After a 12-win season, Providence basketball fans are calling on Kim English to turn things around. Fortunately, he has the roster to compete near the top of the Big East.
The tradition continues! It’s another year of our countdown of the top 100 preseason teams in college basketball until the start of the season. Each day, we will reveal the next team until we reach the team slotted at number one. Up next: Providence basketball.
Last year was a disaster for the Friars, winning just 12 games, the program’s fewest in a season since 2009-10. But there is a lot of optimism in New England, as head coach Kim English brought in a very strong transfer class and got some key players to return who have the potential to turn into stars with the team.
First, a look at the transfers. Former North Texas and Vanderbilt star Jason Edwards should start in the backcourt. He’s a scorer – but will be asked to be a playmakers. It’ll be a change in playing style, but he’s talented enough to make it work. Georgia Tech transfer Duncan Powell should also start after averaging about 12 points per game with the Yellow Jackets. He’s a three-point marksman, which should help with the offensive flow.
Off the bench, there’s UCF Jaylin Sellers, who only played in three games last year because of a season-ending injury, but averaged over 15 PPG the year before with the Knights. Florida State transfer Daquan Davis should play important minutes off the bench as a backup point guard, and Drexel transfer Cole Hargrove is as good as it gets for a rotation big man. He averaged 1.8 blocks for the Dragons last year, providing some good defense for Providence.
But this team isn’t just built on transfers. Corey Floyd Jr., Oswin Erhunmwunse, Ryan Mela, and Rich Barron all played and were either full-time or part-time starters for the Friars last season. That type of returning depth mixed in with an impressive transfer class gives Kim English an experienced nine-man rotation.
Past that, top 40 recruit Jamier Jones and top 150 recruit Jaylen Harrell are joined by intriguing international freshmen Peteris Pinnis and Stefan Vaaks. It will be tough for any of them to play serious minutes right off the bat, but the potential is there for them to get some minutes as the season advances.
Overall, that’s a lot of talent and depth for Kim English to coach with an important season ahead. His first year with the Friars was largely a success, but year two was a big disappointment, and leaving it as a guessing game as to whether or not he’s really the answer at head coach long term. With this team, it’ll be hard for English not to get a winning record, so the question will be how much he can get out of the Friars and if he can lead them back to the NCAA Tournament.
Head coach: Kim English (3rd season at Providence, 5th season overall)
2024-25 record: 12-20 (6-14)
2025 postseason finish: No postseason
Notable departures:
- Bensley Joseph (13.2 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 3.2 APG, 1.3 SPG, 39.8 3P%)
- Jayden Pierre (12.3 PPG, 3.2 APG, 2.8 RPG)
- Wesley Cardet (8.4 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 0.8 APG)
- Jabri Abdur-Rahim (7.2 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 0.6 APG)
- Christ Essandoko (4.3 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 0.8 APG)
Notable non-conference games:
- vs. Virginia Tech (Nov. 8) – Mohegan Sun
- at Colorado (Nov. 14)
- vs. Penn State (Nov. 22) – Mohegan Sun
- vs. Wisconsin (Nov. 27) – Rady’s Children Invitational
- vs. TCU OR Florida (Nov. 28) – Rady’s Children Invitational
- vs. Rhode Island (Dec. 6)
Projected Rotation
PG: Jason Edwards (6-1, 180, Gr.-Sr.)
2024-25 stats: 17.0 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 1.3 APG, 35.3 3P% (Vanderbilt)
SG: Corey Floyd Jr. (6-4, 208, Rs.-Sr.)
2024-25 stats: 9.2 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 2.0 APG
SF: Ryan Mela (6-7, 205, So.)
2024-25 stats: 6.4 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 1.9 APG
PF: Duncan Powell (6-8, 240, Gr.-Sr.)
2024-25 stats: 12.2 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 0.8 APG, 35.8 3P% (Georgia Tech)
C: Oswin Erhunmwunse (6-10, 235, So.)
2024-25 stats: 6.8 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 0.2 APG, 1.6 BPG, 72.3 FG%
6: Rich Barron (6-5, 225, Jr.)
2024-25 stats: 5.2 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 0.6 APG, 35.0 3P%
7: Jaylin Sellers (6-5, 205, Gr.-Sr.)
2024-25 stats: 6.0 PPG, 1.3 RPG, 1.0 APG, 40.0 3P%, 3 GP (UCF) *Season-ending injury*
2023-24 stats: 15.9 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 1.1 APG, 1.1 SPG, 29.7 3P% (UCF)
8: Daquan Davis (6-1, 185, So.)
2024-25 stats: 8.8 PPG, 2.5 APG, 2.3 RPG, 1.1 SPG, 36.1 FG% (Florida State)
9: Cole Hargrove (6-8, 245, Sr.)
2024-25 stats: 9.9 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.8 BPG, 58.6 FG% (Drexel)
10: Jamier Jones (6-6, 218, Fr.)
247Sports Composite #40 ranked recruit
11: Jaylen Harrell (6-5, 210, Fr.)
247Sports Composite #117 ranked recruit
12: Peteris Pinnis (7-0, 260, Fr.)
International prospect from Latvia
13: Stefan Vaaks (6-7, 206, Fr.)
International prospect from Estonia
Providence Basketball team MVP: Jason Edwards
You don’t just bring in a transfer from another power conference team who averaged 17.0 points and limit him. It’s clear that Providence basketball will want Jason Edwards to score buckets for them – even with great talent around him.
It’s what Edwards does – even though he will probably be asked to facilitate at the point guard spot as well. But when you bring in one of the top scorers in the SEC from a season ago – who was efficient in his scoring role – you’ve got to have the same expectations, just in a new jersey.
There is no doubt Edwards will have more talent with the Friars, and we could see his numbers drop to somewhere between 14-16 points per game. But he’s a big-time scorer, and that’s something the Friars just didn’t have in 2024-25. Now they’ve got it.
Providence Basketball make-or-break player: Oswin Erhunmwunse
There are a lot of rotation players who could be in store for big years, and someone like Jaylin Sellers is hoping for a big bounce-back year. All of them would be great options in their own ways, but Erhunmwunse is the choice because he can single-handedly make this Providence basketball team one of the most feared in the Big East.
Without Erhunmwunse, the Friars are a talented bunch featuring plenty of scoring options, but lacking a defensive identity.
Insert Oswin Erhunmwunse.
The 6-10 sophomore showed so much potential as a freshman. He showed a clear knack for going up with the ball on offense, and it is great to have an inside presence near the rim. But he can be a game-changer defensively. The big man was a shot blocker as a freshman in a somewhat limited role. With more minutes coming his way, Erhumnwunse could legitimately average somewhere between 2 and 2.5 blocks per game. That would create a top defensive presence in the conference, which, with all of that scoring surrounding him, would make Providence one of the best all-around teams in the Big East.
Key analytic: Defensive rating
According to analytics site EvanMiya, Providence’s defensive rating was 1.7 last year, 9th in the conference. But with a *fingers crossed* improvement in year two of Erhunmwunse’s game, and the additions of Edwards (1.3 SPG in 2024-25) and Hargrove (1.8 BPG in 2024-25), it should be a much better defensive team.
Offensively, we know Providence will be fine, and likely better than last year. But it’s the defense that was a problem in the Friars’ 12-win season. The team ranked 344th in steals per game (5.0) and 163rd in blocks per game (3.4). Portal additions and returning talent indicate those numbers will increase.
But it’s also got to be about challenging shots inside and guarding better to allow fewer points. Giving up 80+ points on nine different occasions in Big East play is virtually unacceptable. Expect better defensive play this season.
Providence Basketball 2025-26 projections
Projected conference finish: 7th in the Big East
Projected postseason ceiling: NCAA Tournament Round of 32 Exit