Men's Basketball Game Notes Vs. No. 4/4 UConn

Friar Notes:

*UConn is one of the Friars' oldest New England rivals with the first match up on Jan. 21, 1928 when UConn won, 29-21, in Storrs.

*Providence holds a 31-51 mark all-time versus Connecticut.

*The Friars have posted a 16-19 mark all-time versus UConn in Providence

*The Friars posted a 0-2 mark last season versus UConn.

*The Friars have posted a 134-290 (.316) mark all-time versus top-25 teams, including a 1-1 mark this season.

*PC is 6-14 all-time versus No. 4 ranked teams - three of those wins came against UConn (1995, 2004 and 2023).

*The last time PC defeated a top-5 ranked team was Jan. 4, 2023 when the Friars upset No. 4/4 UConn, 73-61, at the Amica Mutual Pavilion.

*Jamier Jones was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week on Jan. 5 as he recorded 15 points and 10 rebounds in a win at St. John's on Jan. 3.

*Jaylin Sellers has made 46 of 50 free throw attempts and ranks first in the BIG EAST in free throw percentage (92.0 %).

*The Friars lead the BIG EAST in scoring (88.9 ppg), free-throw percentage (78.7, 248-315) and defensive rebounds per game (28.3).

*Jason Edwards has been named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll twice this season.

*Jason Edwards has scored 20 or more points in six of the team's 14 games - his six games with 20 or more points is the most of any player in the BIG EAST this season.

*Jason Edwards ranks first overall in scoring (17.9 ppg) in the BIG EAST.

*Oswin Erhunmwunse ranks first in the BIG EAST with 41 blocks through 14 games (2.9 bpg).

*Jamier Jones is shooting 68.7 % (57-83) from the field this season.

*Stefan Vaaks was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week on Nov. 10 as he averaged 18 points, shooting 38.9 percent (7-18) from three-point range in two games.

*The Friars were picked fourth of 11 teams in the 2025-26 Preseason BIG EAST Coaches Poll.

*The Friars have 10 newcomers and five returnees on the roster this season.

*The Friars are 648 -250 (.721) all-time at the Amica Mutual Pavilion.

Friars Versus UConn: The Friars will play UConn on Wednesday, Jan. 7 at 7:00 p.m. on Peacock/NBC Sports Network. Providence holds a 31-51 mark all-time versus Connecticut. The Friars have posted a 16-19 mark all-time versus UConn in Providence, a 12-28 record versus the Huskies at UConn and a 3-4 mark on neutral courts. The Huskies are one of the Friars' oldest New England rivals with the first match up on Jan. 21, 1928 when UConn won, 29-21, in Storrs. The first time the two teams met last season, UConn defeated the Friars, 87-84, on Jan. 4, 2025 in Storrs, Conn. In the second meeting last season, the Friars were defeated, 75-63, in Providence.

Friars Defeat St. John's: The Providence College men's basketball team defeated the No. 25 St. John's University Red Storm, 77-71, on Saturday, Jan. 3 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. With the win, Providence improved to 8-6 overall and 1-2 in BIG EAST play. Freshman Stefan Vaaks (Tabasalu, Estonia) led the Friars with 16 points. Freshman Jamier Jones (Sarasota, Fla.) recorded his first career double-double with 15 points and a career-high 10 rebounds.

Jones Named BIG EAST Rookies Of The Week: It was announced on Jan. 5 that freshman forward Jamier Jones (Sarasota, Fla.) was named the BIG EAST Freshman of the Week . Jones had 15 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and two steals, while shooting 5-7 from the from the floor and 5-7 from the line in the Friars' 77-71 win at No. 25 St. John's on Jan. 3. It was his first career double-double. Jones, a 6-6, 218-pound forward, had nine points in the final 6:32 as the Friars erased a nine-point deficit (64-55) to earn the win. For the season, he is averaging 10.4 points and 3.9 rebounds. He is shooting 68.7 percent (57-83) from the floor for the season.

Vaaks Helps In Win Over St. John's: Freshman guard/forward Stefan Vaaks (Tabasalu, Estonia) registered a team-high 16 points in the Friars' 77-71 win at No. 25 St. John's on Jan. 3. Vaaks scored 15 of his 16 points in the second half, including nine in the final 6:32 to help the Friars overcome a nine-point deficit and earn the win. Vaaks was 4-6 from three and 5-9 from the field. He also recorded six rebounds, two assists, two blocks and one steal. He is averaging 13.5 points, 3.3 assists and 2.6 rebounds for the season. Vaaks is shooting 35.5 percent (38-107) from behind the arc.

Edwards Leading the BIG EAST In Scoring: Graduate student Jason Edwards (Atlanta, Ga.) leads the BIG EAST in scoring, averaging 17.9 points per game. He has scored 20 or more points six times this season - versus Virginia Tech (28 points) on Nov. 8, at Colorado (24 points) on Nov. 14, versus New Hampshire (25 points) on Nov. 18, versus Wisconsin (20 points) on Nov. 27, versus FDU (24 points) on Dec. 2 and at Butler (32 points) on Dec. 13. He also is averaging 3.4 assists and 2.9 rebounds through 14 games.

Sellers Is Producing On Offense: Graduate student Jaylin Sellers (Columbus, Ga.) is second on the team in scoring, averaging 16.0 points per game. In the team's loss at Butler on Dec. 13, he scored 26 points. On Dec. 6, Sellers recorded his first double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds in a win over Rhode Island. He also is averaging 4.5 rebounds per game. Sellers has made 46 of 50 attempts from the free-throw line and ranks first in the BIG EAST at 92.0 percent.

Vaaks Leads The Friars From Behind The Arc: Freshman Stefan Vaaks (Tabasalu, Estonia) leads the Friars in three-point shooting having connected on a team-best 38 made threes on 107 attempts (35.5 percent). He made a season-high five threes versus Rhode Island on Dec. 6. Vaaks made two threes in the final two minutes to seal the Friar win versus Penn State on Nov. 22. He is third on the team in scoring, averaging 13.3 ppg. He recorded his first career double-double with 10 points and 10 assists versus FDU on Dec. 2.

Erhunmwunse Leads The BIG EAST In Blocks: Sophomore Oswin Erhunmwunse (Benin City, Nigeria) leads the BIG EAST in blocks with 41 (2.9 bpg) in 14 games. He also is averaging 7.8 points per game and 7.1 rebounds.

Jones Heats Up Over the Last Five: Freshman Jamier Jones (Sarasota, Fla.) is averaging 14.2 points and 5.4 rebounds over the last five games for the Friars. Over the five games, he has missed just five shots (28-33) and shot 84.8 percent from the field. For the season, he is shooting an impressive 68.7 percent from the field (57-83). He also is averaging 10.4 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. He made his first career start versus Seton Hall on Dec. 19. Jones recorded his first career double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds at St. John's on Jan. 3.

Aiden Derkack To Attend PC In 2026-27: Providence College Head Coach Kim English announced on Nov. 12 that Aiden Derkack (Colonia, N.J.) has signed a financial aid agreement to attend Providence College in 2026-27. Derkack, a 6-foot-6-inch, 195-pound forward attends Spire Academy in Geneva, Ohio. In 2024-25, Derkack played at Colonia High School and averaged 24.7 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. In three years at Colonia, Derkack established the school's all-time scoring record. During the summer of 2025, he played for Team Final on the Nike EYBL circuit. In 20 games for Team Final, he averaged 15.2 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists, while shooting 51.0 percent from the field. Derkack had a strong performance at Peach Jam as he concluded his AAU season. In five games at the Peach Jam, he averaged 21.1 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists. Derkack also shot 67.0 percent from the field. Derkack, a consensus four-star recruit, is the 45th ranked player in the nation and the No. 20 forward, according to ESPN.com. He also is ranked 52nd (fourth in his position) by 247Sports and 65th (19th in his position) by On3.

Friar Legend Lenny Wilkens Passed Away On Nov. 9: Former Friar All-American Lenny Wilkens '60 passed away on Nov. 9. Wilkens is one of the Friar all-time greats. In three seasons with the Friars, he scored 1,193 points in 80 games (14.9 ppg). He helped lead the Friars to the NIT in his junior and senior seasons. Wilkens was named All-American in 1959 and 1960. He was named MVP of the NIT in 1960. He played all three seasons as a Friar for legendary Head Coach Joe Mullaney. Wilkens was inducted in the Providence College Athletic Hall of Fame in 1972 and his number 14 was hung in the rafters of the Amica Mutual Pavilion in 1996. Upon graduating from Providence in 1960, Wilkens went on to have a long and prosperous career in the NBA as a player and a coach. He was the sixth overall pick in the 1960 NBA Draft when he was selected by the St. Louis Hawks. He would earn nine NBA All-Star selections over 15 seasons with the St. Louis Hawks (eight years), Seattle SuperSonics (four years), Cleveland Cavaliers (two years), and Portland Trail Blazers (one year). He also coached for 32 seasons in the NBA. His coaching career featured multiple stints with teams such as the Seattle SuperSonics, Portland Trail Blazers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Atlanta Hawks, Toronto Raptors, and New York Knicks. Over those 32 seasons, he amassed 1,332 victories. He guided the 1979 Seattle Supersonics to the NBA title. He was inducted in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame three times. In 1989, Wilkens was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a player. In 1998, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a coach. He earned his third induction in 2009 as an Assistant Coach to 1992 USA Olympic Dream Team.

Vaaks Named BIG EAST Freshman Of The Week On Nov. 10: It was announced on Nov. 10 that Providence College freshman guard Stefan Vaaks (Tabasalu, Estonia) was named the BIG EAST Freshman of the Week. Vaaks averaged 18 points, shooting 38.9 percent from three-point range as the Friars posted a 1-1 mark last week. In his collegiate debut on Nov. 3, Vaaks led Providence to an 89-79 home victory over Holy Cross, registering 19 points, two assists and two steals. He connected on three of seven attempts from beyond the three-point arc. On Nov. 8 at the Hall of Fame Tip-Off at Mohegan Sun, Vaaks recorded 17 points, three rebounds and knocked down four three-pointers in the Friars' 107-101 overtime loss to Virginia Tech.

Edwards Named To Watch List For Jerry West Shooting Guard Award: It was announced on Oct. 28 that Providence College graduate student Jason Edwards (Atlanta, Ga.) was one of the 20 players named to the Naismith Starting 5 - Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Top 20 Preseason Watch List. This prestigious award honors the best shooting guards in men's college basketball and is presented by the Basketball Hall of Fame, highlighting the elite talent in the sport. Also last month, Edwards was named to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Second Team. Edwards, a 6-1, 175-pound guard, played the 2024-25 season at Vanderbilt where he started 24 of the team's 33 games and helped the team post a 20-13 mark and earn a berth in the NCAA Tournament. Edwards led the team in scoring (562 points/17.0 ppg) and free throws made (143). He was second on the team in threes made (65) and free throw percentage (.831/143-172). Edwards ranked eighth in the Southeastern Conference in scoring in overall action (17.0 ppg) and he was 13th in free-throw percentage (.831) and in three-point field goal percentage (.353/65-184). He recorded 10 games with 20 or more points, including a season-high 30-point effort versus TCU on December 8, 2024. For his efforts, he earned All-SEC Third Team honors.

Edwards And Erhunmwunse Earn Preseason All-BIG EAST Honors: It was announced on Oct. 21 that Providence graduate student Jason Edwards (Atlanta, Ga.) and sophomore Oswin Erhunmwunse (Benin City, Nigeria) each earned All-BIG EAST Preseason Honors. Edwards, who transferred to Providence after spending the 2024-25 season at Vanderbilt, averaged 17.0 points and 2.0 rebounds last season for the Commodores. He was named Preseason All-BIG EAST Second Team. Erhunmwunse was named to the 2025 BIG EAST All-Freshman Team after he averaged 6.8 points and 5.6 rebounds for the Friars last season. The sophomore center was named Preseason All-BIG EAST Third Team.

Friars Post A 1-1 Mark In Exhibition Games: The Providence College men's basketball team posted a 1-1 record in exhibition action this season. The Friars were defeated by the Pittsburgh Panthers, 81-74, in an exhibition matchup on Sunday, Oct. 19 at the Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh, Pa. Jason Edwards (Atlanta, Ga.) led both teams in scoring with 19 points. Duncan Powell (Dallas, Texas) registered a double-double with 17 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. On Saturday, October 25, The Friars defeated the Harvard Crimson, 85-77, at the Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence, R.I. Edwards scored a team-high 16 points and sophomore Oswin Erhunmwunse (Benin City, Nigeria) scored 12 points and added a game-high nine rebounds. Edwards led the team in scoring in the two exhibition games, averaging 17.5 points on 10-26 shooting from the field. Powell averaged 9.0 rebounds and 13.0 points in the two games.

Friars Picked Fourth In Preseason BIG EAST Coaches Poll: The 2025-26 BIG EAST Men's Basketball Coaches' Preseason Poll was announced on Oct. 21. The Friars received 64 points in the poll and were selected to finish fourth of 11 teams. St. John's was picked to finish first.

Friars In 2024-25: The Friars, who finished the regular season in eighth place in the BIG EAST with a 6-14 record, recorded a 12-20 record overall in 2024-25. Providence posted a 0-1 mark in the BIG EAST Tournament.

Friars All-Time Versus Top-25 Teams: The Friars have posted a 134-290 (.316) mark all-time versus top-25 teams, including a 1-1 mark this season.

Friars Have 10 Newcomers For 2025-26: Providence College Head Coach Kim English added 10 new players to the team for 2025-26. Graduate students Jason Edwards (Atlanta, Ga.), Jaylin Sellers (Columbus, Ga.) and Duncan Powell (Dallas, Texas) have all played at a high level. Edwards averaged 17.0 points and 2.0 rebounds per game at Vanderbilt in 2024-25. Sellers, who was injured last season, averaged 15.9 points and 3.6 rebounds in 2023-24 at UCF. Powell averaged 12.2 points and 5.4 rebounds at Georgia Tech. Senior Cole Hargrove (Norristown, Pa.) comes to the Friars after spending three years at Drexel. In his junior season at Drexel, the 6-8 forward averaged 9.9 points and 7.5 rebounds. Sophomore Daquan Davis (Baltimore, Md.) spent his freshman season at Florida State. The second-year point guard averaged 8.8 points and 2.5 rebounds per game last season for the Seminoles. Freshmen Peteris Pinnis (Salaspils, Latvia) and Stefan Vaaks (Tabasalu, Estonia) both played in Europe last year. Pinnis averaged 7.2 points and 5.5 rebounds in the Latvia-Estonia Basketball League. Vaaks averaged 15.0 points and 3.2 rebounds in 2024-25. Freshmen Jaylen Harrell (Boston, Mass.) and Jamier Jones (Sarasota, Fla.) were both ranked in the top-100 coming out of high school. Harrell, the 2025 Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year, averaged 22.1 points, 8.5 rebounds and 7.2 assists at Cambridge Arts, Technology and Science Academy. He was ranked in the top-100 by 247Sports (No. 85), Rivals (No. 85) and On3 (No. 88). On3 and 247Sports each ranked Harrell as the top recruit in Massachusetts for 2025. Jones averaged 20.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists at Oak Ridge High School. He was a consensus four-star recruit, was the 44th ranked player in the nation and the No. 12 forward, according to ESPN.com. He also ranked 37th (ninth in his position) by On3, 43rd by Rivals (15th in his position) and 45th (11th in his position) by 247Sports. Graduate student Jack Williams (Ann Arbor, Mich.) joins the team as a walk-on.

Friar Games On FOX, FS1, TNT, truTV, ESPN+ And Peacock: The Friar games will air nationally this season on FOX, FS1, TNT, truTV, ESPN+ and Peacock. It will mark the first time ever the Friars will have regular-season games televised on TNT and TruTV.

Friars Sell Out Season Tix Again In 2025-26: In 2023-24, the Friars sold out of season tickets at the Amica Mutual Pavilion for the first time ever. Again in 2025-26, the team sold its entire season ticket allotment for the arena. It marked the third consecutive season that the Friars sold out of season tickets. In 2024-25, a total of 167,978 fans watched the Friars at the AMP in 16 home games. It was an average of 10,499 fans - the ninth highest single season average at the AMP. The 2023-24 season marked the first time a complete sell out of season tickets 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 highest amount of 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.

Friars Are 116-6 In Non-Conference Home Games Over The Last 16 Years: The Friars have posted a 114-6 mark (.950) in their last 16 seasons in non-conference home games. The team's six losses over the last 16 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 39-1 in their last 40 non-conference home games (2025-26, 6-0; 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 0-2 record in overtime games this season. They have recorded a 80-73 mark all-time in overtime games, including 10-4 in their last 14 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 648-250 (.721) mark in 53 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 2025-26 campaign marks the 99th season of basketball at Providence College. Since the program started in 1926-27, Providence has posted a 1,584-1,067 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

Daquan Davis

Jason Edwards

Oswin Erhunmwunse

Cole Hargrove

Jaylen Harrell

Jamier Jones

Peteris Pinnis

Duncan Powell

Jaylin Sellers

Stefan Vaaks

Jack Williams

Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus Brown on December 9, 2025 , Win , 86, to, 79

Completed Event: Men's Basketball at Butler on December 13, 2025 , Loss , 110, to, 113 , 2OT

Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus Seton Hall on December 19, 2025 , Loss , 67, to, 72

Completed Event: Men's Basketball at RV/#25 St. John's on January 3, 2026 , Win , 77, to, 71

Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus #4/#4 Connecticut on January 7, 2026 , Loss , 98, to, 103 , (OT)

Upcoming Event: Men's Basketball at Xavier on January 10, 2026 at 4:00 p.m.

Upcoming Event: Men's Basketball versus Villanova on January 13, 2026 at 6:30 p.m.

Upcoming Event: Men's Basketball versus Creighton on January 16, 2026 at 6:30 p.m.

Upcoming Event: Men's Basketball at Marquette on January 19, 2026 at 6:00 p.m.

Upcoming Event: Men's Basketball versus Georgetown on January 24, 2026 at 12:30 p.m.

Providence College Athletics