A New Chapter Begins: Five Key Questions, Big East Outlook, Holy Cross Preview, and an Interview with AD Steve Napolillo
It’s been a long wait, Friartown.
Last season felt like it ended before it ever really began — injuries piled up throughout the year, and with them came a wave of questions about the program’s direction and identity.
It didn’t take long for Providence’s coaching staff to inject optimism in the fanbase in the spring — locking in a high-upside transfer portal class and retaining quality contributors in the weeks following the season.
Regardless, a roster overhaul can only answer so many questions following a 12-20 campaign. After months of questions, speculation, and projections — it’s finally time for something tangible.
An offseason that seemingly started last January is finally at an end, as Providence opens its 2025-26 campaign against Holy Cross at the Amica Mutual Pavilion tonight (7:15 p.m. tip).
Let’s get primed for the season with an exclusive interview with Providence Athletic Director Steve Napolillo, a look at Holy Cross, our Big East predictions, and five questions facing the Friars heading into the season.
The Friar Podcast catches up with Providence AD Steve Napolillo
Bill Ricci of The Friar Podcast sat down to talk with Steve Napolillo last week to discuss the changing landscape of college athletics, how PC has approached putting itself in position to have a great roster, NCAA Tournament expansion, the impact of Providence basketball on the community, and more.
This 35-minute conversation can be watched on YouTube or heard on Apple, Spotify, or SoundCloud.
What to Expect from Holy Cross on Monday Night
Dave Paulsen’s club is most likely a year away from contention in the Patriot League following an injury-riddled 13-19 campaign. Promising freshman point guard Tyler Boston broke his foot in December, while two other key contributors (Aiden Richard and Gabe Warren) missed significant time due to injury.
The good news? The Crusaders enjoyed very good seasons from Max Green (Patriot League ROY after averaging 14.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.5 assists), while sophomore shooter Joe Nugent was solid (12.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 42% shooting from three).
The bad? Green’s rookie year caught the attention of bigger programs and he’s now at Northwestern.
Nugent, Boston (9.1 PPG), and Warren return, while Paulsen got creative and turned to the Division II ranks to add 6’1 guard John St. Germain and 6’6 wing Will Aljancic.
Nugent is a former teammate of Ryan Mela with the Middlesex Magic, and played a critical role in their success upon joining the Under Armour circuit. He’s a long-range sniper who scored 27 points on five made 3-pointers at URI last year.
Paulsen is a very good talent evaluator who preceded Kim English at George Mason. His final team at Mason included underclassmen Tyler Kolek and Josh Oduro. Paulsen won at least 25 games in three straight seasons at Bucknell and went 37-5 in league play during that stretch. He knows how to win in this league, but they are undersized and should have trouble matching up with the length and athleticism of the Friars. Holy Cross has been among the worst defensive teams in the country the past two seasons.
Word of caution: this is the opener and even some of the stronger Friar teams over the past decade have gone into survival mode on opening night. The 2022 Sweet 16 team was in a back-and-forth battle with Fairfield, while a year later the Jared Bynum/Bryce Hopkins/Ed Croswell/Devin Carter bunch simply survived (66-65) against Rider.
Five Burning Questions Facing the Friars this Year
1. Will Oswin Erhunmwunse become an all-league player as a sophomore?
Providence should see a big increase in production and consistency at the center spot. The Friars had seen a decade of solid center play, dating back to the likes of Kadeem Batts, Carson Desrosiers, Ben Bentil, and Emmitt Holt holding it down before PC continued to get great contributions from the likes of Kalif Young, Nate Watson, Ed Croswell, and Josh Oduro.
There really wasn’t much slippage until a season ago, when Christ Essandoko failed to live up to expectations, which thrust Erhunmwunse into a bigger role as a freshman.
He played well enough to earn All-Big East Rookie Team honors, but he’s over 240 pounds now and figures to take a step forward with a year of experience under his belt. He has the potential to be one of the three best defensive centers in the league and will need to play like it for the Friars to finish top four.
2. Now healthy again, is Jaylin Sellers the 1a alongside Jason Edwards?
The Central Florida transfer was a top-five scorer in the Big 12 two years ago, and Providence is betting that he’ll be able to regain that form after missing virtually all of last season. Sellers is an electric athlete, drives with aggression, and shot the ball very well for two years at Ball State (44% from three in two years) before seeing his percentage dip to 29% at UCF. On a team with some question marks beyond the arc, getting Sellers into the 35-37% range would be big. PC needs a huge year out of Sellers.
3. How does Corey Floyd handle the point guard spot?
This one will certainly be bandied about in the early going this season. Floyd Jr. has never been asked to play point guard full time, but Kim English is leaning on the guard (who is in his third year playing for him) to hold it down. Floyd can certainly rebound and defend capably, and he had good cohesion with Erhunmwunse late last season.
One of the unheralded perks of adding Sellers and Edwards is that both had low turnover rates at their previous stops. If Floyd can manage the game, get into the paint consistently, and help keep the turnovers down, it will be a win for a coaching staff that talked often of losing the possession battle last season.
4. Can Providence rediscover its defensive identity?
The Friars went from one of the top 20 defenses in the country in English’s first season to one of the worst in the Big East last year. Was it a sheer personnel issue? Perhaps. They were inexperienced at center, small in the backcourt, and lacked a true power forward with Bryce Hopkins missing most of the year. Not an ideal formula.
The season prior they had perhaps the best backcourt defender in the country in Devin Carter, the versatile Ticket Gaines, and a savvy vet in Oduro at center anchoring the defense.
Providence simply didn’t turn teams over last season and will have the athleticism and size to turn that around. Duncan Powell brings physicality to the four spot, while veteran center Cole Hargrove is a steady defender who should give English his first reliable backup big at PC.
5. How does the rotation play out?
English was one of several coaches at Big East Media Day saying he had 10-12 players who could conceivably contribute. He stressed transparency this season, communicating with his team in October about the early season rotation.
Providence players missed over 60 games due to injury a season ago, and the rotation we see on Monday night will evolve as the season progresses. PC could conceivably start the year with up to ten players seeing time. They want to play much faster this season and will have to keep everyone fresh to do so, but will nine or ten be too many players in the rotation?
Big East Predictions: Regular Season Standings
UConn: Dan Hurley returns key pieces in Solo Ball, Alex Karaban, and Tarris Reed, while Georgia transfer Silas Demary Jr. should be a big upgrade at point guard. Promising freshman Braylon Mullins will miss key non-conference games with an ankle injury. This team has talent — and cohesion.
St. John’s: Top-to-bottom, the Johnnies are the league’s most talented team. With Zuby Ejiofor at center and Hopkins at power forward, they should be the most physical as well. Their biggest questions are at point guard and how to keep so many terrific players happy.
Creighton: Greg McDermott’s outstanding tenure will end in the next couple of seasons (potentially even after this one). He added two very good offensive transfers from Iowa in center Owen Freeman and shooter Josh Dix. Sophomore Blake Harper, a transfer from Howard, may be one of the league’s best young players (he averaged 19/6/3 as a freshman). Harper could make the Jays very dangerous.
Marquette: It’s hard to fully buy into this roster, but it’s gotten old being proven wrong by Shaka Smart every year. For Marquette to reach the top 3-4 in the league, sophomores Damarius Owens and Royce Parham will have to emerge.
Providence: Talent won’t be the question in Friartown. Jason Edwards and Jaylin Sellers could be a top three backcourt in the league, while Duncan Powell brings experience, shooting, and stability at power forward — a trouble spot the past two seasons when Bryce Hopkins went down.
Georgetown: I was out on the Hoyas after they lost Thomas Sorber, Micah Peavy, and Jayden Epps after last season, but questioned if I was wrong after seeing them play well in Canada over the summer. A pair of strong exhibition showings (including a thumping of Kentucky in Lexington) is bolstering the opinion of those who thought the Hoyas would push for an NCAA Tournament. Ed Cooley says he loves this group.
Villanova: Kevin Willard returns to the Big East. He’ll look to lift the Cats out of the hole that Kyle Neptune dug in his three long years on the Main Line. Willard has proven he can win in this league and will have Villanova competitive soon enough. This season may be a little too soon for an NCAA Tournament push.
Butler: The Bulldogs have lagged under Thad Matta, but they have two potentially very good transfers in 6’2 guard Jalen Jackson (19.2 PPG) and versatile forward Michael Ajayi. Ajayi was outstanding at Pepperdine two years ago (17.2 PPG, 9.9 RPG), but didn’t meet expectations at Gonzaga. He’s a sleeper all-conference player.
Xavier: Providence alum Richard Pitino takes over following the departure of Sean Miller to Texas. The roster was depleted and the Muskies mainly filled it with former mid-major talent. This feels like a rebuilding year.
DePaul: Chris Holtmann enjoyed great Big East success at Butler, and is in year two of a significant rebuilding project. The Demons got hot late last year — winning at Providence, completing a season sweep of Georgetown in the Big East Tournament, and nearly knocking off Creighton a day later. They return three key pieces, highlighted by shooter CJ Gunn.
Seton Hall: Shaheen Holloway faces the biggest challenge in the league at Seton Hall. If he’d started at the Hall a few years earlier (pre-NIL) his tenure likely looks very different.
Big East Awards:
Big East Player of the Year: Solo Ball, UConn
Freshman of the Year: Acaden Lewis, Villanova
Defensive Player of the Year: Zuby Ejiofor, St. John’s
I see this season as a test of how well Kim English can manage the talent he has in this team. The big question, can he get us to the Big Dance? Fingers crossed. It will be extremely interesting! Go Friars!