Friar Basketball Newsletter: Devin Carter dominates the NBA Draft Combine, Jamier Jones in EYBL action, Jaylen Harrell nears a commitment, and more

1. Any basketball fans unfamiliar with Devin Carter after his Big East Player of the Year campaign most certainly are aware of him now.

The Providence guard was the star of the NBA Draft Combine, breaking the combine record in the three quarter court sprint with a time of 2.87 seconds, while also tying for first in the max vertical leap (42 inches) and the standing vertical leap (35 inches). Carter also placed third in the agility test.

Carter did not participate in the 5 on 5 sessions at the combine, but his athletic testing combined with the numbers he put up this season (19.6 points. 8.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists per game, 37% shooting from three) should be more than enough to get him into the top half of the first round.

Carter measured at 6’2 and a quarter, 193 pounds, and has a 6’8 and three quarters wingspan, which (to put it into perspective) is a shade under that of 6’5 UConn guard Stephon Castle (6’9).

2. Carter caught up with The Field of 68 crew recently to talk through the draft process. He also touched on his decision to stay at Providence last year, noting: “I didn’t go to Providence for money. I couldn’t leave the fanbase.”

3. This weekend was a busy one on both the Nike EYBL and Adidas circuits for Providence recruits and commits.

Recent PC pledge Jamier Jones helped his Florida Rebels team win three out of four games over the weekend, improving their record to 7-3. Jones is shooting 66% from the floor for the Rebels, averaging 14.9 points and 3.3 rebounds in 22.1 minutes per game.

Jones plays with another PC recruit in 2025 point guard Jalen Reese, who is averaging 12.2 points and shooting 47% from three this spring. His outside shooting numbers benefitted from a sizzling 6-6 performance from outside the arc against All Ohio Red in their EYBL opener.

Meanwhile, Jaylen Harrell continues to shoot the ball well for Expressions Elite. Harrell is taking, and making, threes at a very high clip. Harrell is averaging about six 3-point attempts per game so far, and making them at 47% (30-64). The class of 2025 wing is also 19-22 at the free throw line through ten games. He is averaging 16.9 points and shooting 54% from the field overall in 25.9 minutes per game. Like the Florida Rebels, Expressions is 7-3 and has one of the best records on the Nike circuit.

Harrell will make his college decision at the end of May. Like Jones, he plays with a point guard that Providence is recruiting in class of 2025’s Nigel James.

On the Adidas scene, Oswin Erhunmwunse continues to do things like this:

Oswin has been an absolute force for BABC this spring. He had a near triple double their last time out with 11 points, 14 rebounds, and eight blocks against Garner Road. He has at least five blocks in four of the ten games that BABC has played, and is averaging 9.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, and over three blocks per game for the best defensive team on the Adidas tour.

4. If reports are true, Providence’s non-conference schedule will get a significant boost as they are said to be replacing Creighton in the Battle 4 Atlantis. The field is strong, once again, with Arizona, Gonzaga, Indiana, Louisville, West Virginia, Oklahoma, and Davidson all competing.

CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander reported that Providence will withdraw from the Naismith Hall of Fame Showcase at Mohegan Sun, but the Friars will play a future game there, potentially against Boston College or UMass. BC, UMass, and Temple are in the Naismith HOF Showcase this year.