Player Preview Series: Taking Stock of Providence's Promising Freshman Class

There’s no denying the work Kim English and his coaching staff have done in identifying — and landing — freshmen to add to their program.

English’s first full recruiting cycle as the head coach of the Friars brought the promising duo of Oswin Erhunmwunse and Ryan Mela. In an otherwise disappointing season, both were bright spots, as they were each named to the Big East All-Freshman team.

Erhunmwunse, a top-50 prospect in the class of 2024, proved that this staff can get elite recruits, while Mela demonstrated their ability to identify undervalued talent. As promising as they may be on the floor, both are also high character guys who seem committed to the program.

Providence’s 2025 haul looks very promising in its own right, with a pair of top-100 prospects paired with two overseas imports with experience playing against professionals. What’s taken place this offseason on the practice court has backed up the impressive credentials of this group.

On a roster filled with experienced upperclassmen, it will be interesting to see what sort of dent the four freshmen can make in the rotation. Here’s a look at each of them.

Jaylen Harrell, 6’5 guard/forward:

The first time I saw Harrell (pictured above) he put up one of the best offensive performances I’ve seen from a prep product. The Roxbury, MA native had just transferred to CATS Academy for his junior season when he went for 44 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists in a thriller against (now Maryland) guard Andre Mills and Brimmer and May. Harrell scored in every way possible in that game, and I feared every college in the country would come calling soon enough.

Harrell did little to hurt his stock over his final two seasons of high school basketball. He is a two-time Gatorade Massachusetts Player of the Year, and led CATS to the NEPSAC AA title game last season — a year in which he averaged 22.1 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game. He was the clear leader of a very talented team, serving as a do-it-all wing who punished smaller defenders in the post and made teams pay when given space beyond the arc.

Harrell is known for his shooting, but he’s an underrated passer who simply competes.

Notably, he started his high school career playing alongside the number one player in the class of 2025 in Brockton, MA native AJ Dybantsa at St. Sebastian’s before both moved on to new programs.

247 Sports ranked Harrell the 85th-best player in the class, and PC overcame a strong push from Sean Miller and Xavier to lock down a commitment. He’s one of the best long-range shooters at Providence already, and if he’s going to crack the rotation it will likely come as a shooter who can make teams pay for cheating off him.

As a local recruit, Harrell had been around this program well before he ever committed, and he hasn’t been afraid to set high expectations. “We want to win a national championship or get as far as possible. A lot of people think you can’t win big at Providence, and we’re gonna change that when we get there. For me, I want to go to the NBA after my time at Providence. It might not be one year, it might not be two years, I’m just not rushing it and will trust the process and Kim’s process,” he told 247 Sports when he committed.

The Path to Playing Time: In most years at Providence, Harrell would play right away. He’s a potentially lethal outside shooter from the jump who plays with toughness and grit. If he’s going to play early, it will likely come as a wing who punishes teams for collapsing on the likes of Jason Edwards and Jaylin Sellers.

Jamier Jones, 6’6 forward:

Providence hasn’t had anyone this athletic at forward this century. Jones, 247 Sports’ 45th ranked player in 2025, is just an absurd athlete. He rushes passing lanes, finishes with force well above the rim, and could certainly make the case as the best athlete in the class of 2025. He’s that freakish.

Like Harrell, Jones is an underrated passer who averaged 20.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 2.2 steals per game at Oak Ridge in Florida. He very rarely took shots beyond the 3-point arc in either high school or EYBL play, but his stroke looked okay when I had an opportunity to see him this summer — certainly good enough that he shouldn’t get the Andre Jackson treatment when he sees the floor.

And he should see the floor. It would be quite surprising if Jones doesn’t get minutes on the wing, or even as an undersized four at 6’6, 215 pounds. He just plays with so much force and athleticism that he’s bound to make an impact on those traits alone.

Jones played at IMG Academy before finishing his high school career at Oak Ridge in Florida. He certainly saw plenty of great opponents at Oak Ridge — teams like Christ the King, DeMatha, Montverde, and Florida powerhouse Columbus (featuring the Boozer twins, who will play significant minutes at Duke this year — Cameron Boozer could push for 1st Team All American status).

Jones dunked on Cooper Flagg in EYBL play and went into overtime against Columbus in the Florida state championship game.

The Path to Playing Time: Jones is a superior athlete who really stands out, regardless of the opponent or venue. Early in his career, he’ll be dared by opponents to beat them from beyond the arc, but he should have an early impact on the glass, scoring in the paint, and by using his athleticism to play the passing lanes and get to loose balls. Jones could play significant minutes as a freshman.

Stefan Vaaks, 6’7 guard:

Perhaps the biggest mystery, and potential swing player, on the 2025-26 Friars, Vaaks averaged 15 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game playing for BC Kalev/Carmo in the Latvia-Estonia League — at just 19 years old. Very good guards have made their way through Vaaks’ club team, including Providence legend John Linehan, former McDonald’s All American Isaiah Briscoe, and Iona star Scott Machado.

Vaaks had a near 2:1 assist-turnover ratio, made 37% of his spot-up jumpers, and was effective making jump shots off the bounce (41%). He turned 20 in May.

He has the look of a really good passer — freezing defenders, throwing pretty bounce passes in pick-and-roll action, and whipping high-velocity dimes to shooters beyond the arc. If he’s able to beat defenders off the dribble at the high major level, he’ll create a lot of great shots for his teammates.

At 6’6, Vaaks has great positional size, and he could be the best pure passer on this roster. An MCL injury sidelined him for most of the offseason, but he returned to the floor in September and has apparently impressed in practices.

The Path to Playing Time: If Vaaks’ offensive game translates, he could play his way into a sizable role. The 1-3 spots in the starting lineup feel like a lock with Edwards, Sellers, and returnee Corey Floyd Jr., but Vaaks brings elements of creation and shooting that could make him an important contributor. For all of his offensive talents, the defensive side of the ball will be a bigger question mark.

Peteris Pinnis, 7’0 center:

Pinnis played in the same league as Vaaks last season, averaging 7.2 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. His size jumps out when you first see him, as Pinnis certainly looks all of 7’0 and 260 pounds. Born in August 2004 and having played against professionals, Pinnis isn’t the typical freshman big man in terms of experience.

He shot 53% on post attempts last season, and did most of his work on post touches (38 possessions), as a roll man (32 possessions), or on offensive boards. He occasionally launched from three, but was mainly an interior scorer for VEF Riga.

The Path to Playing Time: With Erhunmwunse returning and Cole Hargrove transferring in from Drexel, Pinnis would look to be the third big man in that trio. Last season, Providence had the inexperienced (but high upside) center Anton Bonke as their third big, and the hope would be that Pinnis could step in more ably, if called upon.