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Providence Crier Player Preview Series: Friars Get Their Swagger Back with Duncan Powell

In his words…it was a Jankyman move. Duncan Powell entered the transfer portal this spring from Georgia Tech and originally committed to Georgetown. It seemed to be the perfect replacement for the Hoyas after losing Drew Fielder. He was the natural stretch 4 successor in DC.

That replacement was short lived as Powell came to his senses and decided to decommit from Cooley and the Hoyas to follow Jason Edwards, Jaylin Sellers and others to Friartown. Before even getting to campus, Powell ingratiated himself with Friar fans by making such a move. Since that time, the legend of the Jankyman has grown with his unique presence on social media.

Friar fans are chomping at the bit to see Powell in a Friar uniform. His debut in the exhibition against Pitt only heightened the build-up, as he dropped 17 and was 4-8 from deep. He filled a crucial need in the frontcourt by also tallying 10 rebounds.

We break down our expectations for him below.

Top 100 Four Star G/F Aiden Derkack of New Jersey Picks Friars

The Friars are on the board in the 2026 high school recruiting game, landing a commitment from Colonia, NJ native Aiden Derkack. The 6-6 G/F visited the Friars this past weekend and made it official today by choosing PC over Dayton and USC with several other high major programs involved. He is playing his senior year of high school basketball at SPIRE Academy in Geneva, OH under former Monteverde Academy coach Kevin Boyle. For the Derkack’s it’s a family reunion of sorts as Aiden’s sister Taylor is currently a freshman playing basketball up the road at UMass.

We break down below the importance of the commitment, where he fits within the program, and what is next in the 2026 recruiting class.

Providence Crier Player Preview Series: Can His Traditional Big Skills Carve Out a Role for Peteris Pinnis?

College basketball is a global sport these days, and the roster of Providence exemplifies that. No longer are college coaches relegated to finding talent in US high school gyms. Additionally, NIL has made college basketball enticing for international prospects who may make more playing NCAA basketball than they would going pro after high school in international professional leagues. The Friars added two international players this offseason in Vaaks and Pinnis.

We already covered Stefan Vaaks in our player preview series, but he wasn’t the only overseas import Kim English and staff added this offseason. In steps Peteris Pinnis, the 7-foot 260 pound center from Latvia. Vaaks is getting the most hype of the two and for good reason but Pinnis is an underrated get, especially for what the Friars may need in the frontcourt.

We break down below his game and role in 2025 and beyond.

Providence Crier Player Preview Series- It’s a Matter of When Not if for Stefan Vaaks

This past offseason Kim English and staff looked to add overseas talent by bringing in Latvia’s Peteris Pinnis and Estonia’s Stefan Vaaks. Of the two players Stefan Vaaks is certainly making more buzz as he enters his freshman season. Vaaks went from an unknown to Friar fan sensation without even playing a single game.

Vaaks is listed as a 6-6 guard but know that he’s been on campus he may be pushing 6-7. He has guard skills with the ability to push the basketball, create looks for others and can really shoot it. It didn’t take long for all of Friartown to look up his highlight tape while playing for Kalev/Cramp of the Latvian-Estonian Basketball League.

Providence Crier Player Preview Series: Second Time is a Charm for Jason Edwards and the Friars

In 2024 transfer portal Kim English and staff targeted North Texas guard Jason Edwards. He started his collegiate career at the JUCO level with Dodge City Community College where he would be a NJCAA 1st team All-American and was the second highest scorer in JUCO. He would find his way to UNT where he quickly assimilate himself as the best player for the Mean Green earning 1st team All-AAC honors. After proving himself at the D1 level Edwards would enter the portal and Providence was one of his suitors. He would instead opt to transfer to Vanderbilt University.

Despite another jump in competition Edwards’ game hardly fell off. He would lead the Commodores in scoring with 17 ppg, earning 3rd team All-SEC honors, and helped lead Vandy to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2017. Once again Edwards would enter into the portal and this time Kim English got his guy.

Crier Recruiting Corner- 26′ F Alex Egbuonu

Kim English and staff continue to tap into the New England pipeline on the recruiting trail, particularly in the 2026 recruiting class. We’ve already seen them host a few New England guys like Ryan Moesch and Abdou Toure on official visits, and Alex Egbuonu is the next on the list.

Alex Egbuonu is a 6-6 forward from Nashua, New Hampshire by way of Nigeria and currently plays for Lawrence Academy in Lawrence, MA. Egbuonu plays AAU for BABC and has seen his stock skyrocket over the Summer of 2026. Egbuonu is ranked as the 74th overall prospect in the 2026 class according to the 247 Composite, but I’d expect that ranking to (potentially dramatically) improve after a stellar AAU showcase at the Adidas All American Camp where he was named Offensive MVP. He is a relatively new name in the 2026 class for PC fans to know, which is surprising given his proximity to Providence, but I’d expect the interest in Egbuonu to ramp up as his official visit to Friartown approaches at month’s end.

Pro Insight Player Spotlight 🔦

👤 Alex Egbuonu

🎓 2026

📌 #adidasAAC

💡The ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ forward made a statement from the get-go and finished the weekend #1 in scoring (22.7 PPG) off a ridiculous 70.7 % from the field. Scored it at multiple levels, while showing off his unique… pic.twitter.com/q4ZPF51T0G
— Pro Insight (@_proinsight) September 8, 2025

Egbuonu unofficially visited June 26th and has his official visit on September 26th. There are a bevy of schools pursuing him, notably Auburn and Marquette.

We detail his game and recruitment below.

Friars Add Latvian Big Pinnis to 2024-2025 Roster

The Friars are once again tapping into Europe. Last month the Friars landed G/F Stefan Vaaks from Estonia and it’s being reported they are bringing in another import. It’s being reported by Kevin McNamara and Kevin Stacom that 7-1 Latvian big man Peteris Pinnis will be the Friars latest member.

Duncan Powell Flips Commitment from Georgetown to Providence

After missing out on Robert Morris transfer Alvaro Folgueiras to Iowa, the Friars quickly pivoted to a new player. Duncan Powell is a 6-8 wing that Providence had reached out to when he first entered the portal, but he would end up committing to Georgetown. Over the weekend he reopened his recruitment and a day later committed to Kim English and the Friars. Powell joins Jason Edwards, Jaylin Sellers, Daquan Davis and Cole Hargrove for this offseason’s transfer portal class.

We recap his commitment and what that means for the 2025-2026 Friars.

Crier Recruiting Corner- Introducing Robert Morris F Alvaro Folgueiras

The Friars are reshaping their roster in a significant way. Since April, the Friars have brought in Jason Edwards, Jaylin Sellers, DaQuan Davis, Cole Hargrove and Stefan Vaaks, but they aren’t done yet. They are looking at a slew of players in the portal to come in and be their starting 4-man. One of those players is a 6-9 sophomore from Robert Morris Alvaro Folgueiras.

We detail his game and how he’d be the fit as the starting four man for the Providence Friars.

Here’s why you should be excited about possibly landing Alvaro Folgueiras
(a thread 🧵)

#1: Folguerias was a 19 year old sophomore this past season. He won Horizon League Player of the Year at Robert Morris and helped lead RMU to the NCAA tournament

In round 1 against…
— tanin smith #BBN (@TaninSmithKK) April 4, 2025

Friars Land Talented Vanderbilt Guard Jason Edwards

We talked on the spaces after the Friars landed Daquan Davis and Cole Hargrove that PC would be shopping for a splashy portal add. Well that came to fruition with Kim English and staff securing a commitment from Jason Edwards. The Atlanta native was originally a JUCO star at Doge City Community College, where he earned first team all-American honors in the NJCAA . He also led his team to a conference title and an appearance in the quarterfinals of the NJCAA tournament. He would then make the jump to Division 1 with North Texas where he made first team all-conference in the AAC. He entered the portal this past season where he landed at Vanderbilt. He lead the Commodores in scoring at 17 ppg, earning third team all-SEC and a NCAA tournament appearance.

He was viewed as one of the best guards in the portal. We break down the commitment below.

Friars Recruiting Overseas: Best Kept International Secret Stefan Vaaks Joins the Friars for 2025 Season

Providence has gone overseas and landed one of the most dominant international players available. That isn’t hyperbole. See below:

Stefan Vaaks might be the best player under 20 playing in Europe right now. Currently leading his team through the playoffs and a game short from a finals appearance, today he put up

23 points
5 boards
2 assists
7-14 FG
4-9 3P
5-6 FT

Only 19, severely overlooked pic.twitter.com/ScNiHZFADv
— nbadraftpoint (@nbadraftpoint) April 2, 2025

He was a name that Kim English and staff wanted to keep on the down-low before other programs would catch wind and get involved in his recruitment.

Stefan Vaaks, from Estonia, announced he is committed to Providence College today. Vaaks is a 19-year old 6-6 guard who played extremely well in the FIBA Europe Cup averaging 14.8 ppg, 4 rpg, 2.2 apg playing for his club team Kavel/Cramo. He also shot 38.7% from three on just under 7 attempts per game. Vaaks has great size, is fluid with the ball in his hands, and can really shoot it.

Providence has been looking for more pure wing scorers post Devin Carter, and this guy may heavily factor into the equation. He has elite size at the wing level, can shoot from deep, and can create off the dribble. He’ll immediately factor into playing time at PC.

It doesn’t appear Vaaks will come overseas right away, as he will remain in Estonia so he can compete in the Adidas EuroCamp May 31st-June 2nd and then FIBA EuroBasket August 27th-September 14th, where he will represent his country and go against the likes of Jokic, Giannis, Luka and other NBA pros. Not bad prep for Big East basketball, huh?

Him not being on PC’s campus will likely hurt him from earning a starting spot immediately, as the rest of the roster will be practicing together all summer long. We saw with the disaster of last season how important actually playing together is in terms of starting the season off on the right note. English can ease him in as he acclimates to collegiate basketball. If he is as good as advertised, he‘ll be starting anyways before season’s end.

NEWS: Estonian guard 🇪🇪 Stefan Vaaks will explore the NCAA route for next season multiple sources tell me

The 6-6 shooting guard is currently one of the most productive players in Europe Cup

He’s averaging 15.2 PPG, 3 RPG, 3.4 APG on 38.6% 3PT shooting on 7.2 attempts

Vaaks… pic.twitter.com/pc09SSxV35
— Arman Jovic (@PDTScouting) March 14, 2025

With this addition, Providence likely has solidified its rotation and personnel for the wing position. Vaaks joins a deep roster of wings with Corey Floyd Jr., Ryan Mela, Rich Barron should he return, Jabri Abdur Rahim (should he get a waiver), Jamier Jones, and Jaylen Harrell. This is the deepest aspect of the Friar roster, by far.

Now, Providence only needs a high level frontcourt player to threaten Hargrove for the starting 4 position alongside Oswin, and they should be complete in the portal.

Vaaks appears to be worth the wait though and could really be a diamond in the rough find for the Friars as they look to re-set their roster after a rough 2024-2025 season.

Providence Crier Recruiting Articles

Crier Recruiting Corner: Jason Edwards: https://theprovidencecrier.com/2025/04/04/crier-recruiting-corner-introducing-vanderbilt-guard-jason-edwards/

Daquan Davis Commits to Providence: https://theprovidencecrier.com/2025/04/02/second-time-is-the-charm-one-time-friar-commit-daquan-davis-transfers-to-providence/

Crier Recruiting Corner – Introducing Cole Hargrove: https://theprovidencecrier.com/2025/04/01/crier-recruiting-corner-introducing-drexel-forward-cole-hargrove/

2025 Portal Primer: https://theprovidencecrier.com/2025/03/24/the-providence-crier-2025-portal-primer-1-0/

Retention Attention: https://theprovidencecrier.com/2025/03/22/retention-attention-whos-in-whos-out-in-providence/

What Went Wrong: https://theprovidencecrier.com/2025/03/12/what-went-wrong-this-season/

Amir Jenkins: https://theprovidencecrier.com/2025/03/04/crier-recruiting-corner-introducing-2026-pg-amir-jenkins/

Crier Recruiting Corner: Abdou Toure: https://theprovidencecrier.com/2025/03/03/crier-recruiting-corner-introducing-2026-connecticut-wing-abdou-toure/

Crier Recruiting Corner: Marcis Ponder: https://theprovidencecrier.com/2025/02/26/crier-recruiting-corner-introducing-2026-center-marcis-big-show-ponder/

2026 Recruiting Primer:https://theprovidencecrier.com/2024/05/08/the-providence-crier-2026-recruiting-primer-version-1-0/

The Providence Crier 2025 Portal Primer

Hate it or love it, the transfer portal is here to stay. This is a cold, hard truth: In the NIL era of college basketball, the next couple of weeks are the most important in terms of building your program, arguably now even supplanting high school recruiting. In 2023, thirty-one thousand athletes entered the NCAA transfer portal, and that number continues to grow. Many teams will be looking to fill in needs and replace players who may have left their programs.

Providence will be no different and will probably get 2-4 portal players for the 2025-2026 program.

We breakdown this year’s primer into two categories: guys that are receiving interest from Providence and guys we’d like to see them pursue. We also provide an overview of current scholarships to date and positions of need in the portal.

We will update the primer throughout the next month or more based on what we are hearing.