Providence Crier Player Preview Series: Can Donovan Santoro’s Shooting Ability Carve Him Out a Role This Season?

On the August 30th episode of the Providence Crier Podcast BOC & The Crier drafted PC’s roster for our player preview series. We take a look at each player and what fans may expect this upcoming season.

Expectations: From all that we have seen and heard, Santoro will be a reserve for the Providence Friars this year. This is not an indictment on Santoro’s talent by any means, but more so a testament to how deep Providence is on the wing. If there are areas on the Friars that are particularly stacked, I would first point to the backcourt and wing as areas of strength.

Nice fall day for a dip in the pool!

PC lands the third commitment of the 2023 class in Donovan Santoro@ProvidenceCrier breaks down the commitment and impact to Friar programhttps://t.co/H5Kc2AEfMM

— BOC Friars (@BOCallday) October 14, 2022

Santoro is coming in as a somewhat unheralded freshman and will be competing for time with the following players at the 3/4 spot: Corey Floyd Jr., Devin Carter, Bryce Hopkins, Ticket Gaines, and potentially Justyn Fernandez. Suffice to say, playing time will be hard to come by for Santoro.

With that said, Santoro holds an ace up his sleeve: his shooting ability. Santoro is labeled as a wing that can absolutely stroke it from deep. If English isn’t satisfied with the shooting from his core players or if he needs more size on the wing, Santoro can provide instant offense as a spot up shooter while also increasing the height and length on the defensive end. While he may not have the athleticism of others at his position, he appears to be all of 6’8. That’s an asset that may be a factor for more playing time.

2023 Donovan Santoro 6’8+ Wing Southern California Academy literally went from being unheard of to popping on Head Coaches desk as a guy you must recruit. His size for position & versatility is what makes him most intriguing. He’s a floor spacer that can bounce it & create. pic.twitter.com/EuhMAhpvp6

— Julius V. (@JuliusVElite0) October 4, 2022

Upside Scenario for Santoro in 2023-2024: Santoro is marksman from deep and fits perfectly into the English offense. He becomes one of the first wings off the bench and is tasked solely with launching 3-5 three’s a game as a means to space the floor and keep the defense from clogging the paint. His ability to hit the deep ball also allows the lead guards in Pierre and Dual to have open driving lanes for penetration, as help defenders will be punished when they sag off Santoro. Santoro is labeled as a diamond in the rough and a key cog for the Friars for the next four years.

Realistic Scenario: Santoro uses this year to learn from some of the more veteran wings on the roster while building up his frame in the weight room. He redshirts this year and becomes a threat to emerge as a wing option in 2024-2025 for the Providence Friars.

Stat Expectations: N/A (Redshirt)