Oswin Erhunmwunse Returns to The Friar Podcast, Bryce Cotton Shocks Australia, Stefan Vaaks' Injury, and New Scholarship Offers
1. Billy and I enjoyed catching up with Oswin Erhunmwunse during his trip home to Nigeria last week. Erhunmwunse was very candid in our conversation, talking in detail about his freshman season, the development of his game, taking on more of a leadership role, and the reaction to his announcement that he is returning to Providence.
You can check it out on Soundcloud or Apple.
Here’s Erhunmwunse responding to a question about the day he and Ryan Mela announced their returns and why it was so important to him:
2. Friar great Bryce Cotton made significant news this week when word broke that he was signing a multi-year deal with the Adelaide 36ers, ending his long tenure with the Perth Wildcats. Cotton is coming off a season in which he averaged 28.1 points per game and set an NBL record with a 59-point performance.
How big is Cotton in Australia? In this breakdown of his signing he’s referred to as “a cultural icon” and the greatest import in Australian basketball history. In his nine seasons with Perth, Cotton led the league in scoring eight times, won five NBL MVPs, and three championships.
3. If it weren’t for bad injury luck, Providence wouldn’t have any luck at all. Incoming freshman Stefan Vaaks injured his MCL this week, and it sounds like he could miss anywhere from four to six months, per a source. Vaaks is a promising prospect who will now spend the summer rehabbing. A six-month absence would mean Vaaks is returning to the floor with the season underway. And as we learned last season, these estimated absences are truly just that — estimates.
4. According to Mark Berman of The Roanoke Times, Providence will play Virginia Tech at Mohegan Sun on Nov. 8.
The Friars’ schedule is rounding into form, with games against Virginia Tech and Penn State at Mohegan Sun, a road contest at Colorado, and the Rady Children’s Invitational alongside Florida, Wisconsin, and old friend Jayden Pierre and TCU in San Diego, serving as the headliners of the non-conference.
5. Providence extended scholarship offers to a few members of the classes of 2026 and ’27 recently, including:
2026 Kohl Rosario, a 6’5 shooting guard out of North Carolina
2026 Trey Thompson, a 6’8 power forward from Tennessee
2026 Alex Egbuonu, a 6’6 wing from Nashua, New Hampshire and Lawrence Academy (MA)
2026 Jahda Swann, a 6’4 combo guard from Brooklyn, NY
2026 Cole Cloer, a 6’8 small forward from North Carolina
2027 King Kendrick, a 6’1 guard out of North Carolina
Rosario is ranked in 247 Sports’ top 125, Thompson is getting interest from the highest of high majors, while Swann was also offered by Kansas recently. Cloer is a top 40 prospect, Egbuonu already holds offers from Marquette, Texas, and Auburn, while Kendrick is a promising young guard.
Egbuonu plays for BABC and his game has shades of Pierre Brooks — a well-built wing who can both post up and shoot it from beyond the arc.
The Friars continue to be in pursuit of Aiden Derkack, a talented shooting guard in the class of 2026. The 6’5 Derkack is ranked #68 by 247 Sports and has been playing really well for Team Final this spring.
