Providence Basketball: 2020-21 season preview for the Friars
Starters
David Duke
The key impact player to watch out for this season at Providence will be two-year starter and junior guard David Duke (14 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 3.1 apg). Duke has started all 65 games during his Providence career. He led the Friars last season in assists and was second on the team in scoring behind graduating senior Alpha Diallo.
This season, I expect big production out of Duke to lead the Friars offense. During the 2019-20 season, Duke was able to take the steps up to improve his perimeter shot. He made strides upwards by shooting 42 percent from the perimeter last season, which was over a 12 percent improvement from his freshman season. Duke’s most impressive game during his career came last January when he scored a career-high 36 points against Creighton while shooting 6-for-8 from three-point range.
Along with his offensive capabilities, Duke will be able to help Providence tremendously defensively. Last season, Duke averaged 1.5 steals per game, which was tied for fourth in the conference with teammate Alpha Diallo. Duke tallied four steals in each of his final two games last season. He had a career-high five steals against Georgetown last February.
One crucial area of Duke’s development as a player will be based on his shooting efficiency. As a sophomore last season, he made tremendous steps up from his freshman season as he improved as a scorer, rebounder, and defender.
However, Duke struggled with his shooting consistency, as he had an up and down season shooting. In 12 games last season, Duke shined and converted on 50 percent or more of his shots. Meanwhile, Duke also had games in which he struggled, as he made 30 percent or less of his shots in 11 games.
Duke’s improvement towards being a more consistent scorer will be beneficial for the Friars. I expect Duke to be the leader on the court this season for Providence. He has already shown that he could take the steps up during his sophomore year. I predict that Duke is bound to have a breakout season this year for the Friars and will be an All-Big East selection.
Nate Watson
Also back for the Friars will be senior 6-10 center, Nate Watson (9 ppg, 4.6 rpg). I expect to see Watson’s minutes increase in the starting lineup. Last season, Watson averaged just under 19 minutes per game, while starting 13 games for the Friars.
He will look to have a bounce-back type of season in 2020-21 due to taking a step back last year. Watson had a better sophomore season than his junior year, averaging 11.2 points per game and 5.2 rebounds per game in his second season while shooting 59 percent from the floor. However, his numbers dropped during last season in points scored, rebounds, and shooting percentage, while also seeing his minutes per game decrease.
One key area that Watson will look to improve is his development as a shot blocker. In 2019-20, Providence was seventh in the Big East with 3.3 blocks per game.
For his 6-10 size, Watson will need to step up as a more impactful shot blocker this season, as has only averaged a career 0.7 blocks per game during his three seasons. He recorded nine games last season in which he blocked at least one shot. That turned out to be only one-third of Watson’s games in which he was able to tally a blocked shot for a 6-10 center. Obviously, Watson will need to build his skillset up to become a much-improved shot blocker this season.
Another area that Watson will need to improve upon is to avoid foul trouble. Watson was a foul magnet last season for Providence. He averaged 2.7 fouls per game and fouled out in five games. Cutting back on fouling will be key this season for Watson because the Friars will need his help as much as possible in the low-post and rebounding.
During his career so far at Providence, Watson has never attempted a three-point shot, so everything that Watson does scoring will take place inside. I predict that Watson will have a much improved season and will play a critical role with low-post scoring and rebounding for the Friars.
A.J. Reeves
Similar to Watson who took a step down last season, junior guard A.J. Reeves (7.4 ppg), is looking for a bounce-back type of season. Reeves started 16 games in 2019-20 but saw his minutes per game decrease slightly. During his first season with the Friars, Reeves started 21 games and averaged 9.8 points per game.
Reeves will look to improve this season on converting his shots from the floor. During his freshman season, Reeves made over 42 percent of his shots, but as a sophomore, that number dropped, as he made less than 38 percent of his shots.
Consistency to develop into an efficient scorer will be something that Reeves will look to improve upon this season. Last season, Providence finished with a record of 8-1 when Reeves got hot shooting and made at least 50 percent of his shots. Meanwhile, when Reeves went on a cold streak, the Friars went 4-5 when Reeves made less than 30 percent of his shots.
The progression of Reeves’ shooting efficiency will be beneficial towards this season for Providence. Reeves has potential to have a much improved season. He was a Top 50 four-star recruit out of high school but hasn’t been able to have a massive breakout season yet. That breakout season may very well be this upcoming one for Providence.
Jared Bynum
Cooley will bring two transfers into the starting lineup that sat-out last season due to NCAA transfer rules. Both transfers should be able to provide a boost to help the Friars. The first impact transfer is sophomore point guard, Jared Bynum. He will have three seasons of eligibility remaining, which is beneficial towards the Friars future.
Bynum will slide into the starting lineup spot of Luwane Pipkins, who graduated after one season and was a major factor down the stretch of last season, scoring 24 points against Marquette and 27 points against Villanova in back-to-back games.
Bynum will look to keep Providence’s point guard momentum going with his arrival this season. During the 2018-19 season, Bynum started 31 games as a freshman for St. Joseph’s, averaging 11.3 points per game and 4.5 assists per game. He had 15 games in which he totaled five or more assists. Bynum had a career-high nine assists against Davidson.
When Lamarr Kimble missed 10 games in 2019 due to injury, Bynum stepped up and rose to the occasion for St. Joe’s, as his assist totals rose to an average of 5.9 assists per game during the 10 games without Kimble.
Along with Bynum’s great decision-making abilities as a passer, he also is a scrappy defender. He averaged 1.3 steals per game as a freshman and tallied a career-high four steals in two games against Wake Forest and La Salle.
The most impressive part about Bynum’s freshman season was the significant amount of minutes that he logged in. Bynum averaged 36.6 minutes per game during his first season and should be a reliable player during his career at Providence.
At St. Joseph’s, Bynum never once fouled out and the most fouls that he picked up in a game was three. He will be able to help out the Friars tremendously as a dependable option that stays on the court.
The future for Providence is bright with the arrival of Bynum. I expect him to have a great career in Providence and to work his way up to be a rising star in Friartown.
Noah Horchler
The second transfer that sat-out last season due to NCAA transfer rules is senior forward Noah Horchler. He started 59 games during his two seasons at North Florida while leading the Ospreys in 2018-19 in scoring, rebounding, and shooting.
Horchler nearly averaged a double-double of 16 points per game and 9.3 rebounds per game in 2018-19. He also made over 53 percent of his shots from the floor, while scoring double-digit points in 25 games and tallying 13 double-doubles.
Horchler will be able to come into Providence to give the Friars a boost with blocking shots. Last season, Providence was seventh in the conference in blocks. Horchler averaged 1.7 blocks per game during his career at North Florida. He totaled a career-high of four blocks in seven of his games during his career.
Cooley will bring in an absolute gem with Horchler who should be able to make a positive impact this season for the Friars. Horchler led the Atlantic Sun Conference in 2018-19 in rebounds per game and was top five in the conference in both scoring and blocking.
He should be able to continue his success at the power conference level for Providence in the Big East. I project Horchler to have a great season.