PC Prepared to Welcome Tyler Kolek, #6 Marquette for Big East Opener

Friars To Play No. 6/6 Marquette In BIG EAST Opener: The Friars will play No. 6/6 Marquette on Tuesday, December 19 at 8:30 p.m. on FS1. Marquette holds a 22-14 edge in the all-time series with Providence. The teams’ first two meetings were in the 1963 and 1967 National Invitation Tournaments, with the Friars taking a win in 1963 en route to the title, but the Golden Eagles earned the win in 1967. The teams have met 31 times since Marquette joined the BIG EAST Conference in 2005-06, with the Friars posting an 11-20 mark. The Friars are 9-6 at home versus Marquette, 3-14 on the road and 2-2 in neutral arenas. In the first meeting last season, the Friars defeated Marquette, 103-98, in double overtime on December 20, 2022 in Providence. In the second meeting, Marquette earned an 83-75 win in Milwaukee on January 18, 2023.

Friar Tid Bits:

*The Friars are playing their first BIG EAST game of the season on Tuesday.

*The Friars are 0-1 vs. ranked teams this season and 130-280 (.317) all-time.

*The Friars are 9-0 this season when scoring 71 or more points.

*Devin Carter (back) and Corey Floyd (leg) each missed the PC’s last game with an injury.

*PC finished 8-0 in non-conf. home games this season and have not lost a non-conf. home game since 2019.

*The Friars rank first in the BIG EAST and ninth in the nation in blocked shots, averaging 6.4 bpg.

*Josh Oduro leads the Friars with 1.6 blocks per game.

*PC held Brown to 13 points in the first half which was the fewest an opponent scored in a half since 11/25/97.

*At .385 (255-665), PC, which has the top field goal % defense in the BIG EAST, ranks 21st in the nation.

*Bryce Hopkins is leading the Friars in scoring (17.2 ppg), rebounding (8.3 rpg) and dbl-dbls (four).

*Bryce Hopkins ranks fifth in the BIG EAST in scoring (17.2 ppg) and third in the league in rebounding (8.3 rpg)

*Bryce Hopkins has recorded 20+ points in four of the last six games and has 13 career games with 20+ points.

*Bryce Hopkins recorded 26 pts/12 rbs for his 14th career double-double in PC’s win over Sacred Heart on 12/16.

*Devin Carter leads the BIG EAST in defensive rebounds at 6.8 per game (68 total).

*Devin Carter is second on the team in scoring (15.5 ppg) and rebounding (7.8 rpg).

*Devin Carter had a career-high five blocks in a loss at Oklahoma on 12/5.

*Devin Carter grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds and scored 10 points in a win over Wagner on 11/28.

*Ticket Gaines made a career-high seven three pointers in a win over Wagner on 11/28.

*Josh Oduro ranks fifth in the BIG EAST in field goal percentage at .626 (62-99).

*Josh Oduro recorded 14 points and nine rebounds versus Sacred Heart on 12/16.

*Josh Oduro was 13-18 from the field and scored a season-best 29 points versus Lehigh on 11/24.

*PC shot a season best 24-41 (58.5%) versus Wisconsin on 11/14.

*The Friars have seven newcomers on the roster this season – two are grad students – Ticket Gaines and Josh Oduro.

*Bryce Hopkins was named to the 2023-24 Preseason All-BIG EAST First Team.

*Devin Carter earned 2023-24 Preseason All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention honors.

*In 2023, the Friars made their 22nd NCAA Tournament appearance and seventh since 2014.

*In 2023, the Friars finished tied for 4th place with UConn in league standings with a 13-7 mark in BIG EAST play.

*PC registered 13 BIG EAST wins for the second consecutive season and the second time in team history in 2023.

*PC has registered 20 or more wins in 30 of the team’s 97 seasons.

*The Friars are 44-3 in their last 47 games at the AMP and 626-238 (.724) all-time.

*PC is 104-5 in non-conference home games over last 14 seasons, including a 27-game unbeaten streak since 2019.

Friars Defeat Sacred Heart: The Friars defeated Sacred Heart University, 78-64, on December 16 at the Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence, R.I. It was Friars’ final non-conference game of the regular season. Junior Bryce Hopkins spearheaded the Friar offense with 26 points and 12 rebounds – it marked his fourth double-double of the season. Freshman Rich Barron (Chicago, Ill.) had a strong game off the bench, scoring a career-high 14 points on a 4-6 effort from three-point territory. Despite two Friars being out of the lineup with injuries (Devin Carter and Corey Floyd), Providence was able to out score Sacred Heart, 47-34 in the second half, and 34-32 in the paint, 12-6 off second-chance baskets, 9-5 on fast breaks, and 15-14 in points off the bench.

Friars Play Shorthanded Versus Sacred Heart: The Friars played without junior Devin Carter (Miami, Fla.) and sophomore Corey Floyd (Franklin, N.J.) in the team’s win over Sacred Heart on December 16. Carter was sidelined with a back injury and Floyd missed the game due to a leg injury. It marks the second time this season the Friars played without two of their top eight players. On November 19, the Friars defeated Georgia in Nassau, Bahamas with sophomore Jayden Pierre (Elizabeth, N.J.) and Garwey Dual (Houston, Texas) missing from the lineup. Pierre had a groin injury and Dual was suspended.

Hopkins Leads The Team In Scoring And Rebounding: Junior Bryce Hopkins (Oak Park, Ill.) leads the Friars in scoring (17.2 ppg) and rebounding (8.3 rpg). Hopkins ranks fifth in the BIG EAST in scoring and third in the league in rebounding. He has registered four double-doubles this season. Hopkins also has posted four games with 20 or more points.

Oduro Fifth In The BIG EAST In Field Goal Percentage: Graduate student Josh Oduro (Gainesville, Va.) ranks fifth in the BIG EAST in field goal percentage at .626 (62-99). He is third on the team in scoring (14.0 ppg) and rebounding (6.3 rpg). Oduro registered a season-high 29 points and seven rebounds on 13-18 shooting from the field in the Friars’ 78–64 win over Lehigh on November 24. He recorded 14 points and nine rebounds in the Friars’ most recent game versus Sacred Heart on December 16.

Carter Leads The BIG EAST In Defensive Rebounds: Junior Devin Carter (Miami, Fla.) leads the BIG EAST in defensive rebounds at 6.8 per game. In the Friars’ win over Wagner on November 28, Carter recorded 10 points, a career-high 13 rebounds and tied his career-high with six assists. He followed that up with a 17-point, 11-rebound, two-assist, and two-steal effort in a win over Rhode Island on December 2. He has recorded three double-doubles this season. Carter is second on the team in scoring (15.5 ppg) and rebounding (7.8 rpg).

Pierre Returns Vs. Rhode Island: Sophomore Jayden Pierre (Elizabeth, N.J.) returned to his point guard duties in the Friars’ win versus Rhode Island on December 2. The sophomore recorded 12 points, three assists and three rebounds in the win. Pierre had missed the previous three games with a leg injury. In eight games this season, he is averaging 8.6 points and 2.4 assists.

Dual Has Seven Assists Versus Sacred Heart: Freshman guard Garwey Dual (Houston, Texas) recorded seven assists in the Friars’ win over Sacred Heart on December 16. Dual made his first career start in the Friars’ 78-64 win over Lehigh on November 24. The freshman guard recorded three points and three assists in 28 minutes of action. For the season, he is averaging 4.4 points and 2.7 assists per game.

Carter Named To All-Tournament Team: Junior Devin Carter (Miami, Fla.) helped the Friars to a 1-1 mark in two games at the Baha Mar Championship in Nassau, Bahamas. He posted his fourth career double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds versus SEC foe Georgia in a win in the consolation game on November 19. He had 17 points in an overtime loss to Big 12 opponent Kansas State on November 17.

Ryan Mela Signs A NLI To Attend PC: Providence College men’s basketball Head Coach Kim English announced on Nov. 8 that student-athlete Ryan Mela of Natick, Mass., signed a National Letter of Intent to attend Providence College beginning in September of 2024. Mela, a 6-foot-6-inch, 205-pound forward attends The Newman School in Boston, Mass. In 2022-23, he averaged 19.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 3.3 steals for The Newman School. He followed that up with a productive summer with the Middlesex Magic on the Under Armour Circuit. Mela averaged 15.1 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.4 steals. His 15.1 points per game were tops on his Middlesex Magic squad as he helped the team capture the UAA Circuit Championship. Prior to transferring to The Newman School, Mela attended Natick High School. In his final season at Natick, he averaged 21 points and 11 rebounds per game.

Hopkins and Carter Earn Preseason All-BIG EAST Honors: It was announced on Oct. 24 that juniors Bryce Hopkins (Oak Park, Ill.) and Devin Carter (Miami, Fla.) each earned All-BIG EAST Preseason honors. Hopkins was named to the Preseason All-BIG EAST First Team and Carter earned Preseason All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention accolades. The two juniors helped the Friars post a 21-12 mark and advance to the NCAA Tournament in 2023.

Bryce Hopkins Earns Preseason All-America Honor: It was announced on October 18 that junior Bryce Hopkins (Oak Park, III.) was named to the CBS Sports Preseason All-America Third Team. It marks the second Preseason All-America honor for Hopkins as he was named Preseason Second Team All-America by College Hoops Today on October 17.

Newcomers: The Friars have seven newcomers on the team — graduate students Ticket Gaines (Buffalo, N.Y.) and Josh Oduro (Gainesville, Va.), and sophomore Justyn Fernandez (Richmond, Va.), as well as, freshmen Garwey Dual (Houston, Texas), Rich Barron (Chicago, Ill.), Eli DeLaurier (Shipman, Va.), and Donovan Santoro (Los Angeles, Calif.).

How The Friars Got To The NCAA Tournament In 2023: The Friars made their 22nd appearance all-time in the NCAA Tournament in 2023. The Friars earned an at-large berth. They finished with a 21-12 mark overall (13-7/tied for 4th in BIG EAST). The team had a NET Ranking of 56 with Quad 1 wins over UConn (NET 8), Marquette (NET 12) and Creighton (NET 17). The Friars recorded a 15-2 mark at home, a 6-6 record on the road and a 0-4 mark in neutral site games.

Friars Defeated By No. 6 Seed Kentucky In First Round Of NCAA Tournament: The No. 11-seed Providence College men’s basketball team (21-12, 13-7 BIG EAST) was defeated by the No. 6-seed Kentucky Wildcats (22-11, 12-6 SEC), 61-53, on Friday, Mar. 17 in the First Round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament at Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, N.C. Ed Croswell (Philadelphia, Pa.) led the way for the Friars with 16 points and five rebounds. Devin Carter (Miami, Fla.) finished with 10 points.

Bryce Hopkins Named First Team All-BIG EAST: It was announced on March 5 that Bryce Hopkins (Oak Park, Ill.) was named First Team All-BIG EAST. Hopkins became the first Friar to earn All-BIG EAST First Team honors since Kris Dunn and Ben Bentil received the accolades in 2016. Hopkins, who was named BIG EAST Player of the Week twice in 2022-23, led the Friars in scoring (15.8 ppg), rebounding (8.5) and double-doubles (10). He was tied for sixth in scoring and he was second in rebounding amongst BIG EAST players in overall action. Hopkins also ranked third in the league in defensive rebounds (226, 6.8 rpg) and fourth in minutes played (34.9 mpg). In BIG EAST action, he finished third in scoring (16.7 ppg) and rebounding (8.6 rpg). He posted a team-best 10 double-doubles, including a 29-point, 23-rebound, three-steal effort in a double-overtime win over Marquette (103-98) on December 20. He played 47 of the 50 minutes in the game. Hopkins’ 20-20 game was the 34th in program history and the first since Jamine Peterson accomplished the feat when he posted 29 points and 20 rebounds versus Rutgers on Jan. 9, 2010. It also was the first in BIG EAST play since Angel Delgado (21 pts, 20 rbs.) of Seton Hall did it on January 22, 2017. Hopkins, who is in his first season with Friars after transferring from Kentucky last spring, was named a mid-season candidate for the Naismith Award, the Karl Malone Award and the Oscar Robertson Award.

Devin Carter Named All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention: It was announced on March 5 that Devin Carter (Miami, Fla.) earned All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention accolades. Carter, who transferred to Providence in 2022 after spending his freshman season at South Carolina, ranked third on the team in scoring (13.0 ppg) and rebounding (4.9). He also was first on the team in steals (59), second on the team in assists (81, 2.4 apg) and second on the squad in blocks (34). Carter ranked fifth in the BIG EAST in steals (1.8 spg) and 10th in blocks (1.1 bpg). In league play, the sophomore guard was third amongst all BIG EAST players in assist to turnover ratio (2.3). Carter scored 20 or more points four times in 2022-23, including a career-high 25 points in a double overtime win over Creighton on February 14.

Friars All-Time Versus Top-25 Teams: The Friars have posted a 130-280 (.317) mark all-time versus top-25 teams, including a 0-1 mark this season.

Friars In Overtime: The Friars have recorded a 0-1 record in overtime games this season. They have recorded a 77-71 mark all-time in overtime games, including 8-2 in their last 10 games.

Friars At The Amica Mutual Pavilion: All-time, the Friars have recorded a 626-238 (.724) mark in 51 seasons of games at the Amica Mutual Pavilion. The AMP, formerly the Providence Civic Center and the Dunkin’ Donuts Center, opened on November 3, 1972. The Friars had played their home games there for 48 consecutive seasons, prior to the 2020-21 season when the team played on campus at Alumni Hall with no fans in attendance due to the pandemic. PC posted a 15-2 mark at the AMP in 2022-23 and a 16-1 record in 2021-22 — the team’s best record at home since 1973-74.

Friars Are 104-5 In Non-Conference Home Over The Last 14 Years: The Friars have posted an 104-5 mark (.954) in their last 14 seasons in non-conference home games. The team’s five losses over the last 14 years were to Brown (77-67) on December 8, 2014, Minnesota (86-74) on November 13, 2017, UMass (79-78) on December 7, 2018, Arkansas (84-72) on March 19, 2019 and Penn (81-75) on November 23, 2019. The Friars are 26-0 in their last 26 non-conference home games (2023-24, 8-0; 2022-23, 7-0; 2021-22, 8-0; 2020-21, 2-0; 2019-20, 2-0).

Providence College Basketball: The 2023-24 campaign marks the 97th season of basketball at Providence College. Since the program started in 1926-27, Providence has posted a 1,552-1,029 mark, good for a .600 winning percentage. The Friars have made the NCAA Tournament 22 times and the National Invitation Tournament on 20 occasions.