by The Cowl Editor on October 3, 2019
Professional Sports
by Sullivan Burgess ’20
As media day approaches for the new NBA season, both fans of the Chicago Bulls and Providence College Friars are looking foward to seeing former Friar point guard Kris Dunn ’16 as he prepares for his fourth season in the NBA and third season with the Chicago Bulls.
Dunn, the fifth pick of the first round of the 2016 NBA draft, is a well known name in the Friar community, recognized for his accomplishments on and off the court. However, when we think of a player such as Dunn, we also remember the other former Friars that are making a name for themselves globally in the world of basketball.
One of the Friars that comes to mind is former guard Bryce Cotton ’14. Cotton led the Friars to their first Big East Tournament win since 1994 and was named two-time First-Team All-Big East player in the years 2013 and 2014, averaging 19.7 and 21.8 points respectively.
While Cotton went undrafted in the 2014 NBA Draft, he bounced around from the G-League Austin Spurs to the Utah Jazz, to the Phoenix Suns, and to the Memphis Grizzlies. On the Austin Spurs he was named to the NBA G-League All-Star team, the All-Rookie First Team, and the All-NBA G-League Second Team in the year 2015. He eventually made a name for himself in the Australian basketball league known as the National Basketball League, where he is a two-time champion for the Perth Wildcats. Cotton also was awarded the Grand-Final MVP in 2017 and was named to the All-NBL First Team in 2018 and 2019. One of the best players in the league, Cotton will look to defend the Wildcat’s championship in the coming season.
Former Friar point guard Kyron Cartwright ’18 has also made a name for himself overseas. The 5’11” point guard remained a Friar for his four years of eligibility and was awarded Second Team All-Big East in 2017, as well as Most Improved Player. In the 2018-2019 season, Cartwright signed with Alba Fehérvár of the Hungarian basketball league where he averaged 9.1 points and 4.4 assists before leaving in 2019. Currently, Cartwright is signed with the Leicester Riders of the British Basketball League, and is waiting for his new season in a new country to begin.
Coincidentally,Cartwright’s teammate and former Friar forward Rodney Bullock ’18 has signed with Alba Fehérvár in the 2018 season.
The last Friar alumni to watch is former second-round pick for the Boston Celtics, Ben Bentil ’16. After traveling from G-League teams,to China, to the Dallas Mavericks, Bentil currently resides on the Greek EuroLeague team known as Panathinaikos B.C. In his last season in the EuroLeague, he averaged 12.5 points and 6.7 rebounds, making him a dominant force in the league.
While some Friars found success in the NBA, some were able to make a name for themselves around the world on international basketball teams, all carrying on the Friar values they were instilled with in their time here at PC.