The Providence Crier

I started the Big East Media Day in my outrageously priced NYC hotel just south of Central Park (since when did every hotel in existence go for $500 per night at a minimum?).

A morning fall jog through Central Park was the perfect way to commence the day. A run through CP is a necessity for an avid runner like myself, with the energy of Manhattan permeating from runners of all skill sets.

I’ll always love Big East Media Day. I started covering the Friars several years ago as a Providence alum and fan, and entering the room is always both a humbling and rewarding experience for me.

I’ll never forget my first Big East Media Day several years ago turning a corner and accidentally walking directly into an intimate conversation between Rick Pitino and new Georgetown head coach Ed Cooley. Smooth…

Big East Media Day is an incredible experience where you rub elbows with Hall of Fame coaches, players, and media personalities. I hope these Big East Media Days never get old for me, as it always gives me a jolt of energy and appreciation for this passion project Mike and I are taking on.

Alright, enough of the sappy narratives. Let’s get down to business. Here is everything I learned from the 2026 Big East Media Day

• Providence will be playing in an exhibition against Boston College. We knew of the exhibitions against Pittsburgh and Georgia Tech. Hodgson mentioned another exhibition against Murray’s squad. Another good preseason test for these Friars.
• When another reporter asked about who will surprise this year (paraphrasing, but that was the gist of the question), Hodgson proactively mentioned Walters and Bardwell coming along and being productive. With uncertainty around Pate, Pinion, and Simpson, these freshmen may be thrust into an expanded rotation.
• Willingness to play two bigs. I asked Hodgson about playing two bigs, and he said they may roll out two bigs in certain situations. He did say they will play a 4 out, 1 big offense 70-75% of the time, as that is how they like to operate. As anybody who follows me knows, I long for a two big line-up with two of Aletan, Bannarbie, and Page manning the frontcourt.
• Hodgson will only be targeting freshman he feels can contribute “immediately”. We’ve seen Providence go after all almost exclusively 5 stars or high 4 stars in the 2027 class. That is deliberate. He wants players that can contribute Day 1, so he is going to shoot for the stars on high school recruits.
• No updates on eligibility on Pate, Pinion, and Simpson. In my conversation with Hodgson, he made it very clear that he feels Pate should be eligible and stated the NCAA has “moved the goal posts”, as he pointed to a case last year with London Johnson being eligible. He was professional during our discourse, but you can tell there is some underlying frustration, and I get why.
• With Pinion and Simpson, he said it best, “We are going to be playing against teams who have newly eligible 5 year guys. Why wouldn’t we do the same to put together our most competitive roster?”
• NIL Spend Per Roster & Competitiveness. Hodgson agreed with Danny Hurley that 18-20 million is what is needed to be spent to have a competitive roster. Hodgson said to be weary of what each coach tells you on total spend, but he feels there are a few teams that are spending well beyond that $18-20m threshold.
• Malik Mack chose Providence due to his ability to shoot more 3’s and play more up and down. He also mentioned Providence was always one of the tougher places to play as a Hoya. Mack, based off the 2 minute conversation I had with him, was incredibly impressive.
• Ryan Mela is going to be a big contributor and has been a fantastic leader as one of the holdovers from the English era. Hodgson also let out a tidbit that there were a few coaches in the room that tried to poach Ryan Mela, which he completely understood.
• Hodgson said recruiting these days in the NIL era has made things much tougher as a recruiter. Historically, he had a lot of success recruiting because he out recruited lazy assistants (his words). Now, the aforementioned lazy assistant can put in a substandard effort, but drop a bag (Hodgson’s exact words) and win that recruitment.