Coach Bryan Hodgson is on a recruiting tear this offseason, flexing his recruiting chops in a way that even the most bullish of Providence fans wouldn’t expect. After retaining do-everything wing Ryan Mela and landing defensive weapon Myles Bird and G-League star Dink Pate, Hodgson and staff added another high level portal player into the wing rotation.
We did an in-depth player preview on Vanterpool below, and we’ll take the time to reflect on how Vanterpool will mesh with the current Providence players on the 2026-2027 roster.
Player Impact
We’ve already sung the praises of Vanterpool in the preview article above, but what I do love is he may be another addition by Hodgson that is better defensively than offensively. He’s a great offensive talent, no question, but I think he stands out with his ability to score on the offensive end while also taking his job extremely seriously on the defensive end.
With Vanterpool as your big-bodied 2 guard, you now have a pairing of defensive studs on the wing with Myles Bird and Vanterpool. Those guys are going to be a nightmare in a half-court set, where they can guard their man like glue 1 on 1 and have incredible instincts in jumping passing lanes and picking the pocket of their defender. Vanterpool has some Dunn-like tendencies with his ability to reach in when a player crosses over and poke the ball out into the open court. Layer that with his shot making ability, and you have a really well rounded defender.
Simply put, a team that has Hightower, Bird, and Vanterpool on the court is going to be a defensive buzzsaw. We won’t be seeing many teams hanging more than 80 on the Friars often next year. That will be a sight for sore eyes.
Offensively, he score at all three levels. He can knock down the three with consistency, he can drive to the hoop, he can play in the mid-range, and he plays above the rim. I expect him to be a double digit scorer at the Big East level.
Preliminary Guess: 2026 Rotation
I’m really intrigued to see how the rotation shakes out with Bird, Vanterpool, Pate, Mela, and Hightower.
I know Pate is labeled as a playmaking wing, but I see him more as a scorer that can moonlight as a lead guard. I wouldn’t feel entirely comfortable with Pate being the de-facto lead guard.
I’d prefer we have a starting 1 that is a true point: somebody whose best attribute is bringing the ball up, handling ball pressure, and putting his teammates in the best position to score. A pass first point. That would in theory be Hightower. Is he ready to run the show as a sophomore for a Big East team? Hodgson clearly prioritized him over other USF guards, and his play time dramatically increased as his freshman year progressed.
So, if Hightower (or another lead guard) is starting at the 1, Providence needs a starting 5 still. So one of Pate/Mela/Vanterpool/Mela will have to come off the bench. That’s a tough pitch for Hodgson, but that is why he is paid the big bucks.
Regardless of if Vanterpool starts or comes off the bench, he’s going to be competing with Bird as one of the top two way players on the roster. I don’t know if he’ll average 15 like he did at FAU, but he’ll be brought in to score at all 3 levels and play lockdown defense.
This is a massive recruiting win for Providence. Go Friars!