Providence Basketball: 2023-24 key storylines and outlook for Friars

Fresh Faces Joining the Friars

As if there wasn’t enough change in the Friars’ locker room over the summer, the team also acquired a quartet of freshmen looking to make their mark in the NCAA.

The clear cut standout of the class is Garwey Dual, a 6’5” combo guard out of Southern California Academy. Ranked as a four-star prospect, Dual has a prime opportunity to show his new coach why many are projecting him to be a lottery pick in the NBA Draft. In his senior year, Dual averaged 16 points, 7 assists and 3 steals per game en route to an appearance at the Nike Hoop Summit on the World Select roster.

Throughout his time playing high school ball, the guard has developed a deadly combination of length and athleticism with a score-first mentality. Dual’s explosive quickness and elite range of dribble moves allow him to be a force when driving on opposing defenders, but his 190-pound frame may limit his ability to go downhill in his freshman season. On the defensive side of the floor, the guard’s active hands and tenacity for the ball can wreak havoc for opposing players looking to get a step on him. Keep an eye for Dual’s role to grow as the season progresses, but I wouldn’t bet against him getting a shot with the starters to kick off the year.

Speaking of Southern California Academy, Dual’s teammate and favourite target to find in the paint, Donovan Santoro, will also suit up for the Friars this fall. A 6’8” forward weighing in at 205 pounds, Santoro averaged 14 points per game in his final year of high school, complimented nicely with his 40 percent clip from three-point territory.

Santoro enters this season unranked, leaving questions about his playing time as a freshman, but his previous chemistry with Dual bodes well for his future at Providence. On the court, his height and quickness allows Santoro to be a very switchable option on defence with an ability to guard down low and out at the perimeter. His long-range shooting is already in good shape, and it seems the pieces are there for Santoro to grow into a beast in the Big East –  I’m just not sure it will be this season.

Next on the list of incoming freshmen is Rich Barron out of St. Ignatius College Prep in Chicago. Nicknamed “The Bull”, Barron weighs in at 220 pounds and measures 6’5”, bearing a striking resemblance to Bryce Hopkins’ physique at just 18 years of age. In his final year at St. Ignatius, the forward averaged 16.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3 assists to earn All-State First Team and Chicago Catholic League All-Conference First Team honours.

After committing to George Mason, Barron joined the trend of players following Kim English to Providence. He was described by scouts as having “college-ready strength”, and offers a versatile set of skills for his size. Similarly to Santoro, the forward was unranked coming into his freshman season, and will likely struggle to find playing time out of the gates.

Rounding out the class is Eli DeLaurier, a 6’10” forward with the potential to be a hidden gem for the Friars this season in the middle. Rated as a three-star prospect coming out of his senior year of high school, the hybrid big man refined his deep bag of tricks both in the post and from long-range. He finished up the season with 15.9 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.

DeLaurier fits the bill of what Kim English is expecting from his frontcourt, playing with a high motor to run the floor on fast breaks. DeLaurier may still need to add on some muscle and strength to compete with the likes of Ryan Kalkbrenner and Donovon Clingan, but the raw tools are clearly there to develop. It will be interesting to see if DeLaurier will get some runs in the rotation, especially if Rafael Castro can’t put the pieces together to start the year.

While all four freshmen bring something new to offer on the Friars’ roster, it’s clear that all eyes will be on Garwey Dual to see if he can make the leap to the next level.  But will he be able to live up to the hype?