Men's Basketball Game Notes At Butler

Friar Tid Bits:

*PC is 1-4 in games decided by two points this season, with a win vs. SHU and losses to Oklahoma, St. John's (twice) and Villanova.

*Bryce Hopkins and Jabri Abdur-Rahim are out for the season with injuries. Wes Cardet is day to day.

*The Friars have registered a 20-6 mark all-time versus Butler, including a 7-4 record on the road.

*The Friars won the first meeting this season against Butler, 84-65, on 1/8.

*The Friars were 1-1 versus Butler last season with each team winning at home.

*In the most recent meeting between the two teams in Indianapolis, Butler defeated PC, 75-72, at Hinkle Field House on February 10, 2024.

*Corey Floyd posted his first career double-double with 16 pts. and 10 rbs. vs. Creighton on 2/5.

*Oswin Erhunmwunse ranks fourth in the BIG EAST in blocked shots (1.7) and second in league play (2.6).

*Oswin Erhunmwunse ranks third in the BIG EAST in offensive rebounds (2.39) and second in league play (2.67).

*The Friars have used 11 different starting lineups this season.

*PC is 6-5 when leading at halftime this season, which includes wins over Stonehill, Delaware State, BYU, Butler, Georgetown and Seton Hall and losses to Oklahoma, URI, SJU, UConn and Villanova.

*Oswin Erhunmwunse's five block vs. Seton Hall on 1/11 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.

*PC has posted a 133-288 (.316) mark all-time versus top-25 teams, including a 0-4 mark this season.

*The Friars are 9-3 at home this season; 2-5 on the road and 0-4 in neutral site games.

*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 641-246 (.723) all-time at the Amica Mutual Pavilion.

Friars To Play At Butler On February 8: The Friars will play Butler on Saturday, February 8 at 3:00 p.m. on Peacock. Providence holds a 20-6 mark all-time versus Butler. The Friars have posted a 10-2 mark all-time versus Butler in Providence, a 7-4 record versus the Bulldogs at Butler and a 3-0 mark on neutral courts. Last month, the Friars defeated the Bulldogs, 84-65, in Providence on January 8. In the first matchup last season, the Friars defeated Butler, 85-75 in overtime, in Providence on December 23, 2023. In the second meeting last season, the Friars were defeated, 75-72, in Indianapolis on February 10, 2024.

Friars Defeated By Creighton: The Providence College men's basketball team was defeated by the Creighton Bluejays (17-6, 10-2 BIG EAST), 80-69, on Wednesday, Feb. 5 at the Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence, R.I. The Friars moved to 11-12 overall and 5-7 in BIG EAST play. Redshirt junior Corey Floyd Jr. (Franklin, N.J.) recorded his first-ever double-double of the season on a team-high 16 points and a career-best 10 rebounds.

Friars To Host Xavier On February 12: The Friars will play Xavier on Wednesday, February 12 at 8:00 p.m. on Peacock. Providence holds an 12-14 mark all-time versus Xavier. The Friars have posted an 8-4 mark all-time versus Xavier in Providence, a 3-10 record versus the Musketeers at Xavier and a 1-0 mark on neutral courts. The Friars are 11-11 versus the Musketeers since they joined the BIG EAST. In the first meeting last season, the Friars were defeated in Providence, 85-65, on January 13, 2024. In the last meeting at Xavier, the Friars defeated the Musketeers , 79-75, on February 21, 2024.

Friars All-Time Versus Top-25 Teams: The Friars have posted a 133-288 (.316) mark all-time versus top-25 teams, including a 0-4 mark this season.

Abdur-Rahim Earns BIG EAST Honor Roll Honors: Graduate student Jabri Abdur-Rahim (South Orange, N.J.) came off the bench in two games and led the Friars to a 1-1 mark last week as he averaged 20 points and 4.5 rebounds. For his efforts, he was named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll. He shot 11-16 (.688) from three-point territory. He had a game-high 27 points as he shot 8-11 from three-point territory. He also added seven rebounds and two assists in a 68-66 loss at No. 15/14 St. John's on Feb. 1. It marked just the third time ever a Friar had eight or more threes in a BIG EAST game and the first time in a league contest since Donta Wade made 10 threes at Notre Dame on Feb. 23, 2000. His eight made threes was the most made in a BIG EAST game this season and it was a career high. On Jan. 28, Abdur-Rahim scored 13 points and grabbed two rebounds in a 69-67 win at Seton Hall. He was 3-5 from three-point territory in the win. For the season, he is averaging 7.2 points and 2.6 rebounds. He has made 34-93 attempts (.366) from three.

Erhunmwunse Contributing: Freshman center Oswin Erhunmwunse (Benin City, Nigeria) registered 11 points, four rebounds and three blocks in a win at Seton Hall on Jan. 28. He scored 10 points, grabbed six rebounds and had two blocks, while shooting 5-6 from the field in the Friars' win over Georgetown on Jan. 25. Erhunmwunse is shooting 70.7 percent (58-82) from the field this season. He ranks fourth in the BIG EAST in blocked shots per game (1.7) and he ranks second in league play (2.6). He is averaging 5.7 ppg and 5.6 rpg. Erhunmwunse is third in the BIG EAST in offensive rebounds (2.4) and he ranks second in league play (2.7). He 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 had 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.

Mela Named BIG EAST Freshman Of The Week On Jan. 13 And Jan. 20: Freshman guard Ryan Mela (Natick, Mass.) was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week on Jan. 13 and Jan. 20. Mela became the first Friar to earn the accolade multiple times in a season since A.J. Reeves was named Freshman of the Week three times in 2019. Mela was named BIG EAST Freshman Of The Week on Monday, Jan. 20 after he scored 10 points, grabbed seven rebounds, added three assists and made one steal in the Friars' loss at Creighton on Jan. 14. Mela was ill and did not play in the Friars' game at Villanova on Jan. 17. Mela earned Freshman of the Week on Jan. 13, after he averaged 8.5 points, 12.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.5 steals as the Friars posted a 2-0 mark. 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. On Jan. 11, Mela recorded seven points, nine rebounds, five assists and one steal in a victory over Seton Hall. For the season, Mela is averaging 4.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.

Pierre Scoring For The Friars: Junior guard Jayden Pierre (Elizabeth, N.J.) is averaging 12.8 points per game this season for the Friars. In the team's most recent game, he registered 14 points and five assists versus Creighton on Feb. 5. On Jan. 28, Pierre recorded 16 points and three assists at Seton Hall. 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 Scored 20 Points At Villanova: Senior guard Bensley Joseph (Arlington, Mass.) scored 20 points as he was 4-7 from three-point territory versus Villanova on Jan. 17. He is third on the team in scoring at 11.7 ppg. He was named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll on Jan. 13 after he led the Friars to a 2-0 week in BIG EAST play. 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 12.3 points, 3.8 rebounds 2.8 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.

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 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.

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 641-246 (.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 1,575 -1,053 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

Corey Floyd Jr.

Bryce Hopkins

Bensley Joseph

Ryan Mela

Jayden Pierre

Upcoming Event: Men's Basketball versus Late Night Madness on October 4, 2025 at 6:30 PM

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