Providence Recruiting Update: Introducing the Class of 2019

It’s September 27th and Providence has two commitments for the Class of 2017 to fill the two scholarships that were available for next year’s roster at the present. While the coaching staff hasn’t totally stopped keeping tabs on 2017 targets, much of the recruiting attention has already shifted to both the Class of 2018 and Class of 2019. As of today, pcbb1917.com now has a “Class of 2019” page. There are only 8 recruits there right now compared to over 30 on the page for the Class of 2018, so let’s take this opportunity to meet some of the players the Providence coaching staff has already identified — and offered in many cases — from the class of current high school sophomores.

Class of 2019

Click through to each prospect’s page for a highlight video.

mohammad-abdulsalam-crystal-ballMohammed Abdulsalam

  • Position: Center
  • Height: 6’8
  • Weight: 268 lbs
  • High School: Greenforest Christian
  • Hometown: Decatur, GA
  • Grassroots Team: Georgia Stars
  • Offer: Yes, 7/9/2016
  • Providence Coach: Battle
  • 247Sports’ Composite National Ranking: 120

“Big Mo”, as he’s known by teammates and friends, plays for the same high school as former 2017 Friar target Victor Enoh. Abdulsalam was previously a member of the class of 2018, but will be repeating his sophomore year and moving to the class of 2019. Back in June at the 2016 Nike Elite 100 he measured 6’6 without shoes and sported a 7’0 wingspan while tipping the scales at 268 lbs. He has offers from Georgia Tech, Providence and UAB after running with the 16U Georgia Stars in the spring and summer.

armando-bacot-247Armando Bacot

  • Position: Power Forward
  • Height: 6’8
  • Weight: 225 lbs
  • High School: Trinity Episcopal School
  • Hometown: Richmond, VA
  • Grassroots Team: Team Loaded VA
  • Offer: Yes, 8/4/2016
  • Providence Coach: Thomas
  • 247Sports’ Composite National Ranking: 38

Bacot has already seen his recruitment pick up pretty substantially for someone who has only gone through a few weeks of classes as a sophomore in high school. Bacot faced off head-to-head against Providence commit Nate Watson when Watson’s Bishop O’Connell team beat Bacot and Trinity Episcopal in the quarterfinals of the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association’s Division I state tournament, 70-57. Bacot has offers from Georgia Tech, James Madison, Old Dominion, Penn State, Providence, Richmond, St. John’s, UCF, VCU, Virginia and Virginia Tech with Duke also recently expressing interest. The burly power forward took an unofficial visit to the Durham campus this past Saturday after being at North Carolina for an unofficial visit the weekend before.

joey-baker-crystal-ballJoey Baker

  • Position: Wing Forward
  • Height: 6’7
  • Weight: 190 lbs
  • High School: Trinity Christian Academy
  • Hometown: Fayetteville, NC
  • Grassroots Team: Team Felton
  • Offer: Yes, 8/3/2016
  • Providence Coach: Battle
  • 247Sports’ Composite National Ranking: 23

Baker is the most highly ranked at this early stage according to 247Sports’ Composite National Ranking. He was supposed to be a role player on a Trinity Christian team that featured top-10 point guard Dennis Smith last season but Baker was forced into more of a starring role as a freshman once Smith went down with a torn ACL in August 2015. Baker, who played on the varsity at Trinity Christian as an eighth-grader, averaged 12.7 points/game and 7.4 rebounds/game last season on the way to an improbable state championship for the 2015-16 Trinity Christian squad. He also earned North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association 1A All-State honors. Baker was born in North Carolina but lived for a short time as a child near Boston. He still has family in Massachusetts and his great-uncle played basketball at Boston University in the mid-1950’s. His favorite college team growing up was Kansas. Baker’s offers so far are from Charlotte, Clemson, East Carolina, Florida, Hofstra, NC State, Providence, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest and Western Carolina.

aundre-hyatt-crytal-ballAundre Hyatt

  • Position: Wing Forward
  • Height: 6’6
  • Weight: 210 lbs
  • High School: The Miller School
  • Hometown: Mount Vernon, NY
  • Grassroots Team: NY Lightning
  • Offer: Yes, 9/23/2016
  • Providence Coach: Blaney
  • 247Sports’ Composite National Ranking: 87

Providence began keeping tabs on Hyatt when he was a member of the class of 2018 enrolled at Stepinac near his Mount Vernon, NY home. Hyatt played at Stepinac with former Friar target Jordan Tucker last year, but the lanky wing forward made a name for himself this spring and summer running with the NY Lightning on the Nike EYBL circuit. He also was a standout at the Nike Elite 100 camp, where he measured with an impressive 7’0 wingspan and was described as backing “up his ranking and may be a bit under-ranked at this point,” according to Rivals.com national recruiting analyst Eric Bossi. Since then, Hyatt has opted to leave the NYC area and head south to The Miller School in Virginia. He will also repeat his sophomore year and join the class of 2019. Hyatt holds offers from East Carolina, Hofstra, Iona, Manhattan, Providence, Saint Louis, South Floria, St. John’s, UMass, USC, VCU and Yale.

josh-nickelberry-crystal-ballJosh Nickelberry

  • Position: Shooting Guard
  • Height: 6’4
  • Weight: 175 lbs
  • High School: Trinity Christian Academy
  • Hometown: Eastover, NC
  • Grassroots Team: Team Loaded NC
  • Offer: Yes, 8/28/2016
  • Providence Coach: Battle
  • 247Sports’ Composite National Ranking: NR

Nickelberry will return to Trinity Christian Academy for his sophomore season after being enrolled at the Fayetteville school for sixth and seventh grades. He attended nearby Northwood Temple Academy for eighth and ninth grade and played both of those years on the varsity squad. Nickelberry was recently one of 56 players selected by USA Basketball to take part in their October Mini-camp at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. He’ll be one of 32 players in attendance who will be looking to make the 2017 U16 team. Nickelberry, who is young for his grade, ran with Team Loaded NC’s U15 squad during the grassroots season. He has offers from Baylor, East Carolina, Georgia Tech, Howard, Penn State, Providence, Tulane, VCU, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest. He took in a Georgia Tech football game last Thursday night while on an unofficial visit. His father played linebacker at Northern Illinois.

Preston Santos Crystal BallPreston Santos

  • Position: Wing Forward
  • Height: 6’6
  • Weight: 180 lbs
  • High School: Brooks School
  • Hometown: East Providence, RI
  • Grassroots Team: Expressions Elite
  • Offer: No
  • Providence Coach: Blaney
  • 247Sports’ Composite National Ranking: NR

Santos is another player who has opted to reclassify and move from 2018 to 2019. In doing so, he also transferred from Bishop Hendricken to Brooks School. The Friars were tracking Santos while the lefty was in 2018 at Hendricken and it will be interesting if Providence picks up their involvement now that Santos is in 2019. He ran with Expressions Elite U16 team on the grassroots circuit last spring and summer and has attended Providence’s Elite Camp in the past. Santos has offers from Bryant, George Washington, Monmouth and Rhode Island.

kyle-sturdivant-crystal-ballKyle Sturdivant

  • Position: Point Guard
  • Height: 6’2
  • Weight: 185 lbs
  • High School: Norcross High School
  • Hometown: Norcross, GA
  • Grassroots Team: Atlanta Xpress
  • Offer: No
  • Providence Coach: Thomas
  • 247Sports’ Composite National Ranking: 121

Sturdivant is a punishing point guard from Norcross, GA. He ran with Atlanta Xpress’ U17 team on the Under Armour Association circuit this spring and summer where he averaged 9.3 points/game and 2.4 assists/game. He had one game with 28 points during the UAA Finals Showcase event in July. Ivan Thomas was recently down in Georgia and took in a practice at Norcross High School. Sturdivant has offers from Auburn, Georgia Tech, Iowa State, Kennesaw State, Memphis, Miami, Texas A&M, USC and Xavier.

bryce-wills-crystal-ballBryce Wills

  • Position: Point Guard
  • Height: 6’5
  • Weight: 180 lbs
  • High School: Iona Prep
  • Hometown: Valhalla, NY
  • Grassroots Team: PSA Cardinals
  • Offer?: Yes, 6/26/2016
  • Providence Coach: Unknown
  • 247Sports’ Composite National Ranking: 103

Wills is a big guard who Providence offered after he attended their Elite Camp this past June. He will repeat his sophomore year at Iona Prep after missing most of last season with an ankle injury and is now in the class of 2019 as a result. In his freshman season at Iona Prep he played JV before being called up to the varsity for the playoffs. That combined with missing most of his true sophomore season due to injury mean he doesn’t have much in the way of a high school hoops resume. He did play well with the 16U PSA Cardinals on the Nike EYBL circuit and continues to attract attention from college coaches. Wills has offers from Connecticut, Fordham, Gonzaga, Hofstra, Iona, Maryland, Minnesota, Penn State, Providence, Saint Louis, St. John’s, Temple, UMass, VCU, Villanova and Wake Forest.

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2 responses to “Providence Recruiting Update: Introducing the Class of 2019”

  1. […] 5. Pcbb1917 introduces The Class of 2019.. […]

  2. […] As his game expands, the sky is the limit for the already 250 pound near 7-footer. He joins Mohammed Abdulsalam and Armando Bacot as 2019 big men in possession of an offer from Providence. You can read more about Abdulsalam and Bacot in my post where I debuted the Class of 2019 page at the end of September. […]

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