Providence Adds Freshman Point Guard Gavin Hightower from South Florida

Gavin Hightower’s brief college career has signified a sign of the times.

Originally committed to Tobin Anderson at Iona, the Los Angeles native changed course after Anderson was let go at Iona and joined him at South Florida when Anderson became an assistant in Tampa.

Then Anderson took the head coaching job at Tennessee Tech this spring, USF head man Bryan Hodgson went to Providence after just a year with the Bulls, and now Hightower is headed to Friartown.

In Hightower, Providence is getting a point guard who is a blur with the ball in his hands and an aggressive defender at 6’1.

South Florida’s Defensive Rating was at 100.0 when Hightower was on the floor, versus 106.3 without him.

He played 10.1 minutes per game this season, averaging 4.1 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game, but saw his minutes increase to 18.1 per game in the final five contests of the season — a stretch in which he averaged nearly two steals a night (1.8).

Hightower was a non-shooter at South Florida this season, taking just five shots from beyond the 3-point arc (making 1-5) and five more from the mid-range (also going 1-5).

His jumper has a bit of a hitch, as you’ll see here:

Here’s his freshman year shot chart:

In Hightower, Hodgson brings in a guard with years of development ahead of him, but equally as important, someone who plays with the type of speed and aggression the new Friar head coach values.

His defensive numbers from his freshman season were rather sparkling. He averaged 3.0 steals per 40 minutes and opponents shot just 25.9% when being guarded by him. The .607 points per possession he gave up ranked in the 97th percentile.

Here’s his defensive prowess on display: