Providence Basketball: Why Bensley Joseph is the most important team transfer for 2024-25

While last season did not end in another trip to the NCAA Tournament, Providence certainly played solidly in their first year under Kim English. The previous departure of Ed Cooley to Georgetown made last offseason quite the hectic one, but English’s first squad managed 21 wins and a middle of the pack finish in the Big East. Can this year’s team be a little bit better than last season?

Regardless of the answer to that question, things will certainly be different and harder in Providence. Top scorers Devin Carter and Josh Oduro are both gone after excellent work with the Friars. They will return Bryce Hopkins, who missed much of last season, though his injury concerns are still ongoing and he may not be available right away. Additionally, the Friars get their pair of sophomore guards back in Corey Floyd and Jayden Pierre.

English and his staff were busy in recent months raiding the Transfer Portal and the Friars certainly have a more talented rotation as a result. For the frontcourt, Providence adds former Saint Joseph’s center Christ Essandoko, a sizeable athlete. The other additions focus on beefing up that backcourt, starting with former Georgia shooting guard Jabri Abdur-Rahim. A very intriguing addition is Wesley Cardet Jr., who had dynamic shooting numbers at Chicago State but has quite the transition to Big East basketball.

Instead, we’re laser-focused on the fourth member of that transfer class. Bensley Joseph is a former Top 100 guard who landed at Miami back in 2021. The native of Massachusetts was a bench piece as an underclassman during the Hurricanes’ two historic postseason runs, including a Final Four as a sophomore. Opportunity came for him last season, as he’d average 9.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game as a starter for the Hurricanes.

Joseph did a little of everything for the Hurricanes albeit in what would become a pretty dreadful season for the program. He made 36% of his 3-pointers, shot a decent clip from closer to the basket, and was among the ACC’s leaders in steals. He established himself as an above average point guard with solid athleticism and play-making ability, and an addition that the Friars will appreciate.

Providence added several pieces into this backcourt, but what makes Joseph the game changer? What Cardet and Abdur-Rahim bring is shooting while Joseph is more of a balanced guard. He can run this offense and adds another talented ball handler into the mix alongside Pierre. His 3-point shooters don’t jump off the page, but Joseph has a ton of experience and could be a key leader for this team, especially if they have to play several games without Hopkins.

Barring other developments, it’s unlikely that Joseph alone is going to lead this team to anything special. He’s a great asset and Providence definitely took a step forward with all of these additions, but this season boils down to how Hopkins plays when healthy and who steps up as an alternate scorer behind him. Has English done enough to get this team back to the NCAA Tournament? Will Joseph take another step forward as a senior now in new surroundings?