Taking a Look at the Friar Freshman Class
Garwey Dual comes in with high expectations, but what is the outlook for Rich Barron, Donovan Santoro, and Eli DeLaurier?
Minutes figure to be tough to come by for three of Providence’s four freshmen this season.
Clearly, the Friars expect 6’5 point guard Garwey Dual to see significant time, and make an impact as both a defender and creator in his first season, but what about the staff’s other three signings in the class of 2023?
Unsurprisingly with a new coaching staff in place as of last spring, each of Providence’s freshmen took a bit of an unconventional path to getting to Friartown. Dual and fellow Southern California Prep product Donovan Santoro committed to Ed Cooley, but stayed true to the Friars after the coaching change.
Rich Barron, a powerfully built wing with shooting range out of St. Ignatius in Chicago was originally a George Mason commitment. He will be the only member of Mason’s original 2023 haul to follow Kim English and Co. to Providence.
Then there is Eli DeLaurier, a 6’9, 220 pound big out of the Miller School in Virginia, who pledged to PC shortly after Will McNair Jr. announced his transfer in early September.
What can we expect out of Santoro, Barron, and DeLaurier? Let’s break it down:
Donovan Santoro, 6’8 small forward out of Los Angeles, CA: Cooley and his staff went heavy on Southern California Prep products last summer and fall when they grabbed commitments from Dual, Santoro, and power forward Drew Fielder (who followed Cooley to Georgetown).
Dual was always the highest upside prospect, with crazy measurables and outstanding defensive and passing instincts. He has every physical trait NBA scouts love, and his ceiling may ultimately come down to how well he develops his jumper and how quickly he finds his voice as a point guard.
Both Dual and Fielder played on SoCal’s high school team, while Santoro was part of their prep program — one with a little less star power than their high school counterparts.
We missed out on an opportunity to see Santoro locally last winter, when his prep team came to Springfield, MA, but he was sidelined with an injury. “His best basketball is in front of him” was the phrase I heard when doing some digging on Santoro.
It’s easy to see why Cooley, and then English, took a flier on a player who wasn’t on the national recruiting radar to the extent of some other Friar targets. He’s very lean at this point, but stands 6’8 with a very good shot beyond the arc. Santoro shot 40% from three last season, while averaging 14 points per game, playing alongside other D1 prospects. Sometimes coaches fall in love with 6’8 and squint hard enough to see a shooter, but Santoro genuinely has a great stroke from deep.