Get to Know the 2022-23 Friars

#0 Alyn Breed: A 6’3 junior combo guard out of Powder Springs, GA who played at one of the biggest powerhouses in the nation in high school before prepping for a year at IMG Academy. Breed filled in capably during his freshman season after Jared Bynum went down with an injury, highlighted by an 18 point, 11 rebound, four assist day at Villanova. He was a reserve on a veteran team last year, and could see a spike in minutes with improved shooting numbers (career 34.7% from the field and 23.7% from three). Breed can be a trusted option late in games due to his defensive ability, knowledge of the system, and consistency at the free throw line.

#1 Jayden Pierre: Despite playing behind an All Big East point guard, Pierre simply impacts the game in too many ways offensively to not make a dent in his freshman year. Pierre played a national schedule while at Long Island Lutheran, and was the best player on a team that was ranked among the top 20 nationally during his senior year. Pierre gets to where he needs to with the ball in his hands, can score and create. He’s among the most talented guards Ed Cooley has brought in to Providence and certainly has all league potential down the road.

#3 Quante Berry: Berry was Providence’s first commitment in the class of 2022. The Cleveland, TN native brings a lot of physical tools — he’s 6’4, athletic, and has the potential to develop into a high 30% shooter from beyond the arc as he matures. Berry is a solid rebounder from the backcourt with good upside defensively.

#4 Jared Bynum: Not many players in Friar history have taken the type of leap Jared Bynum did from 2020-21 to 2021-22. He missed much of the 2020-21 season after an injury in early January, but even before that he had really struggled to find his jumper (starting 0-17 from three through six games). Bynum showed glimpses last November before turning his ankle against St. Peter’s on Nov. 27. He keyed a road win in his return at UConn a month later, and both he and the Friars never looked back. Bynum was ridiculous in February, highlighted by a six-game stretch of 19, 32, 25, 18, 18, and 27 points — not bad for a born distributor. He was named the Big East’s Sixth Man of the Year and All Big East. This season he could be the best point guard in the league.

#5 Ed Croswell: The Philadelphia native was a game-changer last year — quite literally. It all began in a massive win over Texas Tech on Dec. 1 last season, when Croswell injected life into the offense by coming off the bench and grabbing four offensive rebounds and scoring 11 points. The next time out against URI, Croswell finished with 13 points and 15 rebounds (8 offensive), and just like that, a fan favorite was born. Croswell is everything Friartown loves — fearless, physical, and big in big moments. He keyed PC’s second half comeback against Kansas in the Sweet 16. He grabbed 11 offensive rebounds in three NCAA Tournament games last March, including six big ones versus South Dakota State in the opener. In a starting role, he could revert back to the 10 point, seven rebound player he was at La Salle.

#10 Noah Locke: If Ed Cooley were to put a Help Wanted ad up early last offseason it would have read: “Wanted: reliable veteran shooter comfortable scoring without needing the ball in his hands a lot.” Cooley pursued Locke hard in the recruiting class that ultimately netted him David Duke Jr. and AJ Reeves, but Locke went to Florida, where he shot over 40% from three in three seasons. PC wanted Locke again before he transferred to Louisville, now — finally — he’ll spend his graduate season with the Friars. He will be charged with spreading the floor for Bynum, Devin Carter, and Bryce Hopkins in particular, and should feast with the playmaking ability of the aforementioned three players.

#13 Scott Morozov: The 6’6 Morozov played in a very good league while at the Hoosac School. The Pre-Engineering major and Toronto native will be a big body to battle in practice. He averaged 18.8 points, 14.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists in 28 games at the Hoosac School.

#14 Corey Floyd Jr.: Floyd spent a year at UConn after enrolling early out of high school (he turns 19 this coming January). He decided to transfer to Providence last spring. The New Jersey native played on a pair of elite programs during both his high school and AAU seasons. Team Final was the best at the Nike Peach Jam two years ago, while Roselle Catholic is an Eastern power out of Jersey. He is used to playing with elite talent. Much like teammate Rafael Castro, Floyd hasn’t played in organized games in nearly two years after redshirting last season and having a majority of his games canceled as a senior due to the pandemic. The son of a Friar player, Floyd’s early impact would come on the defensive end.

#21 Clifton Moore: The 6’11 La Salle transfer (who spent the first two years of his college career as Al Durham’s roommate at Indiana) brings needed depth to the Providence frontcourt. Moore was among one of the top 15 shot blockers in the nation last season, and he scored just shy of 13 points per game. Moore may not need to score a ton to be effective at PC, but he went 14 consecutive games scoring in double figures last year thanks to his ability to face up and score from the post.

#22 Devin Carter: The son of long-time NBA guard Anthony Carter, Devin was an All SEC Freshman Team performer last season after scoring nine points a night despite playing under 19 minutes a game. Carter’s game is built on burst, endless energy, and by being in constant attack mode. Cooley thinks the 6’3 guard out of Miami can be one of the best defenders in the Big East, which makes sense given his lateral quickness and aggressive mentality. Carter lives at the free throw line.

#23 Bryce Hopkins: At some point in his Providence career, Bryce Hopkins could be a 1st Team All Big East player. The Kentucky transfer out of Chicago was one of the top players in the recruiting class of 2021. He is an explosive finisher at the rim, taking to the basket with a lethal combination of power and agility. Hopkins has playmaking ability as well. His profile should explode this season after failing to crack the rotation in Lexington last year.

#24 Luke Fonts: The Rhode Island native played at the Portsmouth Abbey School, and had a familiar face on the team last year — his older brother, Andrew. Fonts, who averaged 17 points, six assists and five rebounds per game his junior year, is a walk-on with deep ties to the program.

#30 Rafael Castro: Not much footage exists from the last few years of Castro, so it makes sense that he has been perhaps the surprise of the exhibition season in October. Nicknamed “Slim”, Castro gained around 15-20 pounds during the offseason and his emergence as a 6’11 shot blocker could change the face of the Friar frontcourt. He played for a high school with virtually no track record of developing Division 1 players, but decided to stay at Dover High School in New Jersey at a time when so many of his peers moved on to prep and private schools. Castro is a really fluid athlete, particularly for his size. The coaches have praised his upside.

#33 Kieran O’Haire: The 6’2 sophomore hails from the same school that produced UConn junior Andre Jackson, The Albany Academy, where O’Haire was a team captain and scored 11 points per game. They were state champions when he was a junior.