It was quite the start to the new year for your Providence Friars. Heading on the road at 7-6 with a match-up against preseason Top 5 St. John’s, you’d forgive fans for not having much optimism heading into MSG. Kim English and the Friars had other plans, as they start 2026 at 1-0 with one of the best road wins in this early Big East conference play.
It was a completely balanced effort from the Friars, with five players scoring in double figures. Contrast that to St. John’s who only had one player in double figures in Zuby Ejifor.
Providence brought the intensity and edge that the game called for and required. Ejifor may be the best big man in the country and truly unstoppable, but PC made him earn everything. There was a dust-up in the first half between Ejifor and Powell, and I loved to see Providence not back down from the scuffle. It is those type of plays where a team comes together as one. I was proud to see the backbone and toughness of Jamier and Powell in that sequence.
In the first match-up since Bryce Hopkins unceremoniously departed Friartown for a bigger payday at St. John’s, it was the freshman Jamier Jones who got the better of Hopkins, with a highlight that will long be remembered in Friar lore. Jamier continues to put together an All-Big East freshman year campaign.
St. John’s was leading for most of the game, and, much like the Seton Hall game, I had my concerns that Providence could get over the hump as the lead hovered around 5-10 points for most of the second half. With approximately 6 or so minutes left, I turned to my father who attended the game with me and said, “If PC is going to steal this one, they need #7 to get red hot”. And sure enough, Stefan Vaaks did just that. It was the 4 point play, multiple 3’s in the second half, and breaking the ankles of Bryce Hopkins on a game winning dish to Oswin that sealed the deal for the Friars.
For the Friars, they needed this one and the home game against Connecticut on Wednesday to insert themselves back into NCAA bubble talk. Step 1 is complete with this road victory, and Providence has some momentum heading into the home tilt against Danny Hurley and the Boys.
We at the Providence Crier will revisit the keys to the game below, do a deep dive, and highlight some other aspects of the game that caught our eye.
Before getting into the weeds of the game, I do want to shout out the Friar fanbase who made the trip. This fanbase, through all the ups and downs, continues to consistently show up, and I hope everybody within the athletic department and within the basketball program appreciate that. The season hasn’t gone as planned, clearly, but the Friar faithful showed up in waves and made MSG feel like a home game for the Friars. This isn’t Providence bias, as Pitino made mention in the postgame how disappointed be was to hear all the Providence fans. PC fans should be rightfully patting themselves on the back today as they made an away game feel like the AMP.
Revisiting Keys to Game
Contain the Frontcourt
All things considered, Providence did an admirable job on this front. Ejifor exploded for 33 points and 15 rebounds, but nothing truly came easy, exemplified by his 7 turnovers.
Providence was intent on making him earn every bucket with good, hard fouls.
What most impressed me with Ejifor wasn’t his scoring, but his ability to track down rebounds. Providence had absolutely no answer for him on the glass. He is probably one of the better rebounders in all of college basketball.
Mike and I talked pre-game about how you had to dare the frontcourt to play from deep, and PC did in fact do that. Ejifor made PC pay by going 3-6 from deep, but I think you had to live with a career 26.9% three point shooter going 50% from deep.
Hopkins, on the other hand, was completely ineffective in this game on both ends. Providence baited him into living on the perimeter, and he did just that. Hopkins went 3-13 from the floor and 1-5 from three. It was a game to forget for a variety of reasons for the Providence transfer. I’m sure he’s not looking forward to his return to Providence in February, as the PC contingency let him hear it in The Garden.
Vaaks Back on Track
Vaaks is a streaky player, but when he is on, he changes the entire dynamics of the game and showcases his ability to potentially play in The League. Vaaks was quiet for most of the game…until he wasn’t. He finished with 16 points on 4-6 from deep. If Vaaks can average 40% from deep the rest of the way, the Friars are a very difficult out.
Forcing St. John’s to Play in Half-Court
St. John’s came in averaging over 85 points per game, and Providence held them to 14 points below their season average. The defense was incredibly stout for the Friars, holding them to 28% from the floor and 23% from 3.
Slowing the game down in certain situations worked well for the Friars. St. John’s best offense was honestly a missed shot so that Ejifor could corral a board for a putback. St. John’s had 9 assists on 12 turnovers, and this Red Storm just doesn’t have any answers in the backcourt. Ian Jackson and Joson Sanon, both highly paid transfers, were 2-20 from the floor. Pitino has nobody to blame but himself for this roster construction, as his teams have historically thrived with a good lead guard running the show (Siva, Jenkins, etc.).
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