Bryan Hodgson has settled into his role at Providence, with summer workouts and practice concluded. The 2026-2027 roster is seemingly set*
*Barring NCAA denying Dink Pate eligibility and/or granting Joseph Pinion an extra year…sigh*
With that, his staff has set its sights on the future, building out their recruiting board, and locking in official visits for the fall.
Declan Griffiths, the younger brother of former Friar target Gavin, is set to visit Friartown the weekend of October 24th.
We break down his game and recruitment below.
Recruiting Profile
Declan is ranked as a 4 star in the 247 composite, 108th nationally. He is a 6’7 lean wing at 180 pounds. His brother Gavin is the same size and build. Declan is the third ranked player in Connecticut behind another Friar target in Patrick Otey and a guy I’d like to see Providence pursue more heavily in D.J. Hawkins. They are all playing together at St. Thomas More, so maybe Hodgson can concoct a package deal and save some money on recruiting trips?
Declan plays his AAU ball for Middlesex Magic, an AAU program I have the utmost admiration for. This program is led by head coach John Crotty. Middlesex Magic is consistently producing high end D-1 basketball players, and Griffiths will be next in line behind alums that include Michigan signee and McDonald’s All American Quinn Costello, Knicks point guard Tyler Kolek, Cuse point guard Ryan Moesch, Duncan Robinson…and Providence’s own Ryan Mela. Those are just a few of the many successful alums to play for Middlesex Magic. They have built quite a juggernaut in the Northeast.
Player Profile
As exemplified by Wes Enis and Joseph Pinion last year at USF, Hodgson likes wings that can shoot the pill from deep. Griffiths has a lot of fantastic attributes and traits, but his deep ball shooting ability may be his best asset at this point in his career. What’s notable is he is doing this at a 6’7 height, where he can shoot over the top of defenders in man or zone.
What I like about Griffiths beyond the shooting ability is how quickly he can get his shot off both on the catch and off the dribble. He has a deceptively quick release that doesn’t require a lot of breathing room from his defender.
Griffith is not just a shooter, as he does have the athleticism to finish at and above the rim and in transition…take your generic white guy compliments and attributes elsewhere!
He’s rounding into a truly complete wing although his shooting is by far what helps him be such a highly regarded recruit. Make no mistake there.
Griffiths is a valuable add to any program because he will help space the floor on offense. With his quick release and ability to knock it down from anywhere on the court, the defense has to honor that threat by guarding far out on the perimeter, which leads to open driving lanes.
I’d like to see Griffiths develop his handle more and truly be a three level threat (three pointer, mid-range, at the rim). That’s an area of growth for him because if he can pump fake and attack, he becomes a really difficult guard.
It isn’t fair to make assumptions on his game based off his brother, but you do have to wonder if Griffiths is going to be a multi year project before he contributes at a high major level.
Ultimately, I think Gavin jumped around a bit too much instead of developing in one place, and he has finally found his footing at Temple after “down years” at Rutgers and Nebraska. I expect him to be a 12-16 point scorer in the A-10 this year…and maybe he uses his new fifth year in Friartown to play one year with his younger brother?
Back to Declan…physically, he will need to fill out to handle the every day rigors of the Big East, but that’s not uncommon for high school recruits. I wouldn’t expect him to start anywhere Day 1 if he chooses a high major school, but he could be a freshman that comes in and provides instant offense off the bench.
Recruitment Overview
You have to like where Providence sits in this recruitment as of this writing. The other schools Griffiths is visiting in Ole Miss, Butler, and Vanderbilt are an odd trio and not one that routinely fit the profile of a blossoming New England talent. I’d keep my eye on Boston College and Syracuse to make a push for a visit, and, if Griffiths really takes off, Connecticut to make a late stage offer. But, as of this writing, Providence has to feel good.
Hodgson’s offensive style of play has to be incredibly appealing to Griffiths. He can point to Pinion as a prototype for what he wants him to do (Pinion is listed at 6’5-6’6) while mentioning his game may be more advanced athletically than Pinion’s. It’s a good blueprint.
Ryan Mela and the Middlesex connection certainly helps as well. Mela stayed through the coaching change at PC and should be the ambassador for recruits on campus as to why he chose to stick with Providence.
Simply put, PC has a lot going for it. A good first season by Hodgson leading to an NCAA tournament on the backs of the deep wing room of Byrd, Vanterpool, Mela, Pate, etc. can only help.
We will keep you up to date at this recruitment progresses.
Providence Crier Recruiting Articles
Dylan Jones – https://theprovidencecrier.com/2026/07/16/crier-recruiting-corner-introducing-2027-wing-dylan-jones/
Carson Crawford – https://theprovidencecrier.com/2026/06/23/crier-recruiting-corner-introducing-2027-small-forward-carson-crawford/
Javion Tyndale – https://theprovidencecrier.com/2026/06/23/crier-recruiting-corner-introducing-2027-point-guard-javion-tyndale/
Micah Gordon – https://theprovidencecrier.com/2026/08/24/crier-recruiting-corner-introducing-2027-point-guard-micah-gordon/#more-14036
Brandon Woodard – https://theprovidencecrier.com/2026/08/24/crier-recruiting-corner-introducing-2027-forward-brandon-woodard/
Asa Montgomery – https://theprovidencecrier.com/2026/08/24/crier-recruiting-corner-introducing-2027-wing-asa-montgomery/
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