PC Men’s Basketball Roster, a Look at the Big Men - Kevin Stacom
Kevin Stacom, Sports Analyst
PC Men’s Basketball Roster, a Look at the Big Men - Kevin Stacom
There are a lot of combinations that will undoubtedly be tinkered with to see which ones result in the best chemistry. I believe all seven guys mentioned are capable of success at the Big East level, and it’s the most amount of talent at those positions present at the school in a long time.
I also mentioned in the previous review that I’m not trying to prematurely get the hype machine churning at too high level and overburden this team with unrealistic expectations. We all know that the rest of the Big East did not sit back since the end of last season and not seek to improve themselves. Having said that, it’s hard not to get a little excited about the talent, size, versatility and depth that this frontcourt projects on paper. There will be some growing pains for a number of reasons, but the long-term prospects of this group are promising, to say the least.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTI think you have to go back to the early 90s to see this much size, skill, and athleticism on a Providence team in terms of their Bigs.
# 23- Bryce Hopkins, Sr. 6’7” 220lbs
We all remember the painful silence when Bryce Hopkins went down with an ACL injury last January 4th vs Seton Hall at the AMP. Since then, the Oak Park, Illinois, Kentucky transfer has been working his rehab very hard and is, by all reports, participating in drills and conditioning at practices, hoping to come back at an unspecified timetable to be determined by himself, the trainers, and the coaching staff. This will be by far the most talent he’s had the pleasure of competing with since his arrival at PC. He is a strong athletic combo type forward who flourishes off catching on the move in the lane where he is a tough matchup either to finish strong at the basket, executing jump hooks, elbow jumpers, and an occasional 3 point J when the opportunity arises. Because of the improved talent and size around him this year it won’t be as easy for opposing teams to key on him in terms of their defensive strategies. Hopefully Coach English will have the luxury to plug him in to an already capable frontcourt by the time mid December or January roles around.
Essandoko was on his way to PC, originally out of High School in Salem, North Carolina, when complications with his transcript resulted in his going off to St Joseph’s instead, where he redshirted one year and played for one last year as a freshman. He’s not a high riser, but he is a very mobile, skilled 7-footer with an array of offensive skills, including jump hooks with either hand, mid-range, and 3-point shooting ability. Watching him on film, he reminds you of a poor man’s Joel Embiid in terms of his physical makeup and soft touch and classic form on his jumper. Although not a high-volume shot blocker, his mobility, size, and feel allow him to be a considerable factor on defense. He also showed very good passing skills for someone his size. I don’t know for sure, but I think it will be hard to keep him out of the starting lineup once the season begins.
# 55- Oswin Erhunmwunse Fr. 6’10” 220lbs
A highly recruited player originally from Benin City, Nigeria, who attended basketball powerhouse Putnam Science Academy last season. I'm not attempting to place undue pressure on the young man, but I think he’s the most athletic big man to come to Providence since Marvin Barnes. His length and athleticism are what 1st jump out at you. He’s an easy runner, moves his feet like a 6’2” tennis player, with excellent lateral movement. His quick explosion off his feet is NBA level, and what is even more impressive is that his 2nd jump is just as quick as his 1st. I’ve always found from my scouting days that this ability separates the elite ones from the pack. As a rim runner and a shot blocker, he should be able to impact the game favorably right away as he adjusts to the physicality of Big East play. His baby jumper and jump hooks in the lane are respectable, but his earliest contribution offensively will be his ability to finish above the rim on lob passes off penetration with his leaping talent and excellent hands. Oswin also reportedly has the infectious personality of a Renaissance man, accompanied by his talent as an accomplished pianist.
The son of longtime NBA star Shareef Abdur Rahim. Jabri was a highly recruited high school star out of New Jersey his senior year, who originally went to Virginia and subsequently transferred to Georgia before deciding to opt into PC out of the Portal. A not uncommon journey in today’s college scene. Jabri has improved other aspects of his game in terms of putting it on the floor to get to the basket but make no mistake; he’s here as a hired gun 3-point shooter. He has excellent form, as you might expect, being the offspring of an NBA player. He has a pretty jumper and has that ability to quickly square up in balance coming off screens and off one dribble in either direction off the bounce, whether from the corner, wing, or top of the key. He brings the maturity and experience of a 5th year Sr, competing at a high ACC and SEC level. He fits the stated desired profile of guys coveted by Kim English in terms of being able to be a legitimate threat from the 3-point line. Abdur at 6’8” brings great size and flexibility to the wing position for this team
# 5- Anton Bonke, So. C 7’2” 270 lbs
A couple of months ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Anton and writing a feature article about him. I learned of his unique journey from the Netherlands as a young boy with his mother heading for short sojourns in Figi, New Zealand, and Australia before settling in the small south sea island nation of Vanuatu What initially came about through a chance observation and a hunch on social media by assistant Dennis Felton, Bonke was successfully recruited out of Eastern Arizona JC Anton is a relatively newcomer to the game. He began at the age of 15 after 1st trying his hand at swimming and rowing. By all reports, he is making great strides as a quick learner- he was regularly promoted beyond his grade due to his academic ability, resulting in his being only 16 when he graduated from high school. By all reports, he’s been running the floor well, has very good hands, has a decent jumper, is developing range, and has been a surprisingly improved defensive presence with his 7’2” 260lb frame. He has some catching up to do in terms of playing against high-level competition and developing a feel for the game but people around the program are optimistic he’ll be able to make a meaningful contribution before long due to his size, mobility and excellent work ethic You can only imagine the possible combinations Kim English and staff are contemplating utilizing the 6’10” Erhunmwunse, 7’0” Essandoko, and 7’2” Bonke
# 12- Eli DeLaurier, R-Fr, F, 6’10” 225lbs
Another very promising addition to this talented roster, who was redshirted last year as he reclassified to get to PC a year earlier than expected. Like a lot of his fellow teammates, Eli was highly recruited and convinced by Coach English to select Providence over such schools as Mississippi State, Virginia Tech, Texas A+M, and West Virginia (DeLaurier is a native of Shipman, VA). By all reports, he’s made the most of his redshirt year, making great strides in his overall skill set, getting active on the offensive glass, and being able to satisfy the Kim English desire of being able to stretch the floor as an effective 3-point shooter-another big with perimeter skills.
Just like the guards and small forwards included in the previous installment, all these guys can play and they all reflect to a man the changing nature of the modern college game- many can play multiple positions on both ends of the floor. It will take time to figure out what combination of players works better than others. Some things you don’t find out till you roll the ball out in game conditions, but it seems like we’ll all get a chance to enjoy the process as it unfolds in the coming months.
I know I won’t be the only one looking forward to see what happens!