April 25th, 2023 Update – We’re starting to get some updates on players in the 2024 class, with some decisions being made. We’re also starting to see English put more of his fingerprints on the Providence program with a bevy of new offers to the 2024 class. There has been a particular emphasis on offers out to big men, which shows English is aware that this is the one major gap to the existing roster.
While I expect English to continue to recruit the guys in New England, I’m not sure how much overlap we’ll see in recruits between the English and Cooley era. English emphasizes an NBA style, free flowing offense with plenty of shooters. Cooley emphasized physicality, toughness, and players with a bit of an edge to them.
Since his departure, new head coach Kim English has been extremely busy on the recruiting scene, offering a plethora of new players that Providence previously wasn’t involved with. One thing is clear with English’s offers: he is going to be targeting shooters. He said as much in his opening statements as PC head coach.
The other theme is mining the DMV area for prep talent. English grew up in Baltimore, knows the area, and has plenty of ties to the powerhouse programs that make up the DMV prep scene. He doesn’t care if those schools have affiliations with DMV-friendly schools like Maryland, Villanova, Georgetown, etc. He’s going to pursue the top talent with fervor.
English may be looking to add one more assistant, and I’m hopeful he brings on board somebody with Tri-State AND New England ties. There’s too much talent in these regions that appeal to playing in the Big East. We can’t ignore our backyard even though English has ties primarily to the DMV region, and I’m hopeful English is aware of that.
Below, we talk about class needs and targets of interest in the 2024 class.
Recruiting Articles (In Case You Missed)
Transfer Portal Spotlight: Charles Pride: https://theprovidencecrier.com/2023/04/24/transfer-portal-focus-bryant-guard-charles-pride/
Crier Recruiting Corner: 2024 Big Man Somto Cyril: https://theprovidencecrier.com/2023/04/24/crier-recruiting-corner-introducing-2024-big-man-somto-cyril/
Transfer Portal Primer, Version 3.0: https://theprovidencecrier.com/2023/03/28/tracking-the-transfers-pc-targets-in-the-2023-portal-providence-crier-transfer-portal-primer/
Garwey Dual Commitment Article: https://theprovidencecrier.com/2022/09/01/deep-dive-analysis-of-2023-providence-commit-garwey-dual/
Transfer Portal Spotlight: Graham Ike: https://theprovidencecrier.com/2023/03/31/crier-recruiting-corner-introducing-wyoming-forward-graham-ike/
Transfer Portal Spotlight: Davonte “Ticket” Gaines: https://theprovidencecrier.com/2023/04/08/davonte-ticket-gaines-following-kim-english-to-friartown/
Rich Barron Commitment Article: https://theprovidencecrier.com/2023/04/10/richard-barron-commits-to-providence-analyzing-the-impact/
Transfer Portal Spotlight: Taran Armstrong: https://theprovidencecrier.com/2023/04/08/transfer-portal-spotlight-introducing-cal-baptist-guard-taran-armstrong/
Transfer Portal Spotlight: Josh Oduro: https://theprovidencecrier.com/2023/03/25/transfer-portal-spotlight-george-mason-forward-josh-oduro/
Transfer Portal Spotlight: Justyn Fernandez: https://theprovidencecrier.com/2023/03/26/transfer-portal-spotlight-george-mason-wing-justyn-fernandez/
Crier Recruiting Corner: George Turkson Jr.: https://theprovidencecrier.com/2023/03/03/the-crier-recruiting-corner-introducing-2024-forward-george-turkson-jr/
Crier Recruiting Corner: Andre Mills (for the Texas A&M crowd): https://theprovidencecrier.com/2023/02/08/crier-recruiting-corner-introducing-andre-mills/
Crier Recruiting Corner: Junjie Wang (for the millions of San Fran Dons readers): https://theprovidencecrier.com/2023/01/24/crier-recruiting-corner-junjie-barry-wang/
Crier Recruiting Corner: Kur Teng (for the Michigan State fans in this thread): https://theprovidencecrier.com/2023/01/16/crier-recruiting-corner-introducing-2024-guard-kur-teng/
Crier Recruiting Corner: Kany Tchanda: https://theprovidencecrier.com/2022/12/29/crier-recruiting-corner-introducing-kany-tchanda/
Crier Recruiting Impact: Kayvaun Mulready (for those Georgetown fans scrolling through this): https://theprovidencecrier.com/2023/01/09/friars-land-24-worcester-academy-guard-kayvaun-mulready/#more-5741
Areas of Need: 2024 Recruiting Class
- Shooting, Shooting, Shooting – Providence nailed its needs with a Bynum successor in Jayden Pierre. Pierre has a lot of growing to do, but I feel confident in stating that they have landed their point guard of the future. Cooley didn’t put all of his eggs in one basket and replenished the backcourt with combo guard type players in collegiate transfers in Devin Carter and Corey Floyd Jr. Devin Carter may aspire to test the NBA waters after the 2023-2024 season, but I expect Floyd Jr. to be a foundational piece of the starting 5 for years to come. English made his first mark as the Friar coach by landing George Mason transfer Justyn Fernandez. He reminds me a lot of Corey Floyd Jr. with a bit more athleticism, but less physicality/strength. He’s known as a shooter, but hasn’t really showcased that at the collegiate level to date.
English also was able to retain shooters on the wing in Rich Barron and Donovan Santoro. Barron was previously committed to him at George Mason. Santoro never backed out of his LOI and joins Garwey Dual in the 2023 class from Southern California Academy. I expect both of these players to redshirt this year and make an impact in Years 2 and beyond in the Friar program. They weren’t brought in to be instant impact players, which is fine given the current state of the 2023-2024 roster.
Ticket Gaines is a great 3 and D wing, but he is out of eligibility after this year.
Where Providence needs help, with English acknowledging this, is landing more knock down shooters. English wants to play a 4 out offense, which essentially means there must be shooters on the court at all positions.
Providence doesn’t have enough players on the roster that threaten the opposition from deep. PC needs to land one or two of these type of players in the 2024 class. This should be one of the two main priorities of the 2024 high school class, with the other priority below.
2. Big Men. Big Men. Big Men. – Losing Drew Fielder from the 2023 class is a blow to the Friars. You could pencil him in to be the starting 4 man from his sophomore year on.
Currently, there are only three frontcourt players on the roster in Josh Oduro, Bryce Hopkins, and Rafael Castro. That is legitimately it. Oduro is a one year grad transfer who will not be on the roster when the 2024 class enrolls, Hopkins may or may not go the league this offseason and most certainly won’t be around in 2024-2025, and I can’t count on Castro to be anything more than a role player in the frontcourt. Rafael Castro has a few more years left in the program, but he needs to refine his game and fill out physically. I look at him more as a stretch 4 than true 5 too, and he’s too raw to count on him as a multi-year 5 man starter at this juncture.
English absolutely needs to land 2-3 big men in the 2024 class. I don’t care if they are stretch 4’s, true 5’s, or some hybrid. The frontcourt is a disaster right now that needs to be remedied in the short and long term.
Roster Composition 2023 – 2024
| Point Guard | Combo Guard | Wing | Stretch 4 | Traditional Big |
| Jayden Pierre – Sophomore | Justyn Fernandez – Sophomore | Donovan Santoro – Freshman | Bryce Hopkins – Junior | Josh Oduro – Grad Transfer |
| Garwey Dual – Freshman | Corey Floyd Jr. – Sophomore | Devin Carter – Junior | Rafael Castro – Sophomore | |
| Rich Barron – Freshman | Davonte Gaines – Grad Transfer |
RECRUITS OF INTEREST
Guards
Del Jones – Huntington Prep – 4 Star, Top 100 – https://247sports.com/player/del-jones-46128769/
This is a recent offer. Jones plays for Huntington prep, but is originally from the DMV area.
Daquan Davis – St. Johns in Washington D.C. – 4 Star, Top 100 player – https://247sports.com/player/daquan-davis-46128752/
Davis is the lead guard that English so covets in his offense. Another DMV offer, English will be competing against the likes of Maryland for this recruit. I have a suspicion we’ll be going against Maryland and Georgetown a lot moving forward.
Johnuel “Boogie” Fland – 6’3 Point Guard from New York, 5 Star Prospect – https://247sports.com/player/johnuel-fland-46114866/
First off, what a nickname. Fland comes from the high school basketball powerhouse Archbishop Stepinac. You may recognize that school name as the same place as former Duke star AJ Griffin and current UNC junior R.J. Davis. Fland is the next in line to be courted at Arch Step.
This is the type of recruitment where Providence gets in early and then gets the rug pulled out from underneath them at the 11th hour by a blue blood. That appears to be the case here. UNC, UCONN, and Kentucky are all over the 5 star. Providence was in early, but I think Fland has his sights set on a more traditional blue blood program. UNC is making a push here.
Andre Mills – 6’3 Combo Guard from Vermont – https://247sports.com/player/andre-mills-46118351/
Mills plays at Mass Rivals alongside Turkson and Teng, making the dynamics of each of their respective recruitments quite interesting. UPDATE: Mills committed to Texas A&M
Kayvaun Mulready – 6’4 Shooting Guard from Massachusetts, 4 Star Top 100 Player – https://247sports.com/player/kayvaun-mulready-46133995/
UPDATE: Mulready spurned the Friars and followed Cooley to Georgetown.
Wings
Chase McCarty – 6’6 Wing from Westminster Christian Academy – 3 Star Top 175 Player – https://247sports.com/player/chase-mccarty-46132625/
McCarty’s Composite ranking seems to be lagging behind his 247 ranking. He is a 168 overall in the composite and 4 star, Top 75 in 247. Given the schools offered (Bama, Gonzaga, among others), I’d imagine he finishes as a consensus Top 100 player
Jaiden Glover – 6’6 Wing from The Patrick School – 3 Star Top 150 Player – https://247sports.com/player/jaiden-glover-46115472/
I grew up watching St. Patrick’s, and that is a program in New Jersey that has a bevy of college ready players. I’m all for this addition. Glover has a host of other Big East schools vying for his commitment, as well as some Big Ten schools. English offered recently.
Caleb Williams – 6’7 Wing from Sidwell Friends – 3 Star Top 150 Player – https://247sports.com/player/caleb-williams-46131456/
Williams was another one of the first offers for new coach Kim English. He hails from a friendly area for English, Sidwell Friends of Washington DC. Maryland and Georgia Tech are all over this recruitment, as was English at George Mason. English astutely offered two of his teammates in the 2025 class, so this could be a school that pays dividends for English and the Friars.
Isaiah Abraham – 6’7 Wing from Paul VI – 4 Star Top 100 Player – https://247sports.com/player/isaiah-abraham-46127979/
Abraham is teammates with big man Ngonnba at Paul VI. English may be positioning these two as a package deal in the 2024 class, and I can’t fault him for wanting to add a big and a shooter. Connecticut, Xavier, Tennessee, and Kansas State are in the mix.
George Turkson Jr. – 6’6 Small Forward from Mass, 4 Star Top 100 Player – https://247sports.com/player/george-turkson-46114374/
You will notice that the early offers in the Class of 2024 had a regional flare to them. Turkson plays for Mass Rivals and has been on the Providence radar for well over a year now. Teammates with Kur Teng in the Class of 2024 in High School and AAU, English can position the duo to continue playing together in college. Landing either would be a feather in the cap for the Providence staff.
As of this writing, Providence and Rutgers are out front in this recruitment, but who knows where English is at with Turkson Jr or any of the 2024 recruits that were offered under Cooley.
Kur Teng – 6’4 Shooting Guard from Mass, 4 Star Top 50 Player – https://247sports.com/player/kur-teng-46116694/
Teng is bordering on 5 star status and has blown up on the AAU scene recently. While Turkson is more of wing, Teng can handle the ball as well as score with ease. Teng and Turkson would be the ideal 2/3 pairing in college offensive sets. Teng is one of the best scorers in the entire 2024 class.
UPDATE: Teng committed to Michigan State.
Tyler Betsey – 6’8 Wing from Connecticut, 4 Star Top 100 Player – https://247sports.com/player/tyler-betsey-46115471/
Betsey is a consensus Top 100 player from Connecticut. There hasn’t been too much information on him, but it is a name to track given the proximity to Providence. Connecticut, Duke, Iowa, and Rutgers are a few of the notable offers.
Bryce Dortch – 6’8 Wing/Stretch 4 from Massachusetts, 3 Star Top 150 Player – https://247sports.com/player/bryce-dortch-46118352/
Dortch has come onto the scene and comes from programs friendly to Providence. He plays at the same prep school as A.J. Reeves and would be a nice wing fit at PC. Marquette is vying to get him as well.
Bigs
Somto Cyril – 7’0 Big from Nigeria – Currently playing at Overtime Elite – https://247sports.com/player/somto-cyril-46115838/
Cyril is going to be on an official visit starting April 25th – 27th. If Providence can get him to commit to this class or the 2023 class, it will likely be their highest ranked recruiting win for a big man in 20+ years.
Derik Queen – 6’9 Center from Baltimore, MD – Currently playing at IMG Academy – 5 Star Top 10 Player – https://247sports.com/player/derik-queen-46109941/
This is what you call swinging for the fences by Mr. English. Queen was perceived to be a heavy Maryland lean, but the changes to the assistants with Tony Skinn may have opened the door back up here. This is English using his DMV ties again. I’m not getting my hopes up, but I love seeing English pursue the best of the best.
Garrett Sundra – 6’10 Power Forward from Paul VI in Virginia – 4 Star Top 100 Player – https://247sports.com/player/garrett-sundra-46137148/
I foresee this being a PC versus DMV flavored schools in Maryland, Georgetown, and Nova. English clearly understands that he needs big men to replenish this roster, and Sundra would help there.
Kany Tchanda – 6’9 Center from North Carolina, 3 Star Top 150 Player – https://247sports.com/Player/Kany-Tchanda-46131602/
Tchanda attends Winston Salem Christian. This was a recruit from the prior regime. We’ll see if English gets involved. Tchanda did an official visit in October. He would fit the rim running big men who can also step out and shoot that seem to be what English is targeting.
Tarik Watson – 6’8 Forward from New Jersey, 3 Star Top 150 Player – https://247sports.com/player/tarik-watson-46110119/
Watson attends the same high school that Corey Floyd Jr. played. Regardless of his ranking, Roselle Catholic plays a Top 10 high school schedule, so he’ll come in ready to play and contribute.
Patrick Ngonba II – 6’10 Center from Fairfax VA – 4 Star Top 100 – https://247sports.com/Player/Patrick-Ngongba-II-46132143/
Ngonba II was one of the first offers of the Kim English era. Ngonba hails from the DMV confines and attends a perennial powerhouse prep school in Paul VI. He holds offers from George Mason (obviously), Kansas State, and Georgetown. Providence should be at the front of the pack here given the amount of playing time, familiarity with English, and the fact he went to the same high school as Josh Oduro.
Peyton Marshall – 6’11 310 lb Center from Georgia – 4 Star Top 75 – https://247sports.com/player/peyton-marshall-46132678/
Marshall is a recent offer, as he decommitted from Bruce Pearl and Auburn. He’s a big man in every sense of the word. He would be a true low post presence that would man the paint with ease. There have been a plethora of teams that have offered Marshall since he opened up his recruitment.
Prediction
BOC: I think this class will be heavy on numbers with 4 total players. Of those 4, 2 will be big men and 3 will be from the DMV area. This class will finish as a Top 20 nationally ranked class.
Great recap. I wonder if Dual and Bynum are connected…if Bynum decides to use his 5th, then I can see Dual leaving. I’m sure Bynum’s slow start was factored into Garwey’s decision not to ink the NLI.