Friar Basketball: Kim English is introduced as Providence's next head coach, retains the core of the team in another crazy week in Friartown
Kim English is wasting little time making a major impact at Providence. English was introduced as PC’s new head coach at a rousing introductory press conference on Wednesday, and the work he has done in less than two weeks on the job has been remarkable.
At the height of the transfer portal era, English has somehow managed to keep the core of Providence’s team intact. Corey Floyd Jr. was the first domino to fall, followed by redshirt freshman Quante Berry. Two days after English was introduced as the head coach, perhaps his biggest statement came when 1st Team All Big East performer Bryce Hopkins and defensive dynamo Devin Carter announced that they were also returning to PC. Finally, on Sunday freshman point guard Jayden Pierre reversed course and announced that he was pulling his name out of the transfer portal and sticking with the Friars.
English also retained fall signee Donovan Santoro, and grabbed commitments from George Mason transfers Josh Oduro (who led the Atlantic-10 in scoring in 2022) and an athletic freshman in Justyn Fernandez.
The calendar just turned to April, and instead of scrambling to fill out a roster following the coaching change, English and his staff will be recruiting from a position of power going forward this spring.
Along those lines, another potentially big piece to the 2023-24 puzzle could be 6’9 Wyoming transfer Graham Ike. Ike, who averaged over 19 points and nine rebounds during his last healthy season in 2021-22, is scheduled to visit Providence in mid-April. The powerful lefty was a post workhorse at Wyoming and put up impressive stat lines, regardless of the competition. Subscribers can read a detailed look into Ike’s game and what he could bring to Providence.
Additionally, Friar Basketball is the only place you can see highlights from when Josh Oduro went for 26 points and 15 rebounds at St. Louis this year. As we have done the past two seasons, we will provide a variety of video coverage on the incoming transfers that is unique to our site.
You can also read our breakdown of what Oduro will bring to PC next season. He is a talented post scorer with a variety of moves at the rim, a solid handle, and experience.
Now that Hopkins is back in the fold, we look into how he could potentially take his game to another level in his second season in black and white. This article looks back at his terrific first season, but also digs into how he may have been fatigued by the end of the year.
Readers can also see our feature article on English’s press conference and his wild first week at Providence. From the article: “English may not be worried about winning the presser, but he undoubtedly set a tone of optimism and determination in this one, sharing how the PC job was an opportunity he couldn’t let get away. ‘Something different is going on here,’ he shared.”
The news wasn’t all positive this week, as veteran guard Alyn Breed has been suspended from the team after being charged with numerous firearm and domestic charges over the weekend. His name no longer appears on the team’s official roster page.
Finally, be on the lookout for what we think was a terrific conversation with Carson Desrosiers and Ted Bancroft as part of our latest episode of The Friar Podcast. The episode should be out early this week, and both Carson and Ted provided very candid thoughts on Ed Cooley’s departure, the arrival of Kim English, a comparison of Providence and Georgetown, and so much more. Billy and I had a blast recording this one, and can’t wait for you to listen to it.
If the past two weeks are any indication, the news should continue to come fast and furious out of Friartown. We’re looking forward to covering everything this spring and throughout the offseason!