Big East Notebook: Providence and Syracuse Renewing Acquaintances, UConn Adds a Pair of Depth Pieces, Hall Gets A Needed Big, London Dada Commits to Creighton
Plus, reflecting on John Linehan and Bryce Cotton on The Friar Podcast.
December will bring a bit of history (and a little drama) as Providence meets former Big East foe Syracuse for the first time since 2013.
Adding to the intrigue, the game will take place at the TD Garden in Boston, where the Friars last played in December 2007 (a 98-89 overtime victory over Boston College as part of the Hartford Hall of Fame Showcase).
The Providence/Syracuse tilt is scheduled for Saturday, December 19, and will be part of the 2026 Hall of Fame Series.
Prior to their departure for the ACC, this was a matchup the Orange controlled. Syracuse is 48-10 all-time against the Friars, including a 21-game winning streak during the 1980s.
It’s a Syracuse program in transition, however — one that has not reached the NCAA Tournament since 2021.
If matching up with Syracuse in Boston weren’t enough for Friar fans, there’s also the coaching subplot.
Multiple reports surfaced this spring that new Providence head man Bryan Hodgson turned down the Syracuse opening (later filled by Gerry McNamara), but Orange AD Bryan Blair refuted those reports.
Regardless, the swirl around Hodgson did not play well in Syracuse and will add some spice come December.
McNamara’s group will be led by a pair of point guards familiar to Friar fans in Garwey Dual and Ryan Moesch. Dual lasted a year at Providence before heading to Seton Hall and then finding his game at McNeese State, while Moesch was a priority recruit for PC last fall but chose to join McNamara at Siena, where more immediate opportunity awaited.
Historically, the biggest meeting between these two programs came in 1987, when the Friars and Orange met in the Final Four — a 77-63 Syracuse victory in the Superdome in New Orleans.
Recruiting Roundup: Friars Offer a Pair of Top 50 Prospects, UConn Adds Depth via the Portal, a JUCO Star is Headed to Seton Hall
The new staff at Providence continues to aim high in the class of 2027, most recently offering scholarships to Moussa Kamissoko and Dylan Jones. Kamissoko is a five-star small forward out of famed Long Island Lutheran in New York. The lengthy wing is ranked #11 in the class of 2027, and is averaging 17 points and seven rebounds in EYBL play for the PSA Cardinals this spring. He holds offers from elite programs in Illinois, Kentucky, and Alabama.
Meanwhile, Jones is 247’s 52nd ranked player in 2027. The Memphis native is a powerful wing who already has SEC offers from Alabama, Tennessee, and Ole Miss, as well as hometown Memphis.
UConn added two more late portal pieces. Isaiah Shaw is a 6’8 shooter who put up 8.1 points per game on 46% shooting from three at Northern Arizona. Shaw figures to be a deep bench piece for the Huskies. He is more of a catch-and-shoot threat than a creator off the dribble — as he shot 46% on catch-and-shoot opportunities versus 29% off the bounce:
Connecticut also added a bench piece in center Elmir Dzafic, who will transfer in from Arkansas. He brings massive size (7 feet, 285 pounds), but the 21-year-old did not crack Arkansas’ rotation a season ago (3 points scored in 7 games played).
Seton Hall added a potential starting center this weekend in NJCAA Men’s Player of the Year Terry Copeland. The New Jersey native is a powerful interior presence at 6’9 — one who should let slender Florida Atlantic transfer Devin Williams slide over to his more natural four spot. Copeland, who played at Bergen Catholic in New Jersey in high school, averaged 19.8 points and 7.9 rebounds per game last season at Howard College, the national title winners who finished 33-4. Copeland came up big in March, scoring 23 points and grabbing 16 rebounds in the national championship, while twice scoring 31 points and peaking at 40 in earlier March contests.
Creighton Lands a Hometown Kid in 2027 Wing London Dada
Creighton added a 2027 piece in Omaha native London Dada, a 6’8 small forward ranked #135 by 247 Sports. He’ll bring great size on the wing with upside from long range. Dada ranked in the 95th percentile in overall points per possession on the Adidas circuit last summer and made 35.4% of his catch-and-shoot attempts.
Here’s a look at Dada from Adidas play last year:
Finally, Providence inducted two of its all-time great players into its Athletics Hall of Fame this weekend. Both John Linehan and Bryce Cotton were underrated recruits who turned into stars in the Big East — Linehan would break the NCAA career steals record, while Cotton led the league in scoring as a junior prior to winning the Big East Tournament title as a senior.
Billy Ricci and I reflected on the careers of both of them on the most recent episode of The Friar Podcast.
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