2022 Recruiting Primer – Providence Friars

With the Class of 2021 seemingly complete (barring new names popping up in the winter and spring), The Crier takes a look at the 2022 recruiting class and who the Friars are targeting.

Spots Available

The Friars have one more scholarship in the Class of 2021. With the “free year” for all eligible players, it is really difficult to predict how many players the Friars will be targeting in the class of 2022.

Let’s make the following assumptions:

1. Friars roll over the extra scholarship from the Class of 2021 to the Class of 2022. What can change with this scenario is Cooley taking on an extra high school player to add to the 2021 class or going the transfer route.
2. Duke, Reeves, and Croswell lose their eligibility, meaning the Class of 2022 can have up to 4 people. There is a chance Duke goes to the League after this year. I think that scenario is 50/50. What is more farfetched is Croswell leaves after this year. I anticipate him utilizing the “free year” and returning next year to be the starting 5 man. Either way, they should have room for 4 recruits in the Class of 2022.
3. No players leave the program (transfer) with eligibility remaining.

With the following assumptions made, the Class of 2022 can become a rather sizable class of 4 players.

Positional Need

The Friars have struck out in the 2021 class on landing a PG and C. It is clear Cooley was targeting both positions heavily, illustrated by the misses of the following recruits in the 2021 class:

PG: Pettiford, Joseph, Johnson, Pass

C: Wiznitzer, Aidoo, Ayomide

These two positions should be the focal point of the 2022 class, likely adding a true point guard to succeed Bynum as well as a combo guard to replace the duo of Duke and Reeves. On top of that, the hits to losing Watson, Horchler, and Croswell will lead to gaping holes in the frontcourt.

Here is where we see the spots being filled, by position:

PG, Combo Guard, 2 Best Available frontcourt players

Recruits of Interest

We wrote here about the 2022 class several months ago. It should serve as a good foundational piece when analyzing the 2022 class. Since that writing, there have been some movements on players. Some players we’ve gained positive momentum, while some we’ve lost momentum and/or were eliminated from their recruitments.

Rather than listing recruits by the traditional 1-5 positions, we’ve grouped into 3 categories: Guard, Wing, Big

Guard

Leland Walker – https://247sports.com/player/leland-walker-46096727/

Summary: Combo Guard out of Indianapolis that has previous experience playing with wing Reggie Bass. Primary competition derives from other Big East schools and in-state schools. There have been numerous meetings with Walker and the Friar coaching staff.

Corey Floyd Jr – https://247sports.com/player/corey-floyd-jr-46086130/

Summary: Another combo guard out of NJ that plays for a nationally known program. We have written about Floyd Jr. in various articles highlighted below:

https://theprovidencecrier.com/2020/11/19/corey-floyd-jr-top-7-analyzing-the-finalists/#more-2741

https://theprovidencecrier.com/2020/07/20/corey-floyd-jr-offer-a-familiar-name/#more-2407

Jayden Epps – https://n.rivals.com/content/prospects/2022/jayden-epps-256453

Summary: A PG from the DMV area, Providence has been in on this recruitment early. State schools and SEC programs are in heavy pursuit.

Jazian Gortman – https://247sports.com/player/jazian-gortman-46100261/

Summary: We hesitate to include Gortman, as he hails from South Carolina and is a consensus top 50 nationally ranked recruit. We’ll see how serious we are in this recruitment.

Wings

Reggie Bass – https://247sports.com/player/reggie-bass-46102427/

Summary: Reggie Bass is a wing playing in Tennessee that originally hails from Indiana. He has played with Leland Walker on the AAU circuit and put the Friars in his Final 4 schools. He will be committing March 19, 2021.

Alex Karaban: https://247sports.com/player/alex-karaban-46085750/

Summary: The Friars were the first high major offer for Karaban, who plays in New England. They will be in this until the very end, and Karaban may be at the top of the wishlist for the Friars.

Christian Watson: https://247sports.com/player/christian-watson-46098093/

Summary: The wing from the DC area has already had a Zoom visit with Cooley and staff.

Chisom Okpara – https://247sports.com/Player/Chisom-Okpara-46098107/

Summary: Okpara’s recruitment has fallen off the radar a bit, but he has visited PC’s campus a few times pre-COVID. He may not get the hype of other recruits, but is somebody the staff has longed for being in this 2022 class for some time.

Big

Donovan Clingan -https://247sports.com/player/donovan-clingan-46086979/

Summary: This will be one of the first premiere battles between PC and UCONN, with other blue bloods firmly entrenched as well. I don’t expect this one to go PC’s way, but the appeal of immediate playing time should resonate with the Bristol, CT native.

Kyle Filipowski – https://247sports.com/player/kyle-filipowski-46101556/

Summary: Filipowski’s recruitment has blown up over the past couple of months. He appears to be trending away from the Friars, which is tough given where he plays prep ball and the need for frontcourt players.

2022 Class Prediction

It is way too early to be making 2022 class predictions, but we’re in a pandemic, and games are getting cancelled left and right. Let’s have some fun.

Here is my prediction on a 4 man recruiting class:

Corey Floyd Jr., Reggie Bass, Alex Karaban, Chisom Okpara

Crier Prediction

I got the Friars landing Corey Floyd Jr. and Alexa Karaban and then the two other spots will go to guys we haven’t heard of yet. Floyd and Karaban can be a new version of the 2018 class the Friars had headlined with Duke and Reeves. Karaban being from MA and the Friars being the first to offer I think will win out. As for Floyd you have the connection with his dad playing at PC, think Rutgers will be a tough team to beat. The other two guys in that class were Monroe and Nichols and they didn’t quite pop on our radar until around the time we landed them.