Friar Basketball Newsletter: Ted Bancroft returns to The Friar Podcast, prepping for BYU, a shot at redemption, and Kim English's double-edged sword

Dec 03, 2024

Tuesday night’s game against BYU was always going to loom large, but it took on added significance after Providence went winless in the Battle 4 Atlantis last week.

The Friars (5-3) desperately need a win in their return to the Amica Mutual Pavilion, but it won’t be easy against one of the better offensive teams in the country.

The Cougars enter this one at 6-1 on the season, fresh off a 72-61 win over NC State on Friday. That victory came on the heels of their only loss of the season — 96-85 in overtime against a top 25 team in Ole Miss. Both games were played on a neutral floor as part of the Rady Children's Invitational in San Diego.

After head coach Mark Pope left Provo for Kentucky, BYU turned to Kevin Young, who was most recently an assistant with the Phoenix Suns. Winners of 23 games a season ago, they return three starters and three other regulars from last season’s lineup, while also welcoming a pair of outstanding freshmen.

The headliner is Egor Demin, a versatile freshman and potential top five pick in next June’s NBA Draft. The 6’9 Russian guard does it all, averaging 14.3 points, 6.3 assists, and 4.9 rebounds per game, while shooting 44% from three.

Demin and fellow 6’9 frosh Kanon Catchings are a terrific first-year duo. An impressive athlete and top 40 player in the high school class of 2024, Catchings (11.6 ppg) is one four Cougars averaging in double figures along with Demin, Richie Saunders (13.9 ppg, 41% from 3), and Fousseyni Traore (13.3 ppg).

Saunders is a junior guard who averaged 9.6 points on 36% shooting from deep off the bench last year, while Traore is built like a tank at 6’6, 240 pounds. There are shades of former Boston College forward Craig Smith to his game, and he will be a problem on the glass on Tuesday. Traore was an honorable mention All Big 12 performer last year. He and 6’8, 230 pound Keba Keita (like Traore, a native of Mali) are a physically imposing duo. Keita, who transferred in after two years at Utah, is averaging 9.6 rebounds in just 18.7 minutes per game.

Dallin Hall (7.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.3 rebounds) and Trevin Knell (9.0 points, 37% from 3) both started for BYU a season ago and combined for 19 points a game out of the backcourt.

BYU has scored 85+ points in six of their first seven games this season and rank in the top 50 in both offensive (29th) and defensive (47th) efficiency. They have all sorts of shooting across the floor and can punish teams on the offensive glass. The Cougars hit at 35% behind the arc, 62% inside of it (5th nationally), and grab 14.1 offensive rebounds per game (31st in the country).

This would be a very good win for the Friars — at a time they desperately need it.

We have additional coverage available prior to the BYU game, including a podcast with former Friar Ted Bancroft. Ted is a returning guest and we love having him on. He shares his impressions of the Friars to date and talks through how the PC teams he played on overcame challenging losing streaks.

The podcast can be heard on Soundcloud and Apple.

Additionally, I wrote about the double-edged sword Kim English was given when he took the Providence job, detailing how panic set in last week and why emotions ran higher than ever after the recent losing streak: