by Sarah Wolff ’28 on February 5, 2026

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Men's Basketball

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This week, we celebrate guard Stefen Vaaks ’29, whose performance last Saturday, Dec. 6, and in recent games delivered big moments for the Friars. It hasn’t taken long for Vaaks to get Providence College basketball fans talking. His poise, energy, and clutch scoring moments don’t look like they’re coming from a freshman. Vaaks has impressive length and mobility for someone standing at 6’7”, and so far, he has taken every opportunity the coaching staff has given him.

Over the Friars’ last two games, he has averaged 13.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game, while shooting a solid 44 percent from the floor and hitting four of nine threes. Contributions like these have helped the Friars take some runs and close out tight games, showing the kind of confidence and rhythm this team has been looking for in the past season. Vaaks’s impact, however, extends beyond the box score. On both ends of the court, he’s brought hustle, energy, and execution. He puts in the work on the offense, working to secure rebounds and convert them into points down at Providence’s basket. As Vaaks runs plays, he energizes not only his teammates, but the crowd as well. On the other hand he’s already shown smart instincts defensively: challenging shots, rotating quickly, and even securing a season-high three steals in a single game. The Cowl published an article at the end of last spring semester amidst the buzz surrounding his commitment. We can remember the excitement the program had installed in everyone regarding his size, international background, and potential as a versatile guard.

However, what’s truly energizing is seeing how that potential is beginning to translate into noticeable and strong contributions when Vaaks is performing his best at the AMP. The rookie’s mistakes have been small. Instead, what stands out is an intentional aggression, a willingness to win some of those tough games, and the kind of composure and confidence in high-pressure environments that often escape first-year players. Head coach Kim English commented on Vaaks’s commitment this season, noting he is “really impressed with Vaaks, especially responding with a big swing after the 14–2 start” in their Saturday home game against the University of Rhode Island. English’s confidence in the freshman guard has been evident in his rotation decisions, trusting Vaaks with important minutes and allowing him to playwhile adjusting to completely new surroundings. Vaaks has responded to this with consistency, discipline, and a maturity uncommon for a league rookie.

As Providence continues to move through in league play, Vaaks’s promise as a player feels more and more tangible with each game. Through his growth, he is slowly showing his coaches, teammates, and fans what he can become: a confident scorer, a strong competitor, and a reliable player to have on the court. If this season’s start is any indication, the Friars have found a possible piece to help them excel not only in the future, but also throughout the current season.

by Connor Whalen ‘28 on January 29, 2026

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Opinion - Campus

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A crucial missed opportunity for the Providence College men’s basketball team to enter NCAA tournament contention after a blown lead to the University of Connecticut. A terrible loss to a mediocre Xavier University. A defeat on home soil against Villanova University. A mismanaged,  and embarrassing game against dead-last Marquette University. Worst of all, a blown lead— 21 points at its height—against Georgetown University and traitorous former head coach Ed Cooley. If Providence students and fans are booing their own head coach instead of Cooley, there is no clearer sign a change is needed. There is only one step the Friars can make to move in a positive direction, and that is to fire head coach Kim English. The English era is over.

Some aspects of the game of basketball are largely uncoachable. Pure scoring talent, raw athleticism, creativity, shooting ability: these skills can be slightly improved or enhanced by a good coach, but often these are gifts given to different players. English has been blessed with players who have all of the above; he has one of the most athletic teams in the Big East, with able-scorers, creative and skilled players, and abundant shooters. Jason Edwards ’26G and Jaylin Sellers ’26G are each putting up scoring tallies among the top in the Big East; Jamier Jones ’29 and Stefan Vaaks ’29 are two of the best freshman this program has ever seen; Oswin Erhunmwunse ’28 leads the Big East in blocks and is a force on the boards. 

Some other areas of the game are, however, very coachable, and well-run programs across the country do them well year-in and year-out, regardless of their personnel. Good coaches create a culture and a standard to be followed, and that bar has simply not been set high enough under coach English. He has allowed defensive rebounding, careless turnovers, lack of  situational awareness. He lacks grit and intensity, especially on the defensive end. There should be no room for lackadaisical play or sorry effort. That breeds the blown-lead losses we have seen over and over again. There is not enough pressure put on the players to get that crucial defensive rebound and prevent another clock reset and defensive possession. Players are not punished when they storm down the court and throw up an unintelligent shot. It is not just the players who deserve criticism; the one person that, at all times, should know the situation and make the right move is coach English, and he repeatedly fails to do that aspect of his job. Horrible management of the clock and timeouts, throwing out lineups that make no sense, not subbing out players when they need to be shown the bench. For example, letting players like Vaaks have free reign on the offensive end as he misses three-pointer after three-pointer. Last year, the excuse that there was not enough talent on the team was applicable, but that get-out-of-jail-free card is no longer valid. There is no more room for excuses for coach English and no reason for blame to be directed elsewhere. The blame must primarily fall on him. 

Some fans worry about next steps for the program. Firing coaches can cause massive disruption and overhaul in the college setting. They ask: what if players leave? What if we struggle with upcoming recruiting classes? Simply put, where do we go from here? No one holds the answers to those questions, but what has become clear is that this program is going absolutely nowhere under coach English. If the program needs to rebuild and go through a rocky period, then so be it at this point. Good programs are built with a strong foundation and winning culture. Coaches are not supposed to simply bring in talent; they are supposed to make players better and let them grow. The English era has been entirely absent of that. The bottom line is clear: the Friars need to bite the bullet and move on. 

by Chris Sama ’27 on January 22, 2026

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Sports - Men's Basketball

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The athlete of the week is Stefan Vaaks ’29, the 6’7” freshman guard from Tabasalu, Estonia. Vaaks was named Big East Freshman of the Week on Monday, Jan. 19 for his excellent performances against Creighton University on Friday, Jan. 16, and Villanova University on Tuesday, Jan. 13. Over the two games, Vaaks averaged 22.5 points and four assists on 50.75 field goal percent and 100 free throw percent.

On Friday, Vaaks had a career-high 24 points as well as seven assists, which were crucial in the Friars’ win against Creighton. He played extremely well by creating shots for himself off the dribble and drawing contact under the basket. Vaaks is a great playmaker who is able to draw defenders toward himself and create opportunities for his teammates. He has the most made three-point shots on the team. He has great chemistry with Oswin Erhunmwunse ’28 on pick and rolls where Vaaks is able to draw both defenders to him and lob it up to Erhunmwunse. He is a versatile defender, playing well off switches with his height and quickness.

This past week, Vaaks became the first freshman in the Big East to have three consecutive 20-point games in conference matchups since St. John’s University’s Marcus Lovett in 2017. While averaging four assists in these two games, he only had one turnover; he has a tight handle and makes smart passes, rarely giving up the ball. While he isn’t a flashy player, Vaaks is able to play calm and make smart decisions, relying on crafty footwork to create a perimeter shot or an open look while driving to the basket. He plays similar to Luka Doncic, who is known not for his speed but his strength and acceleration to blow by defenders. Vaaks shoots especially well on the right side of the court, especially in the corner. He usually is well positioned on the right wing in transition to get a catch and shoot three off before the opposing team can set on defense.

Vaaks shoots extremely well off the dribble, or catching his defender off balance and driving to the basket. He has been one of the most reliable scorers for Providence and has contributed immensely to the Friars’ two wins in conference play. Vaaks shot 66.7 percent from the three-point line against St. John’s at Madison Square Garden (MSG), scoring 16 points and six rebounds. Vaaks was assisted greatly by Erhunmwunse under the boards against Zuby Ejiofor, who had a career-high 33 points and 15 rebounds, showing Vaaks’ versatility in his role. He made a clutch 25-foot three-point shot off an assist from Jamier Jones ’29 to put the Friars up 72–70 against St. John’s. With 32 seconds left in the game, Vaaks scored a drive to the basket off an assist from Ryan Mela ’28 to put the Friars up by six, guaranteeing the Friars’ win at MSG, which is arguably the most notable win this season for the Friars so far.

by Andrew Vines ’29 on January 22, 2026

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Men's Basketball

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The Friars’ men’s basketball team tipped off Big East play on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025 at Butler University. Coming into conference play with a record of 7–4 and only one major win over Penn State, a below average Big Ten team, Kim English and his team needed to start conference play hot. At the historic Hinkle Fieldhouse the Friars had a halftime lead of four points and things looked promising. At the end of regulation, the score was all tied up at 89–89. After the first overtime, it remained tied. The Bulldogs would win the game in double overtime with a score of 113–110. Jason Edwards ’26G had a huge game in the defeat where he scored 32 points off of the bench, shooting 6–13 from beyond the arc to go along with six assists.

The Friars conference home opener was against Seton Hall University. Shaheem Halloway and his squad came into the game 10–1 after a strong non-conference campaign. The Friars looked to bounce back in front of a home crowd that was without students. The game was close the whole way through, but the Pirates pulled through in the end, winning 72–67. Once again English and his squad could not pull out a win in a close game. With the fanbase upset after a rough start to conference play English needed a win.

After a 15-day break English and his team were headed to Madison Square Garden to face Rick Pitino, Bryce Hopkins, and the St. John’s Johnnies. Despite the team being 7–6, the fans showed up for this big game. St. John’s took a 13–0 lead and things did not look good. The Friars took their first lead of 25–24 with 4:44 to go in the first half. By the end of the half this lead was gone and would not return until Stefan Vaaks ’29 hit a three to take a 72– 70 lead with less than two minutes to go. The Friars held the lead the rest of the game, with the final score being 77–71. Vaaks had 16 points shooting 4–6 from the three-point line and Jamier Jones ’29 had 15 points and led the team in rebounds, leading the way to a Friar victory. The belief was back in the fanbase after this huge win.

This belief and momentum were heard at the Amica Mutual Pavilion when No. 4 University of Connecticut came to town. This game was controlled by the Friars who had the lead from about five minutes left in the first half up to 13 seconds left in the game. This lead peaked at 13 points. The Huskies ended up winning 103–98 in overtime. Ryan Mela ’28 had a very impressive game off of the bench with 19 points, which included some big buckets late in the game. The fanbase was crushed after this loss. Things only got worse as the Friars would then drop their next two games. These included a road loss to Xavier University, which was never close, and ended in a 97–84 Musketeers victory. The next loss came at home to a strong Villanova University team. Jaylin Sellers ’26G had an impressive 24 points in the loss.

The Friars hosted Creighton University on a Friday night with the fanbase very upset with English. The team put up a great performance against a bubble team. Oswin Erhunmwunse ’28 played a great game where he grabbed 13 rebounds, which had been a struggle for the team all season. Vaaks once again put up a great performance with 24 points and seven assists in a 93–88 victory.

Overall, the team has looked talented in conference play, but the results have been disappointing. The team has been in most of these games yet has not been able to pull out wins. The rest of conference play and the Big East tournament will be very important for the future of this team.