From Bryce Hopkins' Explosiveness to Jayden Pierre's Ability and Rafael Castro's Athleticism, the Early Results have been Positive in the Exhibition Season
We will get one final look at the Friars when they host Assumption University in the team’s exhibition finale on Oct. 29, but through two appearances it has been hard to be anything but encouraged from what we’ve seen early.
The talking points on Providence through the first month of the season will be centered around what they’ve lost, not what has been added. That’s what happens when you lose a five-some like Nate Watson, Al Durham, Justin Minaya, AJ Reeves and Noah Horchler, and return just three players who have seen minutes at PC previously.
For instance, here is what The Field of 68’s newsletter had on the Friars, “The new roster will rely heavily on a cast-off from one of the worst teams in Louisville history, a transfer from South Carolina, a Kentucky import who barely sniffed the floor, and a redshirt from UConn, breeding plenty of uncertainty around the Friars’ encore.”
While we have only seen the 2022-23 Friars in an intra-squad scrimmage and against an overwhelmed American International College, it doesn’t take an advanced basketball mind to see that Ed Cooley and his staff added at least five players who will realistically have an impact this year.
The show stealer has been Bryce Hopkins, the sophomore forward from Chicago who was ranked in the 30s in the class of 2021 by ESPN and Rivals. Only a few thousand Friar fans have seen Hopkins in-person, and the eye test has been just as impressive as the numbers indicate.
Hopkins went for 29 points and nine rebounds in the Mal Brown Scrimmage, after not scoring for the game’s first 12 minutes. Against American International, he shot 5-8 from the floor, 1-2 from three, and 3-4 at the free throw line in scoring 14 points in 24 minutes. He added six rebounds, four steals, and three assists.
Due to his size and Providence’s emphasis on big wings who can serve as small fours, Hopkins will draw comparisons to Alpha Diallo, Rodney Bullock, and LaDontae Henton. He’s different though. Hopkins isn’t quite the rebounder or outside shooter that Henton was, but he is an NBA-level finisher at the rim — he possesses power, agility, and body control when attacking the rim. Expect him to finish through traffic a lot this season. For a power wing/stretch four, Hopkins looks to be an above average passer who should kill from the middle of opposing zones.
“I think Bryce’s versatility is going to make him a tough matchup, and as you can see, we moved him to three different positions today,” Ed Cooley said on Thursday. “He’s somebody that I think is going to be a tough matchup regardless of who we play.”
Expect Hopkins to push for All Big East honors this season.