Category: Crier Recruiting Corner

Crier Recruiting Corner – Introducing Drexel Forward Cole Hargrove

Providence is in the midst of a major re-set on their roster, with Providence currently only having 3 returning scholarship players (Oswin, Mela, Floyd Jr.), 2 pending (Barron and JAR), and two incoming freshman (Jones and Harrell). Definitely gone are frontcourt players Bryce Hopkins and Christ Essandoko, who departed to St. John’s and South Carolina, respectively. Anton Bonke and Eli DeLaurier also entered the portal, with the assumption they will not return to Providence.

Thus, the only frontcourt players are Oswin Erhunmwunse and Jamier Jones who can slide down to the 4. That is alarming given the numbers Providence had in the frontcourt entering into the 2024-2025 season. While shocking, this re-set may be necessary as the vast majority of those frontcourt players (outside Hopkins and Erhunmwunse) were not Big East caliber players as of this writing. The roster needed a turnover, and English has to restock the shelves with multiple 4’s and 5’s that can adequately compete at the Big East level.

Enter Cole Hargrove.

Cole Hargrove, the 6’8 250 pound Drexel transfer, visited Providence this past weekend. As we’ve discussed in other articles and podcasts, portal recruiting is different than high school recruiting. Portal recruitments are expedited, with a decision often quickly made. High school recruiting usually has a player take multiple visits to different schools with an elongated timeline. Hargrove making a trip so soon after entering the portal is a good sign for the Friars in their pursuit to add frontcourt depth.

Below, we detail Hargrove’s college career to date, what he would bring to the Friars in 2025, and how this helps Kim English build out a complete roster.

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Crier Recruiting Corner – Introducing 2026 PG Amir Jenkins

The Wolf of Worcester. That is what Amir Jenkins goes by. Sold, right?

Kim English has reached levels of high school recruiting that we haven’t seen in quite some time at Providence. In English’s two years as head coach, he’s landed Top 100 players at shooting guard (Harrell), wing/forward (Jones), and center (Erhunmwunse). While landing these elite recruits certainly opens eyes nationally, he also has a keen eye for under-recruited gems like Rich Barron and Ryan Mela that bolster the roster and raise the floor of this team. Barron was on the Big East All-Freshman team amongst a plethora of 4 and 5 stars in 2023-2024, while Mela is well on his way to claiming that award with his teammate Oswin despite Ryan being an unranked 3 star recruit.

That’s all to say Kim English has yet to land one type of recruit, and you can claim this has been one of the biggest reasons for his lack of success: a floor leading, general point guard. Winning the recruitment of Amir Jenkins would break that streak.

The Pursuit of a Point Guard – The Missing Piece of the 2025 Class

We detail the recruitment of Amir Jenkins, the competition, and how he fits with the Friar program.

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Crier Recruiting Corner: Introducing 2026 Connecticut Wing Abdou Toure

With the 2024-2025 season mercifully coming to a close, The Providence Crier has begun to shift its focus to all things recruiting. Providence is in the mix with a host of stellar recruits, notably 2026 local recruit Abdou Toure. The Connecticut wing playing at Notre Dame Prep is a consensus Top 50 recruit and recently visited Providence in their last match-up at home against Connecticut. If you recall, Providence also had on an official visit 2026 4-star big man Marcis Ponder. Toure was also in attendance for the PC win against BYU earlier in the year, so his interest isn’t one of simply being courteous to a local school that offered him.

Kim English is trying to follow up stellar 2024 and 2025 recruiting classes with another fruitful 2026 class, as he seemingly realizes the importance of landing high school talent that can be the foundation for your program for several years.

https://twitter.com/abdoutoure36/status/1801982570441122231?s=46&t=jxSpiAPB3PvC74snCH-rvQ

Despite the proximity to Friartown, Toure will be an incredibly difficult recruit to land. The hometown Huskies are heavily involved with this recruitment, and I’m certain their recent success and staying in state weigh heavily in this recruitment. The Clingan effect.

What’s more impressive is that coaches like Calipari are entering this recruitment. Calipari recognizes high school talent with the best of them.

Below, we’ll break down this recruitment, how Providence fits into the mix, and where Toure would play within the rotation.

https://twitter.com/cue_the_music/status/1880039543279350068?s=46&t=jxSpiAPB3PvC74snCH-rvQ

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Crier Recruiting Corner: Introducing 2026 Center Marcis “Big Show” Ponder

The hunt for the next elite big man at Providence continues. After hitting the mark on springy center Oswin Erhumwunse in the 2024 class, Kim English is looking to reload by getting another top-tier frontcourt recruit on the roster. Enter Marcis Ponder, one of the recruits that The Crier and I had proclaimed almost a year ago at this point “our favorite recruit of the 2026 class”. Ponder is the truest definition of a 5 man, coming in at 6’11 and 275lb+. He is a mountain of a man who would be a nice fit in the physical Big East.

https://twitter.com/247hshoops/status/1893737138392609000?s=46&t=jxSpiAPB3PvC74snCH-rvQ

Below, we will detail his recruitment, play style, and how he potential fits with a Friar roster.

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Crier Recruiting Corner – Introducing Chattanooga Big Sam Alexis

As the offseason winds on, Providence is faced with a glaring need to fill the starting five spot left vacant by the graduation of All-Conference big man Josh Oduro. One could argue that this is the most immediate need coming out of the portal.

The irony is that, post 2024-2025, the frontcourt appears to be in a very healthy spot from both a talent and depth perspective. The frontcourt has the following players manning it: Anton Bonke, Oswin Erhunmwunse, Eli DeLaurier. I personally believe Bonke and Oswin will be the future of the PC frontcourt and serve as one of the better frontcourt in all of the Big East for years to come. The issue is that, right now, they are both young, inexperienced, and likely not ready to take the starting 5 spot. Thus, there is a need to have a veteran big man with college experience step in and take the starting 5 spot immediately.

Insert Sam Alexis.

Alexis, the 6’9 Chattanooga big man from Apopka, Florida, recently cut his list to five final schools with a heavy SEC lean unsurprisingly. PC made the cut alongside home school Florida. Alexis has also set a visit to Providence in mid-April. Providence is trending very nicely, but it may be tough to beat out the local school in UF.

Below, we break down his game and how he’d fit with the Providence Friars.

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Crier Recruiting Corner – Introducing Rutgers Freshman Wing Gavin Griffiths

Kim English drew the proverbial line in the sand after the UConn beat down at home when he stated his roster moving forward would have “13 dudes”. From that point on, it was apparent that English was going to turn this roster over and put his fingerprints all over it. While the roster was left in a healthy position post Cooley’s departure, in large part due to Kim English’s recruiting ability to get players to stay in Providence, the roster doesn’t currently fit what English wants to do as a coach.

We previewed in our Transfer Portal Needs article what Providence needs in the portal this offseason: a capable lead point guard, shooters, a grad transfer 5, and somebody who could provide bench minutes for Bryce Hopkins at the 4 (and occasionally 3).

Insert Gavin Griffiths.

The blue chip recruit from Connecticut came into Rutgers as one of their higher ranked recruits in some time. He only started 3 games, averaging 18 minutes and 6 points/game. Curiously, he was billed as one of the best shooters in his class, but was only 28% from deep his freshman year.

He had a hot start at Rutgers, scoring 25 points in his second career game, before tailing off mid season. His conclusion to the season gave optimism to Scarlet Knight fans. From 2/22 on, he was 38.4% from deep and had 16 in the season finale against Maryland.

While his stats from his freshman year won’t necessarily wow, Griffiths does one thing incredibly well: shoot the basketball. Griffiths was labeled a sharpshooter from the wing coming out of high school and he’d be a perfect fit for what English wants to do.

Below, we break down Griffith’s game, his freshman year at Rutgers, and how he’d fit with the Friar roster in 2024 and beyond.

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Crier Recruiting Corner – Introducing 2025 Wing Jaylen Harrell

With all the hoopla surrounding Joson Sanon, Mikel Brown Jr., Jamier Jones, and Efeosa Oliogu (rightly so, for what it is worth), it is easy for casual fans to forget about the recruitment of 2025 Four Star Wing Jaylen Harrell. At The Providence Crier, we couldn’t feel any more different, as we see a bonafide All-Conference type wing in Harrell. The 6’6 Massachusetts native playing for CATS Academy in Braintree is a natural scorer adept at scoring off the dribble and from deep.

We detail Harrell’s play style below, discuss his recruitment, and provide player comps.

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Crier Recruiting Corner: Taking a Look at Oak Ridge’s Jamier Jones (25′)

Kim English is off to a great start in the 2025 recruiting class landing big man Oswin Erhunmwunse. It looks like they aren’t done trying to add other big time recruits to go along with their star big man. Kim English is hunting for Top 50 talent in the 2025 class.

One of those that could possibly join Oswin in Friartown is Oak Ridge’s Jamier Jones. If you follow along with PC recruiting, this is a name the Friars have been linked to for some time. So he’s a name you should definitely get to know.

We detail his game below, who else is involved with his recruitment, and how he fits with the Providence Friars.

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Crier Recruiting Corner – Introducing 7’2 Center Anton Bonke

The theme of this offseason will be replenishing the frontcourt. With Josh Oduro moving on to professional basketball after this season and no obvious successor on the roster, it is imperative that Kim English loads up on quality frontcourt pieces by any means possible. 2024 recruiting class, 2025 recruiting and reclassification, transfer portal, and now Junior College transfers.

Anton Bonke, the JuCo center from Eastern Arizona, is currently on a visit to Providence.

We break down his game, his recruitment, and roster fit below.

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Crier Recruiting Corner – Introducing 2025 Big Oswin Erhunmwunse

In Kim English’s short time as Providence College head coach, he has brought in a plethora of highly talented players on official and unofficial visits. There may not be any bigger recruit (literally and figuratively) than Oswin Erhunmwunse.

Oswin is a 2025 lefty Center from Nigeria that has been on campus a handful of times already. Oswin is, by every metric, an elite blue chip recruit. The 6’9 Center plays at prestigious Putnam Science Academy, which has a history of producing high level college talent. He plays AAU ball for BABC, which is a program that all Friars fans should be very familiar with.

While Erhunmwunse has a bevy of suitors, Providence has to feel great with where they stand in this recruitment given the frequency of visits that Oswin has made to Friartown. Additionally, Kim English can sell the path to early playing time the moment he steps on campus.

Below, we break down Oswin’s game, his recruitment, and how he’d fit on the Friar roster.

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Crier Recruiting Corner – Introducing 2024 Big Man Luke Bamgboye

The need for frontcourt help is obvious in Providence. Josh Oduro is in his final year of college, and Will McNair Jr. recently departed from the program after seemingly being a Friar for all of 10 days. After this year, the only true bigs on the roster are Rafael Castro, who hasn’t shown he can contribute at the Big East level consistently, and Eli DeLaurier, a promising prospect who reclassified and appears to be a few years away from being Big East ready. While the rest of the roster is flush with talent, there are clear warning signs about the frontcourt that need to be addressed in both quantity and quality.

It is almost a certainty that English will look after this year to replenish the roster with a transfer big in the portal that can play Day 1 while also landing a 2024 big man to develop for the future alongside DeLaurier.

Enter Bamgboye. The 6’10 post player from Compass Prep in Arizona is coming off a visit to Friartown this past weekend, with Kim English likely making clear the path to early playing time in the post.

Below, we break down the recruitment of Bamgboye, how he would fit in the Kim English system, and where PC stands with landing the bouncy frontcourt player.

https://x.com/griffgreenberg/status/1702129564401680673?s=46&t=jxSpiAPB3PvC74snCH-rvQ

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Crier Recruiting Corner – Introducing 2024 Forward Garrett Sundra

Garrett Sundra, playing for the powerhouse prep DMV program Paul VI, has come onto the scene as a modern big that so many programs seem to covet. Sundra recently released a Final 5 list of college programs, and Providence is in that grouping. As all Friar fans know, Providence is also fighting to win the recruiting battle for his teammates Isaiah Abraham and Patrick Ngonba. Suffice to say, Paul VI will be a nationally ranked high school program this upcoming year with all of the elite talent in the 2024 class.

It is time for Friar fans to become more familiar with Garrett Sundra, as he reminds me of another stretch 4 that helped lead Providence to a Sweet 16 just two years ago.

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