Former PC Basketball Star Bentil Released by Boston Celtics

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Saturday, October 22, 2016

Joe Calabro, GoLocalProv Sports Team

Former Providence College basketball star Ben Bentil has been released by the Boston Celtics, the team announced on Friday. Bentil is now eligible to go to any other NBA team.

Shortly after he was released, Bentil tweeted:

All we all trying to do is get to Success, so never worry about my Route
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST — SIR PABLO (@benbentil) October 21, 2016

The Celtics drafted Bentil with the 51st overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft held in June.

He appeared in three preseason games for the Celtics, and averaged five points and 4.3 rebounds per game.

Boston has one more cut to make to get down to 15 players.

Bentil at Providence

After averaging just 6.4 points per game as a freshman, Bentil averaged 21.2 points per game overall and 22.9 points per game in conference play, making him the leading scorer in the Big East.

Bentil is the seventh Friar all-time to lead the league in scoring and the fourth Friar in the last six seasons to do it.

Bentil was named the Big East's Most Improved Player, joining Kadeem Batts (2013) and Herbert Hill (2007) as Friar recipients of the Big East Most Improved Player Award.

Top Providence College NBA Draft Picks of All-Time

11.

MarShon Brooks

MarShon Brook was drafted 25th overall in the 2011 NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics before they traded him to the New Jersey Nets. Brooks played three seasons in the NBA and played over seas.

In his career, Brooks played for the Nets, Celtics and Lakers and was named to the NBA All-Rookie 2nd Team in 2012.

In his rookie season with the Nets, Brooks averaged 12.6 points per game.

10. Tied

Dickey Simpkins

Simpkins was drafted 21st overall by the Chicago Bulls in the 1994 NBA Draft and played 8 seasons in the league.

Simpkins averaged 4.2 points per game in his NBA Career playing for three teams including the Bulls, Golden State Warriors and Atlanta Hawks.

Simpkins won three NBA Championshps while with the Bulls with a little help from Michael Jordan.

10. Tied

Eric Murdock

Murdock was drafted 21st overall by the Utah Jazz in the 1991 NBA Draft and played 9 seasons in the league.

In his career, Murdock averaged 10.1 points and 4.9 rebounds per game while playing for 7 teams including the Jazz, Milwaukee Bucks, Vancouver Grizzlies, Denver Nuggets, Miami Heat, New Jersey Nets and Lost Angeles Clippers.

9.

Eric Williams

Williams was drafted 14th overall by the Boston Celtics in the 1995 NBA Draft and played 12 seasons in the league.

In his career, Williams averaged 8.6 points and 3.3 rebounds per game while playing for 7 different teams including the Celtics, Denver Nuggets, Cleveland Cavaliers, New Jersey Nets, Toronot Raptors, San Antonio Spurs and Charlotte bobcats.

8.

Devin Carter

Carter was the 13th pick in the NBA draft in 2024 by the Sacramento Kings.

He had a masterful junior year at PC. He was named All-American and was the Big East's Player of the Year.

7.

Austin Croshere

Croshere was drafted 12th overall by the Indiana Pacers in the 1997 NBA Draft and played 12 seasons in the league

In his career, he played for 5 teams including the Pacers, Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, Milwaukee Bucks and San Antonio Spurs.

Croshere averaged 6.8 points and 4 rebounds per game in the NBA.

Photo: Golden State Warriors

6.

Otis Thorpe

Thorpe was drafted 9th overall in the 1984 NBA Draft by the Kansas City Kings and played 17 seasons in the league.

Thorpe won the NBA Championship in 1994 with the Houston Rockets and averaged 14 points and 8.2 rebounds per game in his career.

Thorpe played for 8 teams in his career, including the Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers, Detroit Pistons, Vancouver Grizzlies, Washington Wizards, Miami Heat and Charlotte Hornets.

5.

Lenny Wilkens

Wilkens was drafted 6th overall in the 1960 NBA Draft by the St.Louis Hawks and played 15 seasons in the NBA.

Wilkens averaged 16.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game in his NBA Career while playing for the Hawks, Seattle SuperSonics, Cleveland Cavaliers and Portland Trail Blazers.

Wilkens was inducted into the basketball Hall of Fame as a player in 1989 and then as a coach in 1998.

Photo: Wikipedia

4.

Kris Dunn

He was all-everything at Providence -- all-Big East and arguably the best point guard in college basketball his senior year. He was a two-time Big East Player of the Year.

He was selected 5th pick in the draft. He was picked by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Later, he was traded to the Chicago Bulls.

He is now with his fifth team in the NBA.

3. Tied

Ernie DiGregorio

Ernie D was drafted 3rd overall by the Buffalo Braves in the 1973 NBA Draft and played 5 seasons in the league before suffering a knee injury.

DiGregorio played for the Braves, the LA Lakers and the Boston Celtics and averaged 9.6 points per game and 5.1 assists per game.

He still holds the NBA rookie record for assists in a single game with 25.

Photo: NBA.com

2.

Marvin Barnes

Marvin Barnes was drafted 2nd overall in the 1974 draft by the Philadelphia 76ers.

However, he was also drafted 2nd overall by the Spirits of St. Louis in the 1974 ABA Draft which is what he opted for.

Barnes did end up playing in the NBA from 1976-1980 where he averaged 9.2 points per game and 5.5 rebounds per game. Barnes played for the Pistons, the Buffalo Braves, Boston Celtics, and San Diego Clippers in the NBA.