Providence Basketball: Transfer Wesley Cardet Jr. commits to Friars

Every team in the nation can and will be affected by the Transfer Portal, with very different effects felt based on the difference between these programs. You rarely see a program like Chicago State scoring a win, as former star guard Wesley Cardet Jr. opted to transfer and will continue his career at Providence.

Cardet is a 6’6 wing from Fort Lauderdale who was actually considered a Top 100 prospect in the Class of 2021. He began his collegiate career at Samford, though he transferred to Chicago State after a freshman season as a full-time starter for the Bulldogs.

With Chicago State, Cardet has been the main cog in the machine. He showed promise in a tough sophomore season for the Cougars but really came out strong this past season. This junior year saw him average 18.7 points and 4.5 rebounds per game, making 34% of his 3-pointers as the Cougars’ top scorer and shooter.

Cardet led the Cougars to a 13-win season that instantly became one of their best finishes in recent memory. Most notably, he dropped 30 points in a dramatic upset at Northwestern back in the middle of December. He also dropped 30 points in a first-round CBI victory over UC San Diego just a few weeks ago in one of his final games at Chicago State.

When head coach Gerald Gillion left the program, it wasn’t a surprise to see Cardet enter the Transfer Portal. After profound offensive figures with this weak program, he heads to a much stronger Providence program, hoping to become a contributor for Kim English and his staff as a senior.

Providence has been busy in the offseason, already landing Jabri Abdur-Rahim, Christ Essandoko, and Bensley Joseph, with Cardet joining Joseph as new faces in the backcourt. It’s important to remember that Cardet was putting up those numbers against weak competition at times, but we can’t forget about what he did at Northwestern. He wasn’t a nationally-ranked prospect by a fluke and he can legitimately change games with the Friars this season.