PC’s Greatest Players: Wilkens, Walker, Barnes, and Hopkins?
Analysis
PC’s Greatest Players: Wilkens, Walker, Barnes, and Hopkins?
The so-called Mount Rushmore debate — the top four of all time.
Let’s make one thing clear.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTBryce Hopkins is going to be on PC’s Mount Rushmore.
Let’s define the discussion. It is in the course of their career on Smith Hill, they were the most talented and most prolific, and they also went on to be an impact player in the NBA.
NBA Hall of Famer Lenny Wilkens has a spot. Jimmy Walker, the first overall pick in the NBA draft, gets a spot. Walker averaged 25.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists in his three seasons (81 games) at Providence. In the NBA, he averaged nearly 17 ppg and made two All-Star teams.
Marvin Barnes — maybe the most talented Friar of all-time and pro basketball's most frustrating player — gets the third position.
SEE THE HIGHEST RANKED FRIARS OF ALL-TIME BELOW
Sure, we are only 13 games into Hopkins' career, but he is now officially “The Man.”
He may be the first time PC got a kid that was in the Kentucky recruiting world.
Ricky Ledo and Kris Dunn were both 5-star recruits. Ledo was a one-and-done and was out of the NBA quickly.
Dunn stayed and ended up with a great career for the Friars but has been transient in the NBA.
Further, while everyone loves, especially those whose careers flamed out after CYO, loves Ernie DiGregorio and Joe Hassett, they are not on this list.
Granted, Hassett could hit from the parking lot of the gas station where that cool retro gas station used to be.
And Ernie D was a magician at PC, but he is not on Mt. Rushmore. And, if he is now, then get the chisel ready.
Because, like “The Old Man on the Mountain” who used to adorn Cannon Mountain in New Hampshire before falling to the ground — he is about to be rubble.
The too-often-forgotten PC talent is Otis Thorpe, who played in the Dark Ages of Friar basketball — from 1980 to 1984. The Friars only had one winning season (15-14 in the 1983-1984 season). But, he was a more accomplished pro, playing eleven years in the NBA, winning one NBA ring, and making one All-Star game. He averaged 14 ppg for his pro career.
The Case for Hopkins
Pedigree: Ranked the 33rd best-ranked high school recruit and attended the University of Kentucky. We don't get too many Wildcats around here.
Resume: In 13 games for the Friars, he has dominated the court. He is averaging 16.7 ppg and 9.7 rebounds. The better the competition, the better he is. In the first two Big East games, 24 and 10 v. Seton Hall and then 29 and 23 against Marquette.
As a scoring and rebounding talent, he may be the most impressive player since Barnes — sorry, Austin Croshere.
Hopkins is only a sophomore. How long he stays in Providence is unknown before he goes to the show.
While Friars don’t have a lot of tickets left for this season, get online now, because right now in Providence, this is a show not to be missed.
And at Friartown, get the chisel ready.
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.
1.
Jimmy Walker
Jimmy Walker was taken with the #1 overall pick by the Detroit Pistons in the 1967 draft.
Walker played 9 seasons in the NBA from 1967-1976 and averaged 16.7 points per game in the league, making the all-star team twice.
Walker also played for the Houston Rockets and Kansas City Kings in his career.
