📅 Date & Time: Monday, November 4, 2024, at 7:00pm
📍 Venue: Amica Mutual Pavilion, Providence, RI
📺 Broadcast: FS1 with Dave Sims and Dickey Simpkins (Fox Sports App); Radio with John Rooke and Joe Hassett on WPRO-99.7 FM/630 AM (The Varsity Network App & YouTube); FriarTV
🤑 Opening Line: Providence -18, Over/Under 137.5
🎟️Tickets: SeatGeek (enter promo code pcbb1917 for $20 off your first purchase)
Providence College Friars:
- All-Time Record in Season Openers: 86-11, 89-8 in home openers
- Preseason News & Notes:
- Bryce Hopkins was again named to the Big East First Team in the preseason and was one of 50 players on the Naismith Trophy College Player of the Year Preseason Watch List and one of 20 players named to the Karl Malone Power Forward Of The Year Preseason Watch List. Kim English became the first coach in school history to record 20 or more wins in their first season at the helm of the Providence program in 2023-24. Providence brought in 7 new players for the 2024-25 season. Devin Carter, who was the Big East Player of the Year in 2023-24, was the 12th Friar all-time to be taken in the First Round of the NBA Draft when Carter was selected 13th in the lottery by the Sacramento Kings.
- Providence vs:
- Providence is 7-2 all-time against Central Connecticut with the last meeting being December 11, 2021 with Providence winning, 68-53, at home. The last time Central Connecticut won against the Friars was December 21, 1999.
- Returning Stat Leaders:
- Points/Game – Bryce Hopkins, 15.9
- Rebounds/Game – Bryce Hopkins, 8.6
- Assists/Game – Jayden Pierre, 3.2
- Minutes/Game – Bryce Hopkins, 33.5
Central Connecticut Blue Devils
- In Season Openers: Central Connecticut last won a season opener on November 6, 2018 at Hartford.
- Preseason News & Notes
- Jordan Jones was picked for the All-NEC Team in the preseason and Central Connecticut was tied with Wagner for 1st place in the league’s preseason poll. The Blue Devils’ senior big man, Jayden Brown, is a Providence native who finished at the Tilton School. He is the younger brother of former Pittsburgh big man Terrell Brown who also went to Tilton.
- Stat Leaders:
- Points/Game – Jordan Jones, 13.1
- Rebounds/Game – Jayden Brown, 4.7
- Assists/Game – Jordan Jones, 3.6
- Minutes/Game – Jordan Jones, 29.4
Game Preview:
Providence opens their season at home against Central Connecticut on Monday. The Friars expect to have everyone available to play in this game except for Bryce Hopkins as he continues his recovery from ACL surgery in January 2024. It remains to be seen who will start and who will play on a minutes restriction for Providence, but the talent gap is wide here despite Central Connecticut winning the NEC regular season last year and being picked at the top of the NEC and sporting preseason All-NEC player Jordan Jones. In the preseason ratings at Kenpom, the NEC is expected to be the worst of the 31 leagues in Division 1 this season. Look for Kim English to mix and match quite a bit with some of the likely due to managing minutes with several players limited by injuries over the last few weeks. The Friars will have their biggest physical advantage on the inside and with English’s renewed interest in offensive rebounds expect to see Providence own the boards. If they also have a great shooting night this one could be over really early. For some fun, the last time Providence played Central Connecticut, AJ Reeves was the leading scorer with 17 points with Justin Minaya (14) and Noah Horchler (12) rounding out the other Friars in double figures. Horchler had a double-double with 10 rebounds and Reeves dished 7 times which is his career-high for assists. Andrew Fonts got 94 seconds of action last time out and don’t be surprised if Nilavan Daniels sees some walk-on minutes in this one.
Score Prediction: Providence 76, Central Connecticut 58