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Big East basketball is the place to be and Ed Cooley is ready for another great run with the Friars in 2022-23. With over 1,400 college players entering the transfer portal this season, Providence's head coach and 2022 Naismith Men’s College Coach Of The Year Award winner, Ed Cooley, has crafted a roster that will be ready to compete come this fall.
Many felt that this season might have been a rebuild. AJ Reeves, Al Durham, and Justin Minaya have opted for the NBA Draft, while Nate Watson and Noah Horchler also depart after exhausting their eligibility. All five were important factors in how Providence had a 27-6 overall record, winning the Big East regular season title and earning a Sweet 16 berth in the NCAA Tournament.
But that hasn't stopped Cooley, who has taken the transfer portal by storm this year and reloaded up instead. Five big transfer names are heading to the 401, with sights set on claiming the Big East title and with hopes to dance farther than ever before.
Bryce Hopkins (Forward)
Previous School: Kentucky
Dimensions: 6’6”, 230lbs
The former four-star recruit is ready for a fresh start. Hopkins barely played at Kentucky last season, but has a chance to be a high-impact guy in the Big East. He averaged just 2.1 points per game in 2021-22, but had a very solid outing against LSU, scoring a season-high 13 points. Coming out of High School last year, Hopkins was ranked as the No.39 overall prospect per 247Sports, coming in as the No. 8 best power forward in the nation.
Noah Locke (Guard)
Previous School: Louisville
Dimensions: 6’3”, 205lbs
While at Florida, Locke averaged 10.6 points and 2.4 rebounds per game his junior year, and he led the team with made three-pointers with 57. He transferred to Louisville, although things never worked out for the Cardinals, he was their leading scorer at 9.6 points per game, but shot just 35.8 percent from the field and 34.2 percent on three-point attempts. He scored in double figures during 18 of Louisville's 32 games, but also tallied six points or less in ten games.
Devin Carter (Guard)
Previous School: South Carolina
Dimensions: 6’3”, 188lbs
Carter averaged 9.0 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists in his one season for the Gamecocks. Last year, Justin Minaya transferred to Providence as a graduate student from South Carolina and provided an immediate impact to the Friars. Hopefully this is the same case with Carter.
Corey Floyd Jr. (Guard)
Previous School: Connecticut
Dimensions: 6’4”, 190lbs
A steal from the Big East, this was a cool get for the Friars. Floyd was a top-100 recruit in the Class of 2021, who went to UConn, but saw no playing time. He is known for his shooting ability and floor spacing, Floyd will be a nice guard add for the Friars. His father, Corey Floyd Sr., played two seasons with the Friars.
Clifton Moore (Forward)
Previous School: La Salle
Dimensions: 6’10”, 240lbs
Moore averaged a nice 12.9 ppg. on 49% shooting, collecting 6 rebounds and dishing out 1.2 assists per each contest. The former Indiana and La Salle forward will provide a great combination of size and scoring for PC. Moore comes from a family line of athletes. His Mother is the cousin of NFL player Julius Peppers. Moore's cousins also include 2017 four-star wing Jordan Tucker and Olympic runner Taylor Ellis-Watson.
Now THAT is a transfer haul. Incredible stuff by Cooley and PC. With many new faces, there will still be some key members who will be back in the mix. Returning to the Friars is 5th year center, Ed Croswell and Big East Sixth Man of the Year Jared Bynum (both of who should be expected as starters). Alyn Breed will also be back, who will provide great experience at the guard position.
Their roster is filled with other great depth pieces that are young including guards Quante Berry and Jayden Pierre, centers Rafael Castro and Ugonna Kingsley, forwards Isiah Miranda and T.J. Power.
A starting five unit could very much look like Bynum, Carter, Locke, Hopkins, and Croswell. Hopefully they can repeat their production of last season and get to the next step. If you already haven't yet, buy stock in Providence now.
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