The Providence basketball team begins a new era with tons of hype for the Friars with the splash hire of Bryan Hodgson in the offseason.
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.
Ever since the Ed Cooley situation went down a couple of years ago, Providence has struggled to get back into the NCAA Tournament. The Friars made a big-time hire with one of the most sought-after coaches from the mid-major ranks, coach Bryan Hodgson, who was at South Florida for just one season and is now in the Power 5.
Hodgson wasted no time in rebuilding this team, bringing in big names from the portal, five freshmen, and even bringing in a player from the G League, which was shockingly not as controversial as the others.
The team brings back just one player from the previous regime, and a sign of new life for fans with completely new faces and new names to learn that will be playing at “the Dunk” this season.
Hodgson, coming from the Nate Oats tree, has a tough schedule for the first month of the season, including a trip to Maui for the famous Maui Invitational.
Head coach: Bryan Hodgson (4th season overall, 1st at Providence)
2025-26 record: 15-18 (7-13)
2026 postseason finish: No Postseason
Notable departures:
- Jason Edwards (16.5 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 3.0 APG)
- Stefan Vaaks (15.8 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 3.2 APG)
- Jaylin Sellers (18.3 PPG, 4.2RPG, 1.4 APG, 38.7 3P%)
- Jamier Jones (11.9 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 1.4 APG)
- Oswin Erhunmwunse (6.9 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 0.8 APG, 67.3 FG%)
- Corey Floyd Jr. (7.6 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 2.5 APG)
Notable non-conference games:
- vs. Nebraska (Nov. 7) – Mohegan Sun Arena
- vs. Colorado (Nov. 14)
- vs. VCU (Nov. 23) – Maui Invitational
- vs. Arizona OR Colorado State (Nov. 24) – Maui Invitational
- vs. Washington OR Ole Miss OR BYU OR Clemson (Nov. 25) – Maui Invitational
- at Rhode Island (Dec. 5)
Projected Rotation
PG: Malik Mack (6-2, 175, Sr.)
2025-26 stats: 13.6 PPG, 4.1 APG, 3.0 RPG, 0.9 SPG, 29.8 3P% (Georgetown)
SG: Miles Byrd (6-6, 205, Jr.)
2025-26 stats: 10.4 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 2.6 APG, 30.8 3P% (San Diego State)
SF: Ryan Mela (6-7, 205, Jr.)
2025-26 stats: 9.9 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 2 APG, 32.1 3P%
PF: Dink Pate (6-8, 210, Fr.)
2025-26 stats: 17.3 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 4.9 APG, 1.0 SPG (G-League Westchester Knicks)
C: Arrinten Page (6-11, 245, Sr.)
2025-26 stats: 10.2 PPG,4.5 RPG, 1.8 APG, 54.6 FG%, 1.2 BPG (Northwestern)
6: Devin Vanterpool (6-4, 195, R-Jr.)
2025-26 stats: 15.8 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 2.4 APG, 35.1 3P% (Florida Atlantic)
7: Ryan Sabol (6-3, 195, Sr.)
2025-26 stats: 18.8 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 3.3 APG, 39.9 3P%
8: Samson Aletan (6-10, 223, Gr.)
2025-26 stats: 7.8 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 1.2 APG, 1.4 BPG (Yale)
9: Gavin Hightower (6-1, 165, So.)
2025-26 stats: 4.1 PPG, 1.7 RPG, 1.7 APG, 52.8 FG% (South Florida)
10: Jacob Bannarbie (6-9, 235, R-Jr.)
2025-26 stats: 5.4PPG, 4.8 RPG, 1.3 APG, 51.9 FG%
11: Clyde Walters (6-7, 190, Fr.)
247Sports Played for Overtime Elite
12: Leonardo Marangon (6-7, 190, Fr.)
2025-26 stats: 9.8 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 1.6 APG, 1.2 SPG (Italy Serie A2 Season)
13: Javon Bardwell (6-7, 190, Fr.)
247Sports Composite No. 33 ranked recruit
Providence basketball team MVP: Malik Mack
Malik Mack is a transfer out of Georgetown and is a veteran guard with Big East experience already, who can be that guy to lead the offense for Hodgson and Co. right away.
Averaging four assists a game, Mack knows how to take care of the ball, and with Providence running a fast-paced run-and-gun offense, it will need to protect the ball and not turn it over to waste possessions.
Mack is a very capable three-point shooter, although he struggled from deep this past season, with under 30% from deep.
While Providence is very deep as a team with tons of talent, I think that Mack will be one of the better players on the team. As a lefty and able to get to the lane and finish through contact is a very integral part of Mack’s game and fits where the Friars will get the majority of their points, whether from three or in the paint.
Providence basketball make-or-break player: Dink Pate
Dink Pate did not go to college out of high school and instead went straight to the G League Ignite and then bounced around over the past two years at multiple different teams. Although not as controversial as the other G-League players trying to come back to school, Pate will still receive the chants and other noise from opposing crowds.
Pate really flashed at the G League level, averaging 16 PPG around pros. At 6″8 he really is like a big guard with the way he plays the game, whether that be being able to handle the ball up and down the court or distribute the ball to his teammates. Pate can be a matchup nightmare in the Big East.
For Providence to have a successful season and make the NCAA Tournament, it will need Pate to be a consistent scorer and defender.
Key statistic: Points per game
When Bryan Hodgson was at South Florida this past season, his team was top 10 in scoring, averaging 87 points per game. He looks to continue this trend with the Friars, and with how fast the team will play, that will also end up in the top 10 in tempo. It will have a lot of chances as the game progresses to be able to put up 80-90 on any given night.
Regardless of a completely new team, there will still be challenges implementing the system, whether it be bad shot selections or high turnover numbers.
Providence Basketball 2026-27 projections
Projected conference finish: 4th in the Big East
Projected postseason ceiling: NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 exit