Friars To Play UMass On October 26: The Providence College men’s basketball team will host UMass in a charity exhibition game presented by Amica Mutual Insurance Company on Saturday, Oct. 26, at 4 p.m. The game will be played at the Amica Mutual Pavilion. All net proceeds from the contest will help support the Rhode Island Free Clinic (RIFC) and Baystate Children’s Hospital. It will mark the first meeting between the two teams since December 7, 2018. The Friars have posted a 25-9 mark all time versus the Minutemen. The Friars are 12-3 at home, 9-3 at UMass and 4-3 in neutral arenas versus UMass. In the first meeting ever between the two teams, Providence defeated UMass, 36-21, on March 1, 1932 in Amherst, Mass. The Friars have won three of the last five games between the two teams. In the last meeting between the two teams, the Friars were defeated by the Minutemen, 79-78, on December 7, 2018 in Providence at the Amica Mutual Pavilion.
Charity Exhibition Game: This charity game was approved by an NCAA waiver. On Aug. 1, 2024, the NCAA Committee for Legislative Relief approved a recommendation issued by the NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Oversight Committee to permit an institution to conduct both of its two permissible exhibition games in the sport of basketball against a Division I institution for the purpose of raising funds for catastrophic events (as defined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency), social justice initiatives and/or general medical expenses (e.g., American Cancer Society, local health emergency).
Friars All-Time In Exhibition Games: The Friars have posted a 67-23 mark all-time in exhibition games, including a 1-0 mark in charity exhibition games. The last time the Friars played a charity exhibition game, the team defeated UConn, 90-76, on October 25, 2017 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. That game was played to benefit the Hurricane Relief Fund. The last time the Friars played an exhibition game at the AMP, the team defeated Assumption, 106-69, on October 29, 2022.
Friars To Play Central Connecticut To Open Season: The Friars will open the 2024-25 season versus Central Connecticut on Monday, November 4 at Amica Mutual Pavilion. The Friars have posted a 7-2 mark all-time versus the Blue Devils. The last time the two teams met, the Friars earned a 68-53 win at the Amica Mutual Pavilion on December 11, 2021. Providence has posted a 7-1 mark all-time verus CCSU at the AMP.
Friars All-Time In Season Openers: The Friars will open their 98th season of basketball on Monday, November 4 versus Central Connecticut at the Amica Mutual Pavilion. The Friars have posted an 86-11 (.887) mark all-time in regular-season openers. In addition, the Friars hold an 89-8 (.918) record in home openers. The Friars open the 2024-25 season at home for the 24th time in 25 years. The only time in the past 24 seasons the Friars did not open at home was the 2007-08 season, when they played Temple in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Providence has won 21 of the last 22 openers, with the lone defeat coming in the 2008-09 game against Northeastern. Last season, the Friars opened the season with a 78-59 win over Columbia at the AMP on November 6, 2023.
Bryce Hopkins Named Preseason First Team All-BIG EAST: It was announced on Oct. 23 that Providence senior Bryce Hopkins (Oak Park, Ill.) earned First Team All-BIG EAST Preseason honors. It marked the second consecutive season that Hopkins earned First Team All-BIG EAST Preseason Honors. Hopkins had his 2023-24 season cut short when he suffered a season ending injury on January 3, 2024. In the 14 games prior to the injury in 2023-24, Hopkins averaged 15.5 ppg and 8.6 rpg. He recorded five double-doubles, including a 25-point, 14-rebound effort versus Lehigh on November 24, 2023 and a 26-point, 12-rebound performance against Sacred Heart on December 16, 2023. In 2022-23, Hopkins started all 33 games in his first season with the Friars. Hopkins, who earned First Team All-BIG EAST honors 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, 2022. Hopkins’ 20-20 game was the 34th in program history. For his efforts, Hopkins also earned 2023 Associated Press All-BIG EAST First Team honors, USBWA District 1 Honors and NABC All-District 5 First Team accolades.
Friar Games On CBS, NBC And FOX: For the first time in the history of the program, the Friars will play national television games on CBS, NBC and FOX all in the same season. It also will mark the first time ever the Friars have had a game televised on Peacock and the first time the team has played a game on NBC since the 1997-98 season.
Newcomers: The Friars have seven newcomers on the team this season — senior guard Wesley Cardet (Tallahassee, Fla.), sophomore forward Christ Essandoko (Clichy, France), graduate student guard Jabri Abdur-Rahim (South Orange, N.J.), senior guard Bensley Joseph (Arlington, Mass.), freshman forward Ryan Mela (Natick, Mass.), freshman guard Nilavan Daniels (St. Louis, Mo.) and freshman forward Oswin Erunmwunse (Benin City, Nigeria).
Friars In 2023-24: The Friars, who finished the regular season in seventh place in the BIG EAST with a 10-10 record, recorded a 21-14 record overall in 2023-24. Providence posted a 2-1 mark in the BIG EAST Tournament. The Friars defeated Georgetown (74-56), and No. 8/6 Creighton (78-73) before losing to No. 10/10 Marquette (79-68) in the Semifinals at the BIG EAST Tournament in New York. The Friars advanced to the First Round of the NIT where the team was defeated by Boston College, 62-57, on March 19, 2024.
Friars In The NIT: In 2024, the Providence College men’s basketball team made its first appearance in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) since 2019 (21st appearance overall) when the Friars played Boston College on Tuesday, March 19, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. at the Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence.
Rich Barron Named To BIG EAST All-Freshman Team: It was announced on March 10 that Rich Barron, who was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week on January 22, became the first Friar to earn BIG EAST All-Freshman accolades since Nate Watson in 2018. He was the team’s top three-point shooter. At 42.9 percent, Barron connected on 36 of his 84 attempts from behind the arc. He started 10 of the 33 games he played. Barron averaged 4.4 points per game. He scored a career-high 14 points versus Sacred Heart on December 16.
Pierre Averaged 9.5 PPG In 2023-24: Jayden Pierre (Elizabeth, N.J.) averaged 9.5 points and 3.2 assists in 30 games in 2023-24. He scored a career-high 21 points in the Friars’ loss to Boston College in the First Round of the NIT on March 19. He also registered a career best 5-9 from three-point territory. He had 16 points in the Friars’ loss to Marquette in the BIG EAST Semifinals on March 15. He had 17 points in the Friars’ win at Xavier on February 21. He also added five assists and three rebounds. He scored 14 points and registered five assists in the Friars’ win over DePaul on January 17. He scored 17 points and added five assists in a loss at St. John’s on January 10. He returned to his point guard duties in the Friars’ win versus Rhode Island on December 2. Pierre recorded 12 points, three assists and three rebounds in the win. Pierre had missed the previous three games with a leg injury.
Bryce Hopkins Suffered A Season Ending Injury: It was confirmed on January 4 that Providence forward/guard Bryce Hopkins (Oak Park, Ill.) suffered a season ending injury on his left knee (torn ACL). In 14 games before the injury in 2023-24, Hopkins averaged 15.5 ppg and 8.6 rpg.
Devin Carter Named BIG EAST Player Of The Year And Drafted In The NBA: It was announced on March 13, 2024 that Providence’s Devin Carter (Miami, Fla.) was named BIG EAST Player of the Year. It marked the third time ever that a Friar had been named BIG EAST Player of the Year. Former Friar Kris Dunn ’16 earned the honor in 2015 and 2016. Carter also was selected 13th in the 2024 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings. He became the 12th Friar all-time taken in the First Round of the NBA Draft and the third Friar selected in the Lottery since its inception in 1985.
Kim English Guided Friars To A 21-14 Mark In First Year At PC: Friar Head Coach Kim English enters his second season at Providence in 2024-25. In his first-year in Providence, he became the first Friar head coach to win 20 or more games when the squad posted a 21-14 mark (10-10 BIG EAST).
Friars Sell Out Season Tix Again In 2024-25 And Set Attendance Mark In 2023-24: In 2023-24, the Friars sold out of season tickets at the Amica Mutual Pavilion for the first time ever. Again in 2024-25, the team has sold its entire season ticket allotment for the arena. The 2023-24 season marked the first time a complete sell out of season tickets has occured since the team moved to the AMP when it opened in 1972. As a result, the Friars had 211,147 fans watch the team play 19 games at the AMP. That average of 11,113 per game is the highest single-season mark in the history of the program. The total of 211,147 is the second most fans to watch the Friars at home in the history of the program. In 1991, 211,498 fans attended 20 home games at the AMP. The 211,147 fans in 2023-24, also marked just the second time in the history of the program that the team drew more than 200,000 fans in a single season.
Providence College To Host First And Second Rounds Of The NCAA Tournament In 2025: Providence College will host the First and Second Rounds of the 2025 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at the Amica Mutual Pavilion on March 20-22. Providence is one of eight sites hosting First and Second Round games. It will mark the ninth time the Amica Mutual Pavilion has hosted the First and Second Rounds (1976, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1989, 1996, 2010 and 2016). The First and Second Rounds of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament has regualarly sold out at the AMP in the past and it is expected to be a sell out again in 2025.
Friars Are 104-6 In Non-Conference Home Over The Last 14 Years: The Friars have posted an 104-6 mark (.954) in their last 14 seasons in non-conference home games. The team’s six 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, Penn (81-75) on November 23, 2019 and Boston College (62-57) on March 19, 2024. The Friars are 27-1 in their last 28 non-conference home games (2023-24, 8-1; 2022-23, 7-0; 2021-22, 8-0; 2020-21, 2-0; 2019-20, 2-0).
Friars In Overtime: The Friars recorded a 2-1 record in overtime games in 2023-24. They have recorded a 79-71 mark all-time in overtime games, including 9-2 in their last 11 games. The Friars were 2-0 at in overtime at the AMP in 2023-24 and 8-0 in their last eight overtime games at the AMP.
Friars At The Amica Mutual Pavilion: All-time, the Friars have recorded a 632-243 (.722) 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.
Providence College Basketball: The 2024-25 campaign marks the 98th season of basketball at Providence College. Since the program started in 1926-27, Providence has posted a 1,564-1,041 mark, good for a .600 winning percentage. The Friars have made the NCAA Tournament 22 times and the National Invitation Tournament on 21 occasions.
