“Providence has been connected with numerous players in the transfer portal recently, and Kim English provided some insight into these pursuits on Thursday night. The Friars’ men’s basketball coach, currently in Arizona for the Final Four, appeared on a live podcast with “The Field of 68.” He discussed the current recruiting environment, reflected on his first year coaching at Providence, and outlined the program’s plans for the upcoming 2024-25 season.
English emphasized the ongoing nature of recruitment, stating, “It doesn’t stop. Really great players are continuing to enter. It’s a busy time of the year.”
“Providence basketball coach Kim English highlights Friars’ competitiveness in player recruitment.
Providence has been actively pursuing several players in the transfer portal recently, and Kim English shed some light on these efforts during a podcast on Thursday night. English, the Friars’ men’s basketball coach, is currently in Arizona for the Final Four and participated in a live podcast with “The Field of 68.” He extensively discussed the current recruiting landscape, his experiences in his first year coaching at Providence, and the program’s plans for the 2024-25 season.
English emphasized the continuous nature of recruitment, stating, “It doesn’t stop. It really doesn’t stop. Really great players are continuing to enter. It’s a busy time of the year.”
Providence faces the challenge of replacing several talented players. Devin Carter announced on social media earlier in the week that he will forego his senior season and enter the NBA Draft. Carter was named the Big East Player of the Year after significantly improving his perimeter shooting and overall production during his junior season. Josh Oduro and Ticket Gaines have exhausted their eligibility, while Donovan Santoro, Garwey Dual, and Rafael Castro have all entered the transfer portal.
English stressed the importance of thorough evaluation in recruiting, stating, “You’ve still got to watch the tape. You’ve got to find the decision-makers around the kid and start communication with the kid. The recruiting is like popcorn recruiting now — microwave recruiting now.”
“The Friars were among the final contenders for Tulsa guard PJ Haggerty, but he announced his commitment to Memphis early Thursday. Providence is also in the running for Temple guard Hysier Miller and Chattanooga forward Sam Alexis. Miami guard Bensley Joseph, who committed to Providence on Friday, and Rutgers wing Gavin Griffiths both visited the campus for unofficial visits last week.”
“Our pool of money for name, image, and likeness (NIL) is competitive,” English stated. “We believe we can recruit any player we desire. However, we’re not simply offering unrealistic amounts of money to players. If money becomes the primary topic in our discussions, we’re likely not pursuing that player.
“For us, it’s about the team. It’s about how the players fit together, how they perform as a unit. Money is not a determining factor.”
Providence managed to keep players like Carter, Hopkins, Pierre, and Floyd Jr. from a team that made it to the NCAA Tournament in 2022-23. They appear likely to retain rotation players Hopkins, Pierre, Floyd, and Barron, and are also expected to keep Fernandez, Bonke, and DeLaurier. However, the specific terms of the agreements between the players, any agents involved, and the school’s NIL collectives are not disclosed publicly.
“Our biggest donors have really stepped up and made it clear if we need a player we’re not going to let money be the issue,” English said. “But sometimes money is the issue, because we’re not willing to play that game. There’s a lot of lying going on right now.”
English said after an NIT loss to Boston College the next few weeks of workouts would be important steps for Fernandez, Bonke and DeLaurier. Fernandez missed the season while recovering from a knee injury and Bonke enrolled for second semester out of an Arizona junior college. DeLaurier suffered an early ankle injury and could pursue a redshirt to recover his lost season.
“We’re doubling and tripling down on their development,” English said. “You don’t want to have to build a team in the portal every year. It would be exhausting.”
The Friars finished 21-14 overall despite Hopkins suffering a season-ending left knee injury in early January. English said he’ll be cleared to start jogging next week and is progressing well with his rehab. Providence reached the Big East Tournament semifinals before a loss against Marquette, despite a sizeable Friars fan contingent that made the short trip to Madison Square Garden.
“They’re the absolute best,” English said. “I was (a player) at Missouri — Kansas fans are great. I was (an assistant coach) at Tennessee — Kentucky fans are great. You talk about supporting your team no matter what — I don’t care what the dispute is. I’m riding with Friar fans 11 times out of 10.”
English will likely be among those watching the national semifinals when they tip off on Saturday night. Purdue-North Carolina State is the early matchup and Connecticut-Alabama serves as the nightcap. The Huskies are looking to add a second straight national championship to their conference regular-season and tournament titles.
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