Growing up, I remember getting excited when the Friars would sign a new recruit, because it meant that we would get to see these players grow and develop over their four years in Friartown. The first Friar class that I remember as a kid was the 1974 class featuring Bruce Campbell, Bill Eason, and Bob Misevicius, which was ranked among the best in the country. ‘Soup’ Campbell in particular was one of the top recruits in the nation and fans were excited to see the new era in Providence. This cycle of anticipation would repeat itself over the years, peaking during the Rick Barnes era, when the Friars were bringing in highly ranked recruits on an annual basis. This continued over the years, with more top-level recruits committing during the Ed Cooley era and continuing under Coach English. The difference in today’s game is that seeing a player develop over his tenure is an increasingly rare experience. As we wait for the players to return to campus this week, I wanted to acknowledge a key player on each team that is entering his third or fourth year at their school. A sign of the new era of college basketball is that several schools do not have a three- or four-year player on their rosters.
Butler – Finley Bizjack. Bizjack was a borderline 4-star recruit from Texas out of high school, and had flashes during his freshman year, making the all-freshman team in the Big East. He entered the transfer portal after that season but withdrew and returned to Butler shortly after the departure of Posh Alexander, which led to increased playing time last year. He improved all aspects of his game this past season, becoming a dangerous shooter, hitting 43% from deep. With the graduation of Jahmyl Telfort, Pierre Brooks, and Patrick McCaffrey, this will be Bizjack’s team in 2025-26, giving him a chance to elevate his entire game again.
Connecticut – Alex Karaban. I have been critical of Karaban over the last year or so, mainly because of the way he is praised in the national media. During the game against the Friar last year, a mediocre announcer had the audacity to refer to Karaban as Captain America. He was also named second team all-conference, a choice that made no sense. Having said all of this, he could be in a position to have a string senior season. During his first two seasons in Storrs, he had the luxury of being the fourth or fifth option in loaded Husky’s lineups. Last year he was forced to be a second or third option and struggled with the extra attention. This year has a wide range of outcomes for UConn, but if Silas Demary fits into Dan Hurley’s system and Braylon Mullins provides an offensive output similar to Liam McNeeley last year, Karaban could be in an enviable position in an offense led by ever-improving Solo Ball.
Creighton – Isaac Traudt. Traudt is another player who has paid his dues over the last two seasons, and no one would have blamed him if he moved on to another school. Traudt was a top 50 recruit who spent a redshirt season at Virginia before returning home to Creighton. While his playing time has been limited during his first two seasons, but has shown he can shoot, hitting 40% from three on 156 attempts. This year he is one of six players at 6’10” or taller on the roster, and he should be the best shooter of that group. Greg McDermott has brought in a lot of talent in the portal, but I can see him giving a shot with his experience and abilities. In the Bluejay offense, a shooter from deep will always have a role.
Marquette – Sean Jones. Marquette has a lot of players who have been in Milwaukee for three or more years, unlike the rest of the conference. I chose Jones as my pick because people may have forgotten about him after missing last season recuperating from ACL surgery. Friar fans may remember that Jones injured his ACL a week after Bryce Hopkins in January of 2024. Once it became clear he would not be able to return to action by the start of 2025, the decision was made to shut down for the year as a medical redshirt. While he was not a major threat offensively, he was a terrific defender who was comfortable guarding opponents 3-6 inches taller than him. Assuming he’s 100% healthy by now, he should give the Golden Eagles a boost on both sides of the court this year.
Zuby Ejiofor – St. John’s. Ejiofor transferred to Queens after a year at Kansas and played sparingly behind Joel Soriano. Despite rumors that he might leave after that first season, Rick Pitino convinced him that he would be a prominent player in his second season with him, and Ejiofor became an all-conference player who was arguably the most valuable player on the 30-win Johnnies. This season, Pitino has discussed having Ejiofor expand his offensive game instead of relying on his teammates. If he can do that, he will be a favorite for player of the year and potential All-American.
Rich Barron – Providence. The obvious choice here would have been Corey Floyd, but I hope to write a more expansive article on him before the season begins. I also believe that with all of the new players on the Friar roster, Barron has become a forgotten player. It is easy to forget that Barron had five games in double figures as a freshman while shooting 43% from three and made the all-freshman team. The other thing that gets forgotten is that Barron had shoulder season after his freshman year, and as Devin Carter has shown, it takes at least a full year to fully recuperate. (It is also fair to note the same thing applies to Oswin Erhunmwunse.) This year’s Friar team should have a number of players including Corey Floyd, Jason Edwards, Jaylin Sellers, and Ryan Mela who have the ability to penetrate into the lane. This should give ample opportunities for Barron to pop out for an open three on a kickout. Barron is also an adequate rebounder and defender who should be able to carve out a role on a talented team.
There’s no way of knowing how the rules and NIL changes being implemented will impact player movement going forward, but these players deserve credit for sticking it out in their respective situations.
Go Friars.
Like this:
Loading…
