Friar Basketball Notebook: Portal Departures and Big Decisions Ahead for Providence

Photos courtesy of Providence athletics

As expected, Providence will see considerable roster movement this spring following the coaching change from Kim English to Bryan Hodgson.

Prior to the announcement of Hodgson’s hiring, both Stefan Vaaks and Daquan Davis were portal bound.

Vaaks is expected to be one of the most sought after players in the portal this spring after averaging 15.8 points and hitting 91 threes in his first season. He boosted his stock in the Big East Tournament, scoring 51 points against Butler and St. John’s and making 13-22 beyond the arc.

Davis played just 9.7 minutes in his three appearances before undergoing season-ending surgery. He had an uphill climb for minutes in November, but with the injuries that later hit the backcourt, it would have been interesting to see if the defensive-minded point guard could have carved out a bigger role had he been healthy.

For all of Vaaks’ success this season, the transfer that seemed to hit the fanbase hardest was that of freshman Jaylen Harrell. That’s probably due to the fact that Vaaks was viewed by many as a potential one-year player, while Harrell (a Boston native) was seen as a very good multi-year piece.

Harrell announced his decision to transfer on Friday, and later posted on X that the choice was his, not that of the new coaching staff. A very good shooter with underrated passing ability, he looked to be a good fit for Hodgson’s 3-point happy offense.

Harrell consistently repped the Friars and engaged with the fanbase — and that fanbase showed him a lot of appreciation in turn on Friday. He’ll be missed.

Junior guard Rich Barron is also entering the portal, following a season in which he was sidelined due to injury. Barron was a solid contributor on a 21-team as a freshman, shooting 42% beyond the arc. He then struggled through an up-and-down sophomore year following an offseason shoulder injury that cost him the summer.

So, who remains?

Friartown awaits word on three massive dominos in sophomores Ryan Mela and Oswin Erhunmwunse and freshman Jamier Jones.

Jones was named to the Big East All-Freshman team after averaging 11.9 points and 4.5 rebounds a game — but beyond his first-year numbers, Jones has elite athleticism and tantalizing potential. He also plays with a competitiveness and fearlessness that endeared him to Friartown. Retaining Jones would be a significant statement.

Mela struggled to find looks in a new-look roster early on, but by year’s end he had become the team’s most reliable player behind star guard Jaylin Sellers.

In a season in which positive developments were overshadowed by the negative, Mela improved in key areas. His free throw percentage jumped from 57% during his All-Freshman campaign to 80% , and he upped his scoring average from 6.4 to 9.9 a game.

Perhaps most encouraging, Mela shot 9-16 from three over the final five games of the season — a stretch that included a 17-point, eight-rebound night against Marquette, 17/5 at Georgetown, and 23 points, nine rebounds, and five assists against Butler in the Big East Tournament.

Mela is a player you want to help carry the culture forward and would be an important piece, if retained.

Erhunmwunse became somewhat of a divisive player a season ago — a year in which he averaged 6.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game after being named Preseason All-Big East.

His numbers jumped in Big East play — stats any Providence fan would have signed up for: 7.1 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 32 blocks in 20 games.

Despite the rebounding figures, the eye test told a more complicated story. Erhunmwunse struggled to secure traffic rebounds and too often got moved off his spots, while offensively he improved in certain areas (making plays off short rolls), but remains a work-in-progress.

The NCAA Tournament has re-emphasized the importance of good big men, and as we learned over the past two seasons, finding quality bigs in the portal can be challenging.

Friars Offer a Pair of Top Guards in 2027

Hodgson and his staff offered a pair of top guard prospects this week. O’Neal Delancy is a 6’2 combo guard ranked 54th in the class of 2027 by 247 Sports. He’s a Florida native who the USF staff originally offered last August. Delancy has offers from a ton of high majors and took visits to Ohio State and Florida in the fall.

Delancy is a Tampa native who played for the same grassroots program (Florida Rebels) as Jamier Jones.

PC also offered Aaron Britt Jr. Ranked #53 in 2027 by 247 Sports, Britt is another Florida native with interest from SEC schools.