2020-21 Providence College Roster

#0 Nate Watson, senior center and post scorer: A knee injury kept Watson out of action in November, and seemingly slowed him for much of his junior season. Now down to 255 pounds, the 6’10 Watson says he is quicker than a year ago. The league’s coaches named him 2nd Team All Big East in the preseason. The Friars will need him to rebound at a greater clip on the defensive end.

#1 Greg Gantt, sophomore all around wing: The 6’8, 220 pound Gantt has all the measurables and athletic ability to be one of the better defensive players in the league as a sophomore. Ed Cooley has raved about his nose for the ball and gains made in the weight room. Gantt suffered through injuries and the loss of his mother as a freshman, but should see major minutes in year two.

#2 Kris Monroe, redshirt sophomore 3/4 hybrid shooter: The Friars have struggled to find consistent shooting in recent years. Monroe was brought in as a developmental project — a 6’8 forward who they projected as one of the team’s better shooters. He has yet to see consistent minutes after redshirting due to injury last season. If he can knock down shots with consistency he will see the floor this year.

#3 David Duke, junior combo guard, potential two-way star: The Providence native looks ready to explode this season. He was named preseason 1st Team All Big East by the league’s coaches after dramatic improvements in his shooting numbers as a sophomore. Duke is likely the best defensive guard in the Big East, and at 6’5 with plus athleticism he has NBA potential. Cooley says he is the hardest worker he has coached in over 20 years in the business.

#4 Jared Bynum, sophomore true point guard: The season could hinge on the play of Bynum, a transfer from St. Joe’s who sat out last season. Ideally, Bynum steps in from the start and gets teammates the easy looks they didn’t see a year ago on a team with shoot-first lead guards. Size (5’10, 180) will be a question, and he is stepping up a weight class from the A-10.

#5 Jimmy Nichols, redshirt sophomore, athletic, lean big: Nichols started a number of games in his freshman season before seeing his minutes drop off. The South Carolina native is 6’8, 220 pounds and bouncy. His shooting numbers were poor as a freshman, and he redshirted due to injury last year. Can athleticism turn to production in his third year with the program?

#10 Alyn Breed, freshman combo guard: Minutes will be tough to come by for the freshman out of Georgia. He played on great teams at the high school, AAU, and prep levels, suiting up alongside NBA draft picks at both MacEachern High School (Isaac Okoro) and IMG Academy (Kenyon Martin Jr.). With Brycen Goodine now eligible, Breed projects at the fifth guard on this roster.

#11 AJ Reeves, junior scorer:  Reeves exploded onto the scene as a freshman, scoring 29 points in his debut (making 10 of his first 11 shots) and winning Big East Rookie of the Week three times in the season’s first four weeks. Injuries have slowed him some (an ankle as a freshman and a concussion last year). Reeves has proven to be a good outside shooter, making over 40% in Big East play last year, and the hope is that in year 3 his full offensive arsenal will be on display. An all league selection would not be a shocker.

#12 Brycen Goodine, sophomore combo guard: Goodine played sparingly in his one season at Syracuse, and his shooting numbers suffered because of it. To those who followed him during his prep career at St. Andrew’s in Barrington, RI, the news of his transfer to PC was big. Goodine is a very good athlete, can swing between both guards spots, and can shoot it. Eligible this year, he steps into a low pressure, high upside role.

#13 Jyare Davis, freshman hybrid forward: There isn’t an ideal comp between Davis and recent Friars with a similar build (6’7, 215). Davis isn’t the rebounder or shooter Rodney Bullock was, but he is better off of the bounce and is a sneaky good passer. He was an all state performance four times in his high school career — the first to do accomplish the feat in Delaware state history. Like Breed, he faces heavy competition for minutes and is coming off of a shortened offseason due to the pandemic.

#14 Noah Horchler, senior inside/out big man: Don’t sleep on Horchler because he transferred in from North Florida. He put up big numbers against Dayton, Florida, and Florida State two years ago. He averaged nearly ten boards a game, can stretch the floor a bit, is a good roll man, and possesses a back to the basket game. He will play considerable minutes.

#21 Ed Croswell, junior rebounder: Croswell is an old school Big East big man who hits the glass with ferocity. He was one of the top five offensive rebounders in the country the past two seasons at La Salle. Croswell isn’t a threat from midrange and beyond, but Cooley will be thrilled to have a rebounding force coming off his bench.

#24 Andrew Fonts, senior guard with a long history with the Friars: The Rhode Island native put up big numbers at Portsmouth Abbey as a senior in high school, averaging 27 points per game. Fonts saw action in 11 games last season. He is a good shooter and a solid veteran for Cooley to lean on in practice.