Providence Basketball: 2023-24 key storylines and outlook for Friars
By Kyle Craib
The Providence Patriots
On March 23, 2023, Kim English was handed the keys to the Friars.
After leaving George Mason after only two seasons at the helm, the 34-year-old made the jump from the mid-majors to take a swing at the Big East. During his tenure with the Patriots, English helped guide his team to a 34-29 record, capped off with a 20-13 campaign this past season.
English offers a breath of fresh air to a program that, despite steady consistency, has been unable to carve out a place among the NCAA’s finest. As a former player with an expertise in recruiting, the youngest coach in the conference has the chance to build Providence into a true destination for top prospects.
Due to the timing of the coaching change, a strong portion of the 2023/24 roster was constructed by his predecessor. But when English made the move from George Mason, he did not come alone.
Three former Patriots followed English on his journey to Rhode Island to join the Friars for the 2023/24 campaign. The trio of Josh Oduro, Justyn Fernandez, and Davonte “Ticket” Gaines all found their way into George Mason’s starting rotation by the end of last season.
Starting off in the frontcourt, forward Josh Oduro is poised to carry over his success from his time in the Atlantic 10. Coming off of a strong season averaging 15.6 points and 7.9 boards per game, Oduro put in work this offseason to add nearly 15 pounds to his 6’9” frame.
His three point shot still needs work, but the big fella is willing to shoot when open. Despite his numbers taking a slight dip, there is potential that he can revive his near 30 percent clip from long range during the 2021/22 season. Oduro has the skills to thrive amongst the trees in the Big East, and will prove crucial to the Friars after losing Crowsell and Moore over the summer.
Next up, Justyn Fernandez sticks out as the wildcard of this trio. Coming off of an up and down season, the sophomore guard’s stat line doesn’t tell the whole story. His 4.1 points per game are slightly diminished due to his lack of minutes to kick off his freshman year. As the season progressed, Fernandez continued to find ways to contribute to the Patriots’ offence.
He posted a career-high 18 points in a win over the University of Massachusetts, along with a 15-point showing in a win over George Washington University. While the consistency has still yet to arrive, the young talent has a lot of room to grow in a Providence backcourt that craves identity.
Rounding out the trio is potentially the coolest name in all of college basketball: Davonte “Ticket” Gaines. Heading into his final year, the Buffalo native is looking to finally make his mark in the NCAA. Last season with George Mason, Gaines averaged 7.3 points along with a staggering 6.1 rebounds from the guard position. This marks a small regression in point production, dropping off from the 10.2-point benchmark he set back in 2021/22. The same goes for his shooting from beyond the arc, dropping off from 40.3 to 34.3 percent last season as his volume slightly increased.
The highlight of Gaines’ season came in March against Richmond where he scored a career-high 23 points while securing 8 rebounds. If the former Tennessee recruit can put all the pieces together in his final season, look for Gaines to find his way into the Friars’ everyday lineup.
While questions remain about how Kim English and Co. will integrate the former Patriots with Providence’s returning rotation pieces, there’s no doubt that he has brought along a talented cast with him.