The Friar Basketball Notebook: Breaking Down the Big East Freshman of the Year Race, Behind PC's Clutch‑Time Numbers, Key Runs, and More

News and notes following an 87-81 loss at UConn that dropped Providence to 9-12 on the season…

Where Stefan Vaaks and Jaylin Sellers Have Been Inefficient This Year

While Providence is putting up more than enough points to win games, there are critical junctures in which shot selection has hurt them.

Through ten games in conference play, Providence’s most frequent shooters from inside and beyond the arc have also been their most inefficient.

Stefan Vaaks has taken 88 three-point field goals in the first ten conference games — that’s double Jaylin Sellers, who has put up the second-most at 44.

Vaaks is shooting 28.4% from three, which is the lowest mark on the team in Big East play. Here are the shooting percentages, starting with players who have taken the most shots from deep:

• Vaaks: 25-88 (28.4%)

• Sellers: 15-44 (34.1%)

• Duncan Powell: 14-39 (35.9%)

• Jason Edwards: 12-35 (34.3%)

• Jamier Jones: 8-15 (53.3%)

• Corey Floyd Jr.: 5-12 (41.7%)

• Ryan Mela: 4-10 (40%)

• Nilavan Daniels: 2-2 (100%)

Meanwhile, Sellers has struggled to finish inside the arc in Big East action — forcing the action over multiple defenders at times, while in other instances he has just not finished some makeable attempts at the rim.

Sellers’ 81 two-point field goal attempts are a team-high, but he’s making them at a 40.7% clip. He’s shooting 52.3% at the rim (the national average is 62.4%).

Here’s a breakdown in league play of shots inside the arc:

• Sellers: 33-81 (40.7%)

• Jamier Jones: 45-69 (65.2%)

• Oswin Erhunmwunse: 36-55 (65.5%)

• Stefan Vaaks: 29-53 (54.7%)

• Corey Floyd Jr.: 19-42 (45.2%)

• Jason Edwards: 14-33 (42.4%)

• Ryan Mela: 18-31 (58.1%)

• Duncan Powell: 9-14 (64.3%)

Of course, Sellers and Vaaks’ numbers take a hit considering they are the team’s top playmakers tasked with taking more of the difficult shots when possessions break down, but it feels like decision-making is also part of the struggle — with Vaaks settling for jumpers and Sellers forcing the action in some big moments.

The Hoyas’ 12–0 Spurt Was the Second‑Biggest vs. Providence This Year

Georgetown went on a 12-0 run against PC on Saturday — a run that began when Providence was ahead 64-48 with 10:19 left in the game.

The run tied the second-longest against the Friars this season, second only to when St. John’s opened the game at MSG on a 13-0 spurt. The other 12-0 run came in the second half of the blowout loss to Wisconsin.

Conversely, PC has had three runs of 10-0 or better in Big East games:

• They ripped off a 14-0 run against Creighton to turn a 57-57 tie into a 71-57 edge.

• There was the late 11-0 first-half run against UConn in which Providence flipped a 30-26 deficit into a 37-30 lead.

• The Friars also went on a 10-0 spurt in the second half after trailing by 11 to Seton Hall.

The Friars on Game-Tying and Go-Ahead Shots in the Final Ten Seconds

Much has been made of Providence losing a number of close games this season.

PC has taken six game-tying or go-ahead field goal attempts in the final ten seconds this season. No other Big East team has attempted more than three.

Five of those six attempts from Providence have come from beyond the arc (including a 40-foot heave by Jamier Jones at Marquette at the end of regulation).

There have been 13 game-tying or go-ahead attempts from three in the Big East this season — all 13 have missed.

The percentages aren’t much better from inside the arc, as Big East schools are 2-9.

Here’s a look back at all six of Providence’s attempts:

1. Tied at 89 with six seconds to go against UConn, Floyd Jr. missed a nine-footer.

2. Jones shot a 40-foot heave at the end of regulation against Marquette.

3. Vaaks launched a 27-footer with a second left in overtime when PC was down 105-104 at Marquette.

4. Trailing, 113-110, in double overtime, Sellers missed a leaning three from the top of the key at Butler in the closing seconds.

5. Sellers was blocked on a desperation three at the buzzer against Georgetown, with Providence trailing 81-78.

6. Tied 86-86 with Virginia Tech, Vaaks missed a 25-footer as the game went to overtime.

Rhody Vault@RhodyVault

With the game tied at 86, Stefan Vaaks just misses this three before the buzzer. To overtime between Virginia Tech and Providence!

11:40 PM · Nov 8, 2025 · 1.56K Views

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1 Repost · 12 Likes

Freshmen Making an Impact in the Big East

The Big East All-Freshman team should be far deeper than the past two years, with five newcomers who would have a case for Freshman of the Year in many seasons.

The frontrunner appears to be Nigel James Jr. of Marquette, who has taken his game to another level in conference play, putting up 19.7 points, 5.7 assists, and shooting 48% from three in 11 games.

Stefan Vaaks and Jamies Jones are scoring at a high clip in Big East games, while UConn frosh Braylon Mullins and Villanova point guard Acaden Lewis are both producing.

Here’s how I’d rank them at the midway point of conference play (stats are conference games only):

1. Nigel James Jr., Marquette: 19.7 PPG, 5.7 APG, 48% 3PT FG

2. Jamier Jones, Providence: 16.3 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 65% 2PT FG, 53% 3PT FG

3. Braylon Mullins, UConn: 12.7 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 39% 3PT FG

4. Acaden Lewis, Villanova: 11.8 PPG, 5.0 APG, 3.3 RPG, 46% 2PT FG

5. Stefan Vaaks, Providence: 17.0 PPG, 3.0 APG, 2.8 RPG, 54% 2PT FG