by Chris Sama ’27 on September 24, 2026
Sports
The Friars men’s basketball schedule is out after great anticipation from the offseason regarding the new coach, Bryan Hodgson, as well as the talent he has recruited to Friartown. The season kicks off against UMaine on Nov. 2 at the Amica Mutual Pavilion (AMP). Other notable opponents before the Big East competition starts are Nebraska, Colorado, VCU, and URI, who should prepare the Friars well for their Big East opponents.
In terms of in-conference competition, UConn and St. Johns are projected to be top 25 teams again this year. The Friars’ first matchup against UConn is on Jan 20. at the AMP, and it will definitely be the Friars’ toughest competition before March. Dan Hurley, UConn’s current coach, has led the Huskies to back-to-back championships in the 2022–23 and 2023–24 seasons. He is known for his competitive nature, strong recruiting, and player development. The Huskies have three four-star recruits who have already committed and two more who transferred. The Friars had barely lost to UConn both times they faced off last year, with their first match going into overtime and ending with only a five-point difference. With better direction from Hodgson and a promising new class of Friars, it’s likely that PC can win against UConn this year.
St. John’s had an extremely strong transfer class this year, ranking No. 1 in the whole NCAA according to 247Sports. Rick Pitino, the current coach of St. John’s, and one of the most renowned coaches in all of college basketball, managed to bring three five-star and one four-star recruit to the Red Storm through the transfer portal alone. This will be an exciting matchup for the Friars, givingthem something to prove against the Johnnies.
Besides the previous two teams, the Friars arguably have the next strongest new recruiting class in the Big East. Four-star recruit Javon Bardwell ’30 is fully committed to Providence. He is a very athletic small forward who can finish around the rim with ease, especially from lobs. Malik Mack ’27, a point guard who transferred from Georgetown to Providence, should pair really wellwith Bardwell. Mack is a former Ivy League Player of the Year during his time at Harvard. Mack is a three-level scorer who also has a great passing ability.