Providence Basketball: 3 questions facing the Friars for 2018-19

How will Alpha Diallo perform as the star?

Leading the way for the Friars this season will clearly be Alpha Diallo. Already one of the brightest rising stars in the league, Diallo is returning for his junior season after averaging 13.2 points and 6.6 rebounds per game last season. A lengthy 6-foot-6 forward, Diallo is extremely difficult for most opponents to match up against and he can usually use this to his advantage. Over the course of last season, Diallo shot 46.6% from the field, 21.4% from 3-point range, and 73.3% from the charity stripe.

And while these numbers may not be superb at first glance, Diallo is at his best when finishing around the rim. Diallo attempted 45.8% of his total shots “at the rim” last season and capitalized on 65.6% of those attempts. Quite simply, if he is able to get into the lane, odds are that he will be tacking on a couple of points. The trouble heading into this season, though, is that Diallo is now the clear-cut star of the team.

Throughout last year, Diallo could rely on other stars such as Kyron Cartwright and Rodney Bullock to carry the team for long stretched. And now that they are no longer on the team, Diallo will be tasked with handling even more offensive responsibility. And while the healthy return of Emmitt Holt (12.5 ppg in 2016-17) will certainly help, Diallo will still be the focal point of the offense. If he is able to rise to the occasion and post 15+ efficient points per game, then PC will be in good shape.