Friar Tid Bits:
*The Friars have registered a 3-2 mark all-time in the Big 12-BIG EAST Battle.
*The Friars have posted a 0-2 mark all-time versus BYU.
*The last meeting between PC and BYU was on December 21, 1982 in Provo, Utah.
*The Friars have posted a 25-41 mark versus current teams in the Big 12.
*Junior guard Jayden Pierre leads the Friars in scoring at 13.1 ppg.
*The Friars have seven newcomers on the roster this season.
*Kim English is one of 19 NCAA Div. 1 head coaches who played in the NBA.
*For the second consecutive year, senior Bryce Hopkins (Oak Park, Ill.) has earned First Team All-BIG EAST Preseason honors on Oct. 23.
*Bryce Hopkins was named to the Wooden Award Top 50 Preseason Watch List on Nov. 7.
*Bryce Hopkins was one of 50 players named to the Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Men’s College Player Of The Year Preseason Watch List on Oct. 30 .
*Bryce Hopkins was one of 20 players named to the Karl Malone Power Forward Of The Year Preseason Watch List on Oct. 31.
*The Friars earned 20 wins (21-14) in a season for the 31st time in 2023-24.
*The Friars made their 21st appearance in the NIT last season and first since 2019.
*Kim English became the first Friar Head Coach to win 20 games in his first season at PC.
*Bryce Hopkins missed the remainder of the 2023-24 season with a knee injury which occurred versus Seton Hall on 1/3. He averaged 15.5 ppg and 8.6 rpg in 14 games last season.
*Former Friar Devin Carter earned 2024 BIG EAST Player of the Year and was picked No. 13 in the 2024 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings.
*The Friars are 637-243 (.724) all-time at the Amica Mutual Pavilion.
*The Friars are 31-1 in their last 32 non-conference home games.
Friars In The Big 12-BIG EAST Battle: The Friars have posted a 3-2 mark all-time in the Big 12-BIG EAST Battle. The Friars are 1-1 versus TCU, 1-0 versus Texas Tech, 1-0 versus Texas and 0-1 versus Oklahoma. Last season, the Friars were defeated at Oklahoma, 72-51, on December 5, 2023. The Friars most recent win in the series was a 72-68 victory over Texas Tech on December 1, 2021.
Friars Versus BYU: The Friars have posted a 0-2 mark all-time versus BYU. In the last meeting between the two teams, the Friars were defeated by BYU, 66-52, on December 21, 1982 in Provo, Utah . In the first meeting ever between the teams, BYU earned an 81-78 win on December 28, 1962 at the Palestra in Philadelphia.
Friars Versus the Big 12 Conference: The Friars have posted a 25-41 record all-time against current teams from the Big 12 Conference. The last time the Friars faced a current team from the Big 12, Providence was defeated in overtime by Kansas State, 73-70, in the Bahamas on November 17, 2023.
Friars All-Time Versus Top-25 Teams: The Friars have posted a 133-285 (.318) mark all-time versus top-25 teams, including a 0-1 mark this season.
Friars Defeated By No. 14/15 Indiana: The Friars were defeated by #14/#15 Indiana Hoosiers (5-2), 89-73, in a non-conference game on Friday, Nov. 29 in Paradise Island, Bahamas. With the loss, the Friars dropped to 5-3 on the season. Jayden Pierre (Elizabeth, N.J.) led the Friars with a career-high 22 points, including five threes. Jabri Abdur-Rahim (South Orange, N.J.) and Corey Floyd Jr (Franklin, N.J.) each added 14 points for the Friars, and Pierre dished out six assists.
Pierre Leads The Friars In Scoring: Junior guard Jayden Pierre (Elizabeth, N.J.) is averaging 13.1 points per game and leads the Friars in scoring. He also is the team’s top three-point shooter at 45.7 percent (21-46). He registered a career-high 22 points as he was 5-10 from three-point territory in the Friars’ loss to No. 14/15 Indiana on Nov. 29. He scored 16 points and grabbed six rebounds in the Friars’ loss to Oklahoma on Nov. 27. He averaged 15.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.0 steals while committing zero turnovers in the Friars’ two wins on Nov. 12 and Nov. 16. For his efforts, he was named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll on Nov. 18. Pierre shot 7-11 from three (.636) and was 12-18 (.667) overall from the field. He recorded a team-high 18 points after shooting 7-10 from the field and 4-6 from three in a win over Green Bay on Nov. 16. On Nov. 12, the junior guard scored 13 points and recorded a game-high six rebounds in a win over Hampton.
Bensley Joseph Second On The Team In Scoring: Senior guard Bensley Joseph (Arlington, Mass.) is second on the team in scoring at 10.6 ppg. He scored 16 points in the Friars’ loss to Oklahoma on Nov. 27. Joseph scored a game-high 21 points in his first game with the Friars versus Central Connecticut on Nov. 4. Joseph was 8-14 from the field, including 5-10 from three. His 21 points and his five threes both tied his career single-game highs. He recorded 11 points and seven assists against Delaware State on Nov. 19. Joseph is in his first year with the Friars after transferring from Miami for his senior season.
Friars Sign Two For 2025-26: Providence College Head Coach Kim English announced on Nov. 13 that Jamier Jones (Orlando, Fla.) and Jaylen Harrell (Roxbury, Mass.) each signed a financial aid agreement to attend Providence College in 2025-26. Jones, a 6-foot-6-inch, 210-pound forward attends Oak Ridge High School in Orlando. In 2023-24, he averaged 19.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.2 steals per game for Oak Ridge High School. Jones led the Pioneers to a 27-4 mark and a trip to the 2024 state championship game in Florida this past season, where his squad was defeated overtime by the No. 2 team in the nation Columbus. Oak Ridge finished the season ranked No. 7 in the nation, according to Max Preps. Jones played AAU basketball for the Florida Rebels. In 2024, he averaged 15.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game with the Rebels on the Nike EYBL circuit. Jones, a consensus four-star recruit, is the 32nd ranked player in the nation and the No. 10 forward, according to ESPN.com. He also is ranked 37th (ninth in his position) by 247Sports, 38th (ninth in his position) by On3, and 43rd by Rivals (15th in his position). Harrell, a 6-foot-5-inch, 210-pound guard/forward attends Cambridge Arts, Technology and Science Academy (CATS) in Cambridge, Mass. Last season, he averaged 24.0 points, 7.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game for CATS while helping the Griffins to a 21-10 mark and a berth in the NEPSAC-AA playoffs. In recognition of his efforts, he was named 2024 Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year. He began his high school career at St. Sebastian’s in Needham, Mass. In his freshman and sophomore years with the Arrows, he helped lead the team to consecutive ISL titles while earning First Team accolades. During the AAU season Harrell played for Expressions Elite on the Nike EYBL circuit. With Expressions, he averaged 14.4 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 2024. On the recruiting circuit, he is ranked in the top-100 by Rivals (No. 85) and 247Sports (No. 93). He also is highly ranked by On3 (No. 101). On3 and 247Sports each rank Harrell as the top recruit in Massachusetts.
Providence College To Honor Billy Donovan: It was announced on Nov. 13 that during the weekend of Feb. 14-16 Providence College will honor two of its all-time great basketball players and one of its legendary coaches. Former Friar men’s basketball player Billy Donovan ’87, former women’s basketball player Britt King ’86 and former women’s basketball head coach, the late Bob Foley, all will be recognized as they join the Friar Legends Forever Tradition. Two receptions are planned for the weekend to honor the trio and revolve around the men’s basketball game scheduled against Villanova on Feb. 15 and the women’s basketball game vs. Seton Hall on Feb. 16. During the ceremony, banners will be unveiled and presented to each individual with their name and uniform number (Donovan #34 and King #24). Billy Donovan Friar Legends Reception: Join us for a special evening on Friday, February 14 from 6-9 p.m. at the Omni Hotel at 1 West Exchange Street as we honor Billy Donovan ’87 in recognition of his storied career at Providence College. The event will feature a seated dinner and an engaging speaking series featuring other members of the Friar Legends tradition, including Britt King ’86, who is also being honored Sunday afternoon. Tickets for the event on Friday night are $85 or $850 for a table of 10 and can be purchased by calling 401-865-GOPC.
Bryce Hopkins Named Preseason First Team All-BIG EAST: It was announced on Oct. 23 that Providence senior Bryce Hopkins (Oak Park, Ill.) earned First Team All-BIG EAST Preseason honors. It marked the second consecutive season that Hopkins earned First Team All-BIG EAST Preseason Honors. Hopkins had his 2023-24 season cut short when he suffered a season ending injury on January 3, 2024. In the 14 games prior to the injury in 2023-24, Hopkins averaged 15.5 ppg and 8.6 rpg. He recorded five double-doubles, including a 25-point, 14-rebound effort versus Lehigh on November 24, 2023 and a 26-point, 12-rebound performance against Sacred Heart on December 16, 2023. In 2022-23, Hopkins started all 33 games in his first season with the Friars. Hopkins, who earned First Team All-BIG EAST honors in 2022-23, led the Friars in scoring (15.8 ppg), rebounding (8.5) and double-doubles (10). He was tied for sixth in scoring and he was second in rebounding amongst BIG EAST players in overall action. Hopkins also ranked third in the league in defensive rebounds (226, 6.8 rpg) and fourth in minutes played (34.9 mpg). In BIG EAST action, he finished third in scoring (16.7 ppg) and rebounding (8.6 rpg). He posted a team-best 10 double-doubles, including a 29-point, 23-rebound, three-steal effort in a double-overtime win over Marquette (103-98) on December 20, 2022. Hopkins’ 20-20 game was the 34th in program history. For his efforts, Hopkins also earned 2023 Associated Press All-BIG EAST First Team honors, USBWA District 1 Honors and NABC All-District 5 First Team accolades.
Friar Games On CBS, NBC And FOX: For the first time in the history of the program, the Friars will play national television games on CBS, NBC and FOX all in the same season. It also will mark the first time ever the Friars have had a game televised on Peacock and the first time the team has played a game on NBC since the 1997-98 season.
Newcomers: The Friars have seven newcomers on the team this season — senior guard Wesley Cardet (Tallahassee, Fla.), sophomore forward Christ Essandoko (Clichy, France), graduate student guard Jabri Abdur-Rahim (South Orange, N.J.), senior guard Bensley Joseph (Arlington, Mass.), freshman forward Ryan Mela (Natick, Mass.), freshman guard Nilavan Daniels (St. Louis, Mo.) and freshman forward Oswin Erunmwunse (Benin City, Nigeria).
Friars In 2023-24: The Friars, who finished the regular season in seventh place in the BIG EAST with a 10-10 record, recorded a 21-14 record overall in 2023-24. Providence posted a 2-1 mark in the BIG EAST Tournament. The Friars defeated Georgetown (74-56), and No. 8/6 Creighton (78-73) before losing to No. 10/10 Marquette (79-68) in the Semifinals at the BIG EAST Tournament in New York. The Friars advanced to the First Round of the NIT where the team was defeated by Boston College, 62-57, on March 19, 2024.
Devin Carter Named BIG EAST Player Of The Year And Drafted In The NBA: It was announced on March 13, 2024 that Providence’s Devin Carter (Miami, Fla.) was named BIG EAST Player of the Year. It marked the third time ever that a Friar had been named BIG EAST Player of the Year. Former Friar Kris Dunn ’16 earned the honor in 2015 and 2016. Carter also was selected 13th in the 2024 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings. He became the 12th Friar all-time taken in the First Round of the NBA Draft and the third Friar selected in the Lottery since its inception in 1985.
Kim English Guided Friars To A 21-14 Mark In First Year At PC: Friar Head Coach Kim English enters his second season at Providence in 2024-25. In his first-year in Providence, he became the first Friar head coach to win 20 or more games when the squad posted a 21-14 mark (10-10 BIG EAST).
Friars Sell Out Season Tix Again In 2024-25 And Set Attendance Mark In 2023-24: In 2023-24, the Friars sold out of season tickets at the Amica Mutual Pavilion for the first time ever. Again in 2024-25, the team has sold its entire season ticket allotment for the arena. The 2023-24 season marked the first time a complete sell out of season tickets has occurred since the team moved to the AMP when it opened in 1972. As a result, the Friars had 211,147 fans watch the team play 19 games at the AMP. That average of 11,113 per game is the highest single-season mark in the history of the program. The total of 211,147 is the second most fans to watch the Friars at home in the history of the program. In 1991, 211,498 fans attended 20 home games at the AMP. The 211,147 fans in 2023-24, also marked just the second time in the history of the program that the team drew more than 200,000 fans in a single season.
Providence College To Host First And Second Rounds Of The NCAA Tournament In 2025: Providence College will host the First and Second Rounds of the 2025 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at the Amica Mutual Pavilion on March 20-22. Providence is one of eight sites hosting First and Second Round games. It will mark the ninth time the Amica Mutual Pavilion has hosted the First and Second Rounds (1976, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1989, 1996, 2010 and 2016). The First and Second Rounds of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament has regularly sold out at the AMP in the past and it is expected to be a sell out again in 2025.
Friars Are 108-6 In Non-Conference Home Games Over The Last 15 Years: The Friars have posted a 109-6 mark (.948) in their last 15 seasons in non-conference home games. The team’s six losses over the last 15 years were to Brown (77-67) on December 8, 2014, Minnesota (86-74) on November 13, 2017, UMass (79-78) on December 7, 2018, Arkansas (84-72) on March 19, 2019, Penn (81-75) on November 23, 2019 and Boston College (62-57) on March 19, 2024. The Friars are 31-1 in their last 32 non-conference home games (2024-25, 5-0; 2023-24, 8-1; 2022-23, 7-0; 2021-22, 8-0; 2020-21, 2-0; 2019-20, 2-0).
Friars In Overtime: The Friars recorded a 2-1 record in overtime games in 2023-24. They have recorded a 79-71 mark all-time in overtime games, including 9-2 in their last 11 games. The Friars were 2-0 at in overtime at the AMP in 2023-24 and 8-0 in their last eight overtime games at the AMP.
Friars At The Amica Mutual Pavilion: All-time, the Friars have recorded a 637-243 (.724) mark in 52 seasons of games at the Amica Mutual Pavilion. The AMP, formerly the Providence Civic Center and the Dunkin’ Donuts Center, opened on November 3, 1972. The Friars had played their home games there for 48 consecutive seasons, prior to the 2020-21 season when the team played on campus at Alumni Hall with no fans in attendance due to the pandemic. PC posted a 15-2 mark at the AMP in 2022-23 and a 16-1 record in 2021-22 — the team’s best record at home since 1973-74.
Providence College Basketball: The 2024-25 campaign marks the 98th season of basketball at Providence College. Since the program started in 1926-27, Providence has posted a 1,569 -1,044 mark, good for a .600 winning percentage. The Friars have made the NCAA Tournament 22 times and the National Invitation Tournament on 21 occasions.
