Friar Basketball Newsletter: Bryce Hopkins Getting National Acclaim, 2024 Star Kur Teng to Visit PC in February, Devin Carter 1:1 After the Georgetown Win, and Ben Bentil Opens Up to The Friar Podcast
We are trying something different, sending out an update to complement the email that kicks off the week.
While there is all sorts of news to cover this week, I want to start by plugging Ben Bentil’s appearance on The Friar Podcast with Billy Ricci this week. Bentil details his incredible journey from Ghana to Providence to the NBA, and is about as candid as anyone could be in this 75-minute interview. The insights on his relationships with Ed Cooley, Kris Dunn, and LaDontae Henton are outstanding, as are his reflections on his time at Providence, how much he misses playing here, and what went into his decision to turn professional after his sophomore season. You won’t want to miss this.
On Thursday, it was announced that Bryce Hopkins was named to both the Naismith Player of the Year Midseason List, as well as one of ten finalists for the Karl Malone Award given to the country’s best power forward. Hopkins is one of only six high major players averaging over 16 points and nine rebounds per game this year.
News also broke this week that the outstanding 2024 shooting guard prospect Kur Teng will visit Providence for the Villanova game on Feb. 18. We have written extensively about Teng in the past. The Manchester, NH native is listed in the top 40 nationally by virtually every national recruiting service. You can read more of our thoughts on Teng via the link above.
Billy provided additional content this week, including a look at Providence’s expanding bench, as well as an interview with Devin Carter following PC’s 74-62 victory over Georgetown on Wednesday.
Thank you for reading Friar Basketball!