Men's Basketball Game Notes At Creighton

Friar Tid Bits:

*Ryan Mela was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week on 1/13 after he averaged 8.5 points, 12.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists in two wins last week.

*Bensley Joseph was named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll on 1/13 after averaged 23.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in two wins last week.

*PC has scored 84 points or more in each of its last three games. It marks just the second time ever (1987) that the team has accomplished this in three consecutive BIG EAST games. The Friars have never done it in four straight BIG EAST games.

*PC has registered a 21-15 mark all-time versus Creighton, including a 6-8 record on the road.

*The Friars were 2-1 versus Creighton last season.

*The last time the two teams played in Omaha, Creighton defeated the Friars, 69-60, on 1/6/24.

*PC is 4-4 when leading at halftime this season, which includes wins over Stonehill, Delaware State, BYU and Butler and losses to Oklahoma, URI, SJU and UConn.

*Bensley Joseph had a career-high 28 points and seven threes vs. Seton Hall on 1/11.

*Oswin Erhunmwunse had his first dbl-dbl with 12 pts, 10 rbs and five blocks vs Seton Hall on 1/11.

*Oswin Erhunmwunse's five block vs. Seton Hall was just the sixth time ever a Friar freshman had five or blocks in a game and just the second time in a BIG EAST game.

*Jayden Pierre scored a career-high 24 points at UConn on 1/5 and 18 points vs. Butler on 1/8.

*Ryan Mela made his first career start vs. Butler and registered 15 rebounds, which was the most rebounds by a PC freshman since LaDontae Henton had 15 in 2012.

*Ryan Mela had 10 pts and 15 reb vs. Butler on 1/8, which was the first time any freshman in the BIG EAST had at least 10/15 since Georgetown's Aminu Mohammed on 3/5/22 had 15 pts/16 rebs.

*The Friars are 8-2 at home this season; 1-2 on the road and 0-4 in neutral site games.

*Corey Floyd Jr., has 377 career points at PC, he surpassed his father, Corey Floyd Sr., who scored 341 points in 56 games with Friars from 1990-92.

*Junior guard Jayden Pierre is averaging 13.5 ppg and 2.6 apg.

*Senior guard Bensley Joseph is averaging 12.4 ppg and 2.9 apg.

*The Friars have seven newcomers on the roster this season.

*Kim English is one of 19 NCAA Div. 1 head coaches who played in the NBA.

*The Friars are 640-245 (.723) all-time at the Amica Mutual Pavilion.

The Friars will play at Creighton on Tuesday, January 14 at 8:30 p.m. ET on FS1. Providence has posted a 21-15 mark all-time versus the Bluejays, including a 15-12 record since Creighton joined the BIG EAST in 2013-14. The Friars are 12-4 at home versus Creighton, 6-8 on the road and 3-3 in neutral arenas. In the first meeting between the two teams last season, Creighton earned a 69-60 win in Omaha on January 6, 2024. In the second meeting between the two teams in Providence, the Friars defeated the Bluejays, 91-87, in overtime on February 7, 2024. In the most recent game, the Friars earned a 78-73 win in the BIG EAST Quarterfinals at MSG on March 14, 2024.

Friars Defeat Seton Hall: The Providence College men's basketball team defeated the Seton Hall Pirates (6-10, 1-4 BIG EAST), 91-85, on Saturday, January 11 at the Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence, R.I. The Friars improved to 9-8 overall and 3-3 in BIG EAST play. Senior guard Bensley Joseph (Arlington, Mass.) came off the bench to lead the Providence offense with a career-high 28 points, highlighted by a personal-best seven three-pointers on nine attempts. Freshman forward Oswin Erhunmwunse (Benin City, Nigeria) recorded his first career double-double, contributing 12 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. He also added a career-high five blocks. It marked the first time a Friar freshman to have five blocks in a game since 2011. It also marked just the second time ever a Friar freshman had five blocks in a BIG EAST game.

Friars All-Time Versus Top-25 Teams: The Friars have posted a 133-287 (.317) mark all-time versus top-25 teams, including a 0-3 mark this season.

Erhunmwunse Has First Career Double-Double: Freshman forward Oswin Erhunmwunse (Benin City, Nigeria) recorded his first career double-double, contributing 12 points and a game-high 10 rebounds in the Friars' win over Seton Hall on Jan. 11. He also added a career-high five blocks. It marked the first time a Friar freshman to have five blocks in a game since 2011. It also marked just the second time ever a Friar freshman had five blocks in a BIG EAST game. For the season, he is averaging 5.3 points and 5.4 rebounds.

Mela Named BIG EAST Freshman Of The Week On Jan. 13: Freshman guard Ryan Mela (Natick, Mass.) was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week after he averaged 8.5 points, 12.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.5 steals as the Friars posted a 2-0 mark last week. On Jan. 8 in a win over Butler, the freshman guard had 10 points, 15 rebounds, four assists and two steals. It marked the first time a Friar freshman had 15 rebounds since LaDontae Henton had 15 versus DePaul on Feb. 25, 2012. It also was the first time a freshman had at least 10 points and 15 rebounds in a BIG EAST game since Aminu Mohammed had 15 points and 16 rebounds versus Xavier on March 5, 2022. On Jan. 11, Mela recorded seven points, nine rebounds, five assists and one steal in a victory over Seton Hall. Mela is averaging 5.1 points and 4.9 rebounds per game.

Pierre Scoring For The Friars: Junior guard Jayden Pierre (Elizabeth, N.J.) is averaging 13.5 points per game this season for the Friars. He is one of the team's top three-point shooters at 38.5 percent (40-104). He scored 18 points versus Butler on Jan. 8. On Jan. 5, he scored a career-high 24 points at UConn. On Dec. 20, Pierre scored16 points and grabbed five rebounds versus St. John's. He registered 22 points as he was 5-10 from three-point territory in the Friars' loss to No. 14/15 Indiana on Nov. 29. He averaged 15.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.0 steals while committing zero turnovers in the Friars' two wins on Nov. 12 and Nov. 16. For his efforts, he was named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll on Nov. 18. Pierre shot 7-11 from three (.636) and was 12-18 (.667) overall from the field. He recorded a team-high 18 points after shooting 7-10 from the field and 4-6 from three in a win over Green Bay on Nov. 16.

Bensley Joseph Named To BIG EAST Honor Roll On Jan. 13: Senior guard Bensley Joseph (Arlington, Mass.) is third on the team in scoring at 12.4 ppg. He led the Friars to a 2-0 week in BIG EAST play last week. He averaged 23.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists. He was 15-23 (.652) from field, including 10-15 (.667) from three-point territory. He also was 6-7 from the free throw line. On Jan. 11 in a 91-85 win over Seton Hall, he registered a career-high with 28 points as he was 8-10 from the field, 7-9 from three, and 5-6 from the line. He also had three rebounds and five assists off the bench in 26 minutes of action. His seven threes also were a career high. On Jan. 8, Joseph had 18 points and five rebounds in an 84-65 win over Butler. He shot 3-6 from beyond the three-point line. For the season, Joseph is averaging 12.4 points, 3.4 rebounds 2.9 assists.

Friars Sign Two For 2025-26: Providence College Head Coach Kim English announced on Nov. 13 that Jamier Jones (Orlando, Fla.) and Jaylen Harrell (Roxbury, Mass.) each signed a financial aid agreement to attend Providence College in 2025-26. Jones, a 6-foot-6-inch, 210-pound forward attends Oak Ridge High School in Orlando. In 2023-24, he averaged 19.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.2 steals per game for Oak Ridge High School. Jones led the Pioneers to a 27-4 mark and a trip to the 2024 state championship game in Florida this past season, where his squad was defeated overtime by the No. 2 team in the nation Columbus. Oak Ridge finished the season ranked No. 7 in the nation, according to Max Preps. Jones played AAU basketball for the Florida Rebels. In 2024, he averaged 15.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game with the Rebels on the Nike EYBL circuit. Jones, a consensus four-star recruit, is the 32nd ranked player in the nation and the No. 10 forward, according to ESPN.com. He also is ranked 37th (ninth in his position) by 247Sports, 38th (ninth in his position) by On3, and 43rd by Rivals (15th in his position). Harrell, a 6-foot-5-inch, 210-pound guard/forward attends Cambridge Arts, Technology and Science Academy (CATS) in Cambridge, Mass. Last season, he averaged 24.0 points, 7.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game for CATS while helping the Griffins to a 21-10 mark and a berth in the NEPSAC-AA playoffs. In recognition of his efforts, he was named 2024 Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year. He began his high school career at St. Sebastian's in Needham, Mass. In his freshman and sophomore years with the Arrows, he helped lead the team to consecutive ISL titles while earning First Team accolades. During the AAU season Harrell played for Expressions Elite on the Nike EYBL circuit. With Expressions, he averaged 14.4 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 2024. On the recruiting circuit, he is ranked in the top-100 by Rivals (No. 85) and 247Sports (No. 93). He also is highly ranked by On3 (No. 101). On3 and 247Sports each rank Harrell as the top recruit in Massachusetts.

Providence College To Honor Billy Donovan: It was announced on Nov. 13 that during the weekend of Feb. 14-16 Providence College will honor two of its all-time great basketball players and one of its legendary coaches. Former Friar men's basketball player Billy Donovan '87, former women's basketball player Britt King '86 and former women's basketball head coach, the late Bob Foley, all will be recognized as they join the Friar Legends Forever Tradition. Two receptions are planned for the weekend to honor the trio and revolve around the men's basketball game scheduled against Villanova on Feb. 15 and the women's basketball game vs. Seton Hall on Feb. 16. During the ceremony, banners will be unveiled and presented to each individual with their name and uniform number (Donovan #34 and King #24). Billy Donovan Friar Legends Reception: Join us for a special evening on Friday, February 14 from 6-9 p.m. at the Omni Hotel at 1 West Exchange Street as we honor Billy Donovan '87 in recognition of his storied career at Providence College. The event will feature a seated dinner and an engaging speaking series featuring other members of the Friar Legends tradition, including Britt King '86, who is also being honored Sunday afternoon. Tickets for the event on Friday night are $85 or $850 for a table of 10 and can be purchased by calling 401-865-GOPC.

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.

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 occurred 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 regularly sold out at the AMP in the past and it is expected to be a sell out again in 2025.

Friars Are 110-6 In Non-Conference Home Games Over The Last 15 Years: The Friars have posted a 110-6 mark (.948) in their last 15 seasons in non-conference home games. The team's six losses over the last 15 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 32-1 in their last 33 non-conference home games (2024-25, 6-0; 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 have recorded a 1-0 record in overtime games this. They have recorded a 80-71 mark all-time in overtime games, including 10-2 in their last 21 games. The Friars are 8-0 in their last eight overtime games at the AMP.

Friars At The Amica Mutual Pavilion: All-time, the Friars have recorded a 640-245 (.723) mark in 52 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 1,573 -1,049 mark, good for a .600 winning percentage. The Friars have made the NCAA Tournament 22 times and the National Invitation Tournament on 21 occasions.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Jabri Abdur-Rahim

Devin Carter

Oswin Erhunmwunse

Christ Essandoko

Corey Floyd Jr.

Bensley Joseph

Ryan Mela

Jayden Pierre

Upcoming Event: Men's Basketball versus Late Night Madness on October 4, 2025 at TBA

Upcoming Event: Men's Basketball at Pitt (Exhibition) on October 19, 2025 at 2:00 p.m.

Upcoming Event: Men's Basketball versus Harvard (Exhibition) on October 25, 2025 at 4:00 p.m.

Upcoming Event: Men's Basketball versus Holy Cross on November 3, 2025 at TBA

Upcoming Event: Men's Basketball versus Virginia Tech on November 8, 2025 at 4:00 p.m.

Upcoming Event: Men's Basketball versus Penn on November 11, 2025 at TBA

Upcoming Event: Men's Basketball at Colorado on November 14, 2025 at TBA

Upcoming Event: Men's Basketball versus New Hampshire on November 18, 2025 at TBA

Upcoming Event: Men's Basketball versus Penn State on November 22, 2025 at 4:00 p.m.

Upcoming Event: Men's Basketball versus Wisconsin on November 27, 2025 at 5:30 p.m. ET

Providence College Athletics