rate above 20%, and Pierre’s has dropped more than 10% since his freshman year. Neither has recorded a turnover rate below 20% in five college seasons combined. Better facilitation and ball security will be key between the Friars’ two likely leading guards.
Two, three and four
Jabri Abdur-Rahim (one), Rich Barron (three), Wesley Cardet Jr. (one), Eli DeLaurier (four in an expected red jersey), Justyn Fernandez (three in a red jersey), Corey Floyd Jr.), Bryce Hopkins (one), Ryan Mela (four)
Carter becoming a professional and Gaines graduating create great opportunities in this group of positions. Providence lost arguably the best two-way player in the conference and a veteran who earned English’s trust while playing for him previously at Tennessee and George Mason.
Abdur-Rahim and Cardet are experienced options from Georgia and Chicago State, respectively. Both were four-star prospects who offered physical advantages — Abdur-Rahim’s length at 6-foot-1, Cardet’s strength at 6-foot-10. Let’s hazard a guess and say they weren’t brought here to sit on the bench.
Fernandez has completed a long-term recovery from a knee injury that cost him 2023-24, but how quickly he can shake off the rust is anyone’s guess. Barron was an All-Rookie Big East selection thanks to his 3-point shooting and defensive effort. Floyd has earned his minutes in two seasons with the Friars serving as a coachable bench option and Mela will be getting to work as the only freshman in the recruiting class so far.
What and when Hopkins delivers could determine this team’s ceiling next season. His scoring and rebounding numbers through 14 games were consistent with his breakout in 2022-23 after transferring from Kentucky, but his shooting percentages from 3-point range and the line have declined. If healthy early on and approaching his best, Hopkins is a special talent on the court and has the character to serve as a leader.
Big men
Anton Bonke (three), Christ Essandoko (three in red shirt)
Essandoko’s defensive rebounding percentage would have been second only to Carter last season, and his shot-blocking percentage would have topped the Providence squad. He is a real physical factor as a 7-footer and a capable passer for his size. You could argue he’s this portal cycle’s recruiting prize for the Friars.
Bonke enrolled at Providence after one semester at an Arizona college and practiced with the team during the second semester. His pregame routine included jumpers from 3-point range and the occasional ability to put the ball on the floor. You can’t teach 7-footers and the Friars were more than willing to roll the dice on a relatively unproven player, and for good reason.
The unknown
Oswin Erhunmwunse (commit 2025)
Will he be reclassified and enrolled before the 2024-25 season? Barring a late outside pursuit or an unexpected entry into the current roster portal, that may be the only question Providence has to answer in the coming weeks.
Essandoko is the only current player on next season’s Friars with any significant college experience. DeLaurier played nine minutes in three games last season before suffering an ankle injury and Bonke is a complete wildcard who is still relatively new to the sport. Erhunmwunse would be offensive, but has been a factor in his age group with his rebounding ability and rim defense.
bkoch@providencejournal.com
On X: @BillKoch25
This article originally appeared in The Providence Journal: A preview of next season’s Providence men’s basketball team
