Friar Basketball
Home / General News / Behind the Numbers: Ben Bentil

Behind the Numbers: Ben Bentil

Bentil Yelling

When Ben Bentil went down with an ankle injury during Tuesday night’s loss to DePaul, Providence didn’t just lose their only consistent interior presence, but quite possibly the most statistically dominant player in the Big East this season.

Barring an utterly dominant February, Bentil won’t win Big East Player of the Year — not with a 1st Team All American teammate in Kris Dunn — but a case could be made that Bentil has been as good as anyone in the Big East this season, especially on the offensive side of the ball.

Just how good has Bentil been in his second year at PC?

Consider these numbers:

71: Bentil has scored 71 more points than anyone else in the Big East this season. His 453 points put him well ahead of Georgetown’s D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera for tops in the league.

127: The PC sophomore is the only player in the Big East with over 100 free throws made this season. He’s currently at 127, while only Billy Garrett Jr. of DePaul (96) and Marquette’s Henry Ellenson (93) are over 90.

Bentil has attempted 155 free throws on the season, which is also good for tops in the league. Ellenson is second at 124, and Butler’s Roosevelt Jones has taken 123.

153: Not only is Bentil leading the league in free throws made and attempted, he leads everyone in field goal attempts and makes. His 153 field goals made has him well ahead of Villanova’s Josh Hart (129) and DePaul’s Myke Henry (although Hart and Henry have played in 22 games, while Bentil has played 23).

Bentil is one of only two players in the Big East to have attempted over 300 shots this season, nudging out Seton Hall’s Isaiah Whitehead, 320-319.

760: Bentil trails only Smith-Rivera in minutes played (809-760) and is one of just nine Big East players to log over 700 minutes.

3: Three players in the Big East have grabbed over 70 offensive rebounds this season. Marquette’s Luke Fischer has 73, while Bentil and Seton Hall’s Angel Delgado are next at 71.

Bentil is fourth in the league in rebounds with 179, but he has a ways to go before catching Ellenson (229).

.864: Bentil is shooting just shy of 87% from the free throw line in conference play. There are 15 players making 82% at the line in Big East games. Bentil has made 70 free throws in conference play, while no one else on the list of 15 has made more than 45. In fact, only one other player among that group (Xavier’s Trevon Bluiett) has made 40.

31 & 13: The last time Ben Bentil saw Villanova, he finished with 31 points and 13 rebounds. Here’s hoping he’s a go on Saturday afternoon at the Dunk.

It should be a great afternoon in Providence.

Twitter: @Kevin_Farrahar

Email: kevin.farrahar@friarbasketball.com