Meet the Big East’s Incoming Recruits: Providence Friars

The Providence Friars may have their best recruiting class yet coming into 2018. The Friars scored two of the best guards in the nation and also have some strong pieces down low, as well. Their class ranked second in the Big East behind the Villanova Wildcats, and 21st in the nation as well. That’s ahead of teams like the Arizona Wildcats, Ohio State Buckeyes and West Virginia Mountaineers, among others.

What do Providence’s recruits look like going into this year? And what can we expect from them? Here now are passages from our own Chris Grenham on the four-man class coming to Friartown:

David Duke: Duke, as the preseason awards showed, is a legitimate contender for Big East freshman of the year. His game has developed so much over the last year or so, and it’ll only continue to blossom in Ed Cooley’s point guard factory. He’ll likely be the starting point guard for the Friars this year and should work very alongside Alpha Diallo. Duke is going to impress a lot of people around the country this year. I think he’s one of the best guards in this 2018 class.

AJ Reeves: Reeves has been a known scorer for years, so it was a treat when Friar fans heard of the Mass Rivals product’s commitment to Providence. He led PC in scoring during their summer trip to Italy, which was a nice preview of what the top 50 recruit can do. Reeves is a true off-ball shooting guard, which Ed Cooley hasn’t had in quite some time. Reeves is a terrific shooter, especially in catch-and-shoot situations, and can effectively get to the rim through traffic. It won’t take Friar fans long to fall in love with Reeves’ scoring ability.

Jimmy Nichols: While all of the focus on the 2018 class revolves around Duke and Reeves, Jimmy Nichols has quietly been impressing the Providence coaching staff since he arrived on campus. The 6-8 forward was ranked outside of the top 100, but Nichols is expected to compete for a starting job right off the bat. Nichols long frame will help the Friars stretch the floor, while also providing some shot blocking underneath.

Kris Monroe: The 6-foot-8 forward is solid on the glass, but word out of Friartown is that Monroe can shoot the lights out. His game and style resembles Rodney Bullock at times, especially when checking out Monroe’s range. He won’t make a big impact in year one, but keep an eye on Monroe’s progression down the line.