Connor Whalen ‘28

by Connor Whalen ‘28 on November 20, 2025

Providence College men’s basketball hosted the University of Pennsylvania to open week two of non-conference play, putting up a dominant performance on their way to a 106–81 win. Standout performers included Ryan Mela ’28—posting 18 points, 12 rebounds, and four assists in a double-double effort—and Corey Floyd ’26, who had a much-needed comeback game with 20 points. After the second-half debacle against Holy Cross University and a loss against Virginia Tech in a hard-fought battle, the Friars needed a convincing win, and their blowout result against the Quakers was just that. Jaylen Harrell ’29, Jack Williams ’26G, and Peterris Pinnis ’29 even received minutes after not seeing the court during the first three games. Harrell, an exciting freshman prospect and Massachusetts native, put up seven points in eight minutes during his debut. 

After securing their second win of the season, Kim English and his team traveled to Boulder to face the Colorado Buffaloes. After climbing back from behind to make it a one-point game at the half, Colorado outscored Providence by eight in the second half, the final result being 97–88 in favor of the Buffaloes. The road loss is a massive disappointment for the Friars; Colorado was ranked No. 15 out of 16 teams in the Big 12 coaches’ preseason poll. The defense, yet again, proved to be the Friars’ downfall and is becoming worrisome, to say the least. Colorado saw four of its players enter double digits, and shot 52 percent from the field and 35 percent from three. The offense thus far has really been a joy to watch, averaging 96 points per game, and, while the offensive system still seems slightly unclear and disorganized at times, English’s squad is getting it done on that end of the floor. Whether the team is still building chemistry and finding its identity or English and his staff have loose ends to figure out, the Friars’ defense simply needs to be better. The offensive success makes the defensive struggles even more annoying, as the team’s results are not yet reflecting its potential. To put the offensive success versus the defensive struggles in perspective, the Friars’ 96 points per game rank No. 24 out of 365 Division I programs. Their points allowed per game, 91, rank No. 351 out of 365. Strictly using those two stats, the Friars are in the top six percent of teams in the country offensively and the bottom four percent defensively. English and his players will have to figure these issues out soon if they want to make a push for the NCAA tournament, as these early-season losses can prove costly in the long run. The good news is they have plenty of opportunities against quality opponents to improve, as they are set to face Pennsylvania State University, the University of Wisconsin, and either Texas Christian University or the University of Florida at the Grady Children’s Invitational in San Diego, CA next, at the end of November.