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Drew Fielder Commits to Friars – Analyzing the Impact

We wrote here (https://theprovidencecrier.com/2022/09/15/drew-fielder-official-visit-preview-friars-looking-to-land-another-horchler/#more-5089) about Drew Fielder officially visiting this past weekend.

Well, the visit must have went well. Fielder commits to the Friars, joining Garwey Dual as commitments in the Class of 2023. Both play at Southern California Academy and have exploded this past AAU season.

Breaking: 2023 four-star Drew Fielder has committed to Providence, he tells @On3Recruits.

"I chose Providence because of my relationship with coach (Ed) Cooley and the culture they have built there.”

Story: https://t.co/ygk4I0Vo3c pic.twitter.com/MI7VQhyCgH
— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) September 19, 2022

We break down how the Friars won this recruitment and what this means for the Providence Friars.

Drew Fielder Official Visit Preview – Friars Looking to Land Another Horchler

Drew Fielder, the 6’9 stretch 4 man from Idaho, will be visiting Providence on an official visit this upcoming weekend. Fielder’s offer list has exponentially grown after this most recent AAU season, and he will continue to become a more nationally recognized name as he heads into his senior year at Southern California Academy.

2023 big Drew Fielder is en route to Providence for his official visit today, he told @Stockrisers. Ed Cooley was in California this week at Southern California Academy to see Fielder prior to his visit.
— Jake (@jakeweingarten) September 15, 2022

Below, we break down the competition for the Friars in his recruitment, as well as discuss what he can do on the court. Lastly, we touch upon the player fit with this Providence program.

The 2023 Recruiting Primer, Version 3.0: Providence Friars

The Crier released Version 1 of this article in January and Version 2 a few months later in the Spring. Suffice to say, a lot has changed in almost 6 months.

After winning the Big East Conference and making a Sweet 16 run, the Providence program is in unchartered waters when it comes to national coverage. Momentum has never been better for the Providence Friars to land blue chip prospects that fit within Cooley’s culture.

Cooley started off the 2023 class with a home run of a commitment in 2023 guard Garwey Dual. Dual, relatively unknown nationally at the time of commitment, is now a consensus Top 75 4 star recruit after a dominant AAU season. Dual is just the start of the 2023 class as Providence looks to build off an incredible 2021-2022 season. We broke down Dual’s commitment and his future impact to the Friar program here: https://theprovidencecrier.com/2022/09/01/deep-dive-analysis-of-2023-providence-commit-garwey-dual/

With Dual in the fold, we analyze team needs for the 2023 class, identify the key recruits Providence is targeting, and provide our predictions for who the Friars ultimately land.

Deep Dive Analysis of 2023 Providence Commit Garwey Dual

Lost amidst the BBQ’s and leisurely pace of the summer months was an under the radar commitment from 2023 combo guard Garwey Dual. This commitment didn’t generate nearly the energy and excitement that it likely should have amongst the Friar fanbase, but make no mistake: this is an instant impact recruit. Dual has burst onto the scene over the past few months, and it appears Cooley and staff uncovered another gem before Dual’s national profile skyrocketed.

Below, we break down the recruitment of Dual, what he brings to the Friars, and where his game translates to the collegiate level.

2023 Garwey Dual highlights from the Pangos All-American Festival! @garweypual_2023 @PangosAACamp

🎥: @Prep_Plug pic.twitter.com/QlT1RGtAUS
— Courtside Films (@CourtsideFilms) August 30, 2022

How One Offseason Has Laid the Groundwork for a Final Four Run

Everybody has heard the slight murmurs in the background:

“This was a fluke season by Providence”

“Flash in the pan”

“Everybody is gone. I hope Friar fans enjoyed this lucky run”

Let everybody enjoy making these comments. With what Ed Cooley did this past season and into the offseason, the trajectory of this program has been completely altered. Providence is about to enter into a level of consistency and performance we have not yet seen under Ed Cooley, and I cannot wait.

Bryce Hopkins Transfers to Providence – Analyzing the Impact

Former Top 50 4 Star recruit Bryce Hopkins from Chicago decided to depart the Kentucky Wildcats and transfer to Providence College. Like Locke and Floyd Jr., Hopkins considered Providence out of high school, but ultimately enrolled elsewhere. After playing spot minutes on a loaded Kentucky squad this past year, the big bodied 3/undersized 4 will now be donning the Black and White.

Below, we analyze the impact of Hopkins enrolling at Providence and what it means for the immediate and long term.

Third Time is the Charm – Friars Land Their Shooter in Noah Locke

This one was a pleasant Friday surprise. We’ve heard and written a lot about Devin Carter (https://theprovidencecrier.com/2022/04/12/introducing-friar-fans-to-devin-carter-potential-transfer/#more-4900) and Bryce Hopkins (https://theprovidencecrier.com/2022/04/13/portal-spotlight-bryce-hopkins/#more-4909), but the talk was relatively quiet around Locke. Make no mistake, however. With Reeves and Horchler leaving, the Friars desperately needed deep ball shooters. Insert Locke.

Below, we break down Locke’s college career to date, what he brings to the Friars, and what comes next on the transfer portal front.

Introducing Friar Fans to Devin Carter- Portal Spotlight

Frank Martin may be the gift that keeps on giving for Friar fans. He introduced us to cult hero and defensive stalwart Justin Minaya for one memorable year. Now, history is trending towards repeating itself with South Carolina freshman guard Devin Carter visiting Providence this upcoming weekend after putting PC in his Final 6.

Below, we break down Carter’s game and what he would bring to future Friar squads.

Providence College Basketball Recruiting – Class of 2024

With the 2022 class all but wrapped up and Coach Cooley setting his sights on landing a nationally ranked Class of 2023 recruiting class and high level transfer class, we thought it’d be a good idea to inform folks of who Providence is targeting in the Class of 2024. While many years away, the recruiting landscape is making it difficult to land top tier classes unless you start recruiting kids at an early age. The list below will by no means be as robust as the list of offers and interest for the Class of 2023, but it helps ascertain who Cooley and staff are prioritizing.

One common theme I’ve noticed with these early offers is that the majority of them are “local” offers that understand the appeal of Providence and the Big East. I’ve been calling for this pivot to a recruiting strategy, so I’m pleased to see this transpire. I’m sure as more AAU tape comes out, Battle will extend some offers to North Carolina prep players, but I’d prefer the early offers come from areas where playing in the Big East is a big deal.

Revisiting Our Bold Predictions: Hit and Misses from Preseason Predictions

In November of 2021, The Crier and I decided to make a few bold predictions on the season ahead (https://theprovidencecrier.com/2021/11/05/hot-takes-bold-predictions-ahead-of-the-2021-2022-season/). While we were certainly bullish on the Friars relative to national perception, I don’t think either of us could have predicted the season that just transpired. It’s fun to look back and see where our preseason expectations landed relative to how the season unfolded.