Ed Cooley and the Friars seemingly can’t miss these days.
Currently riding a nine-game winning streak and leading the Big East with a perfect 6-0 record, Providence’s staff capped off an incredible week by landing one of the toughest guards in the class of 2024 in Worcester Academy’s Kayvaun Mulready.
Considered a top 75-85 player in his class (depending on which recruiting service you prefer), Mulready has made a name for himself by playing with an endless motor and putting up big numbers at both Worcester Academy and for the Albany City Rocks on the EYBL Circuit last spring and summer.
247 Sports’ Adam Finkelstein said of him in December: “Just the toughest guy on the court… every time he steps on the court.”
He’s also a winner. Worcester Academy won last season’s NEPSAC AA championship on a last second 3-pointer that was assisted on by Mulready. That win came over an extremely talented Bradford Christian Academy team featuring fellow 2024 stars Kur Teng and George Turkson.
As you can see below, Mulready had a huge game both scoring (21 points) and playmaking.
That championship also marked the first NEPSAC title for Worcester since 2003, when a 6’5 Providence commit by the name of Dwight Brewington led them to the title against Bridgton Academy.
Mulready is also a big guard (6’4) capable of playing on or off the ball. Unlike Brewington, Mulready is more powerfully built.
He’s proven he can hit six or seven 3-pointers in a game, or dominate the glass, like he did when he grabbed an amazing 25 boards in a triple double against Tilton last year.
Mulready shortened his list to Marquette (where he visited in December), PC, UConn, and Maryland in late December. After taking in the Providence/Connecticut game this week he committed a few days later.
After spotting him at the game on Wednesday, I asked a rival coach about Mulready and was told simply, “Stud. Plays both ends.”
Providence has the makings of a physically punishing backcourt of the future with the 6’5 Garwey Dual in the class of 2023 and Mulready coming the following year.
Mulready still has another year and a half to develop at Worcester, and he is playing with excellent teammates Duke commit TJ Power and Marquette signee Tre Norman this season.
Mulready has already had a number of big games this season. He kicked off the year with a 23-point, 11-rebound, four-assist effort in a win over Mount Zion. He followed that up with 25 points on five made threes at the Zero Gravity Prep Classic in early December, 20 points and three steals in a 94-89 win over South Kent, and an MVP performance in the Blackburn Tournament after he connected on four first half 3-pointers in a convincing win against St. Thomas More.
Here is how Mulready described his game to On3.com at the time of his commitment: “I’m always playing at a high intensity,” Mulready says. “Nothing was given to me on this journey, so every day I’m trying to prove something. I can shoot, but it’s also hard to stop me when I’m going downhill. I love to facilitate and get my teammates going, but I also love playing defense. Might like playing defense more than offense. Extremely coachable and I’ve always been a leader, no matter how old I am. I’m also pretty good at rebounding the ball and always finding a way to get a loose ball or a ball in the air.”
So excited about Kayvaun’s commitment!