Opportunity awaits for Rafael Castro in his third year in Friartown
The early September transfer of big man Will McNair Jr. could have a significant trickle-down effect on Providence’s roster next season, depending upon the matchup.
Typically, the loss of a player who averaged three points and three rebounds the year prior would be rather insignificant, yet, the Big East is loaded with physical centers in 2023-24. UConn has a 7’2, 265 pound potential lottery pick in sophomore Donovan Clingan. Ryan Kalkbrenner of Creighton is a 7’1, two-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year. Joel Soriano, all of 6’11, 250 pounds, exploded for St. John’s last season, putting up over 15 points and just shy of 12 boards a game. Villanova will rely heavily on Eric Dixon, who doesn’t have the sheer size of the aforementioned three (6’8, 250), but may be the toughest cover of any thanks to his diversified offensive game.
Hence, McNair (with his 6’11, 260 pound frame, five fouls, and four years of Division 1 experience) figured to be a matchup-specific piece who would have come in quite handy for Kim English in his first year as a Big East head coach.
But, he didn’t want to be in Providence, so we move on.
The Friar coaching staff prioritized bringing in another big last spring, settling on McNair after flirtations with Kansas transfer Zach Clemence (perhaps dodging another bullet, as Clemence pulled back on his commitment to UC Santa Barbara, later returning to the Jayhawks), Kentucky transfer Lance Ware (now at Villanova), Wyoming-to-Gonzaga transfer Graham Ike, and — perhaps most intriguing of all — Overtime Elite center Somto Cyril (a rumored potential reclass to the class of 2023, who is now part of Kentucky’s 2024 haul).
The addition of two-time All-Atlantic 10 transfer Josh Oduro from George Mason was a significant one, and there will be all sorts of talk about English tinkering with downsized lineups heading into the year, but with the way this schedule shapes up, the Friars will eventually need size.
They may eventually need something from Rafael Castro.
It has become vogue in some corners of Friartown to chip away at Ed Cooley’s coaching acumen following his departure for Georgetown. Since March, we’ve heard more about an antiquated offense, or why he didn’t play Jayden Pierre and Corey Floyd Jr. more last season.
A second guess that took place even more often while Cooley was still here revolved around his decision to play Clifton Moore behind Ed Croswell, largely at the expense of Castro.
When looking back at his appearances from last year, Castro appeared to be a player shaking off the rust of having his senior season of high school wiped away by the pandemic, and then sitting out his first year year at PC.
Offensively, 16 of Castro’s 43 halfcourt possessions came from offensive rebounds — and he struggled to finish in those instances. He shot 5-12 on put-backs, ranking in the 13th percentile nationally.
Too many attempts at the rim and certain other possessions looked rushed and out of sorts — like a freshman who needed a little more strength, a little more poise, and who hadn’t played competitively in a few years.
Of course, the glimmers of athleticism and shot blocking were intriguing. We saw a majority of it prior to conference play. Castro was mostly effective against low/mid major opponents at home, and did have his moments against TCU and URI on the road.