Providence Friars 2024-25 Basketball Outlook

By Christian Newell

Analysis of Last Season

The Providence Friars' 2023-24 season was full of ups and downs, with more positive takeaways coming out of it than negative. The season ending injury to star forward and preseason first team all-Big East Bryce Hopkins was a brutal blow, especially coming at the very beginning of conference play and when the team was ranked inside the AP top 25 in the nation. However, this opened the door for junior guard Devin Carter to step up and become one of the best and most beloved players in Friar history, resulting in a Big East Player of the Year award and being drafted 14th overall in the NBA draft to the Sacramento Kings.

Josh Oduro and Ticket Gaines were wonderful additions by first year coach Kim English, bringing them both over from his previous position at George Mason University. The third player to come over from GMU, Justyn Fernandez, unfortunately had to undergo season ending surgery in the offseason, adding on to the squad's unluckiness. Young star guard Jayden Pierre also had to miss several games due to injury early in the season, and top recruit guard Garwey Dual failed to perform to expectations throughout the year.

Despite these circumstances, as well as having a new coach and tons of transfers, the squad finished with 20+ wins and made a push for March Madness by going deep into the Big East tourney. Here, they upset Creighton in the quarterfinals before ultimately coming just short of a comeback in the final minutes to a dominant Marquette squad. Although the Friars didn't participate in the dance, they made a formidable reputation and look to make it farther this year with many key players returning, as well as many promising transfers.

Current Outlook

This year's Providence squad has already put themselves on the map as a contender in the Big East and a tournament team, with several nominations from coaches for being top 25 in the country. The following section will cover members of the previous Friars team that have a promising development ahead.

Bryce Hopkins: A transfer from Kentucky after his freshman year in 2021-22, the forward took the Big East by storm his sophomore year, being named to First team all-Big East and averaging 16 points and nearly 9 rebounds a game. He also had a very nice three point shot in his bag, averaging 36% throughout that season, but his shot wasn't falling nearly as much last season. Bryce's scoring and rebound numbers were approximately the same, but his overall efficiency took a big hit surprisingly. His impact on the team was still crucial, however, as seen by the team's regression after his season-ending injury in December against Seton Hall. Bryce has made a full recovery and looks to maintain his dominance and impact as the team's workhorse power forward.

Jayden Pierre: An overall solid season for the second-year guard, Pierre showed flashes of being an elite scorer and facilitator. He shot a respectable 37% from downtown, had a nice midrange game, and was not afraid to drive to the paint. Look for Jayden to have much more freedom in controlling the offense with another year under his belt and not losing touches to Devin Carter and Garwey Dual.

Richard Barron: a previous George Mason recruit that came over to Friartown with Kim English for his freshman year, Barron had a more impactful season than most expected. The forward implemented himself into the starting rotation relatively early, proving his impact as a shooter and defender that increased his playing time minutes. He was named to the Freshman all-Big East team, knocking down 43% of his three pointers, the highest mark on the team. Barron is expected to have an even more increased role in the offense with more opportunities to score outside of just shooting, in which he showed flashes of being able to drive to the basket last season.

Corey Floyd: Corey had an extremely promising freshman season, shooting 45/42/85 splits in minimal playing time of just 10 minutes a game. This resulted in 23 minutes a game and 11 starts as a sophomore, which unfortunately resulted in some regression. However, Corey is an amazing defender and has proved he can shoot the three-ball consistently, and his role isn't expected to decrease an alarming amount.

Justyn Fernandez: A Four-star recruit out of high school, Justyn got respectable minutes as a freshman with George Mason in his freshman year. Despite lacking some consistency, which is completely understandable for a freshman in a competitive conference like the A10, he showed flashes of being a formidable shooter and lockdown defender. The reports have said that he has continued to improve his game, and the team and fans are excited for what he can bring to this year's squad off the bench.

Next, the discussion will be focusing on key transfers that are expected to make a big impact.

Bensley Joseph: The guard from the University of Miami has seen his role progress each year of his collegiate career, eclipsing over 30 minutes a game in the elite ACC Conference. Joseph's playing time alone should signify his impact as a player, and he posted extremely respectable numbers of 10 points a game and over 3 rebounds and 3 assists a game on 36% from three. He is also a lockdown defender, which is crucial at the guard position, and he should fit in nicely on the squad as the starting point guard barring a decision by Kim English to start Pierre instead.

Wesley Cardet: The star guard coming from Chicago State, Cardet was one of the biggest names in the transfer portal thanks to his incredible scoring abilities. He averaged 19 points a game, while also posting respectable rebounding and assist numbers from the shooting guard position. Cardet may not have the same volume in a much tougher conference, but he should be an electrifying player and fan favorite.

Jabri Abdur-Rahim: A grad transfer from Georgia and key addition to the team, Jabri fills the "three and D" role to perfection. A guard-forward hybrid with incredible length, he will be a force on both sides of the floor, as proven on offense with 12 points per game last season in the SEC conference and a career 36% from three. Look for Jabri to fill the Ticket Gaines role while also bringing an equal amount of energy as the beloved player from last season.

Christ Essandoko: The 7-footer from Saint Joseph's (same conference as George Mason) is expected to fill the Josh Oduro role. In a respectable 20 minutes a game last season, he averaged 8 points and 6 rebounds on an incredible 37% from three for a big man, while also showcasing his presence in the paint with a blocked shot per game. The young forward-center from France looks to be a dominant frontcourt duo with Bryce Hopkins.

Expectations

The team's chemistry is certainly a question mark, as showcased in a scrimmage loss to Saint Joseph's recently, but the veteran presence and upside are undoubtable. With a mix of players that are hungry to return to their former selves as well as others looking to prove their role, the sky is the limit for this Friar squad.

The youth is imminent as well, with 4-star recruit Oswin Erhunmwunse classifying a year early for frontcourt depth, New England high school star Ryan Mela being a promising shooter off the bench, and 7'2 center Anton Bonke from the country of Vanuatu looking to blossom over time.

Overall, this squad should compete as one of the top teams in a tough and hungry conference, and the pieces are there for a deep run in March Madness, especially thanks to being led by Kim English.