Bryan Hodgson becomes the Friars’ third coach in five seasons in 2026-27
By KEVIN McNAMARA
PROVIDENCE – And so it begins, once again.
The 100th season – yes, 100th Friar fans – of Providence College basketball tipped off Monday night at the Amica Mutual Pavilion and this opener owned a bit of a familial feel.
For the second time in four seasons, PC fans showed up as much to welcome a new head coach as to cheer on their team against an over-matched foe. Everyone left smiling as Bryan Hodgson’s team owned much too much for the Maine Black Bears in a 83-56 victory.
Nothing about the game, or the moment, was a surprise. Ever since athletic director Steve Napolillo determined sometime last winter that the Kim English era would end after three years, everyone at PC craved the feeling flowing through the AMP on this night.
A new start. A fresh look. Opportunity dressed in expensive sneakers.
That’s what can happen in modern-day college sports. Things go poorly, you swallow hard and pay off an under-achieving coach. Then you pour new money into the Next Big Thing and fill out the roster with even more money. In a snap, desperation and frustration is replaced by hope and excitement.
This was the sixth time I’ve seen a Providence College coach make his debut. The first was Pete Gillen back in 1994. That hire worked out great. The fifth was English in 2023. His first game brought the expected blowout (of Columbia) but by the start of last season the red flags were waving even before the fall leaves began turning colors.
The Friars began last season struggling to get past Holy Cross, 89-79. A buzzer-beating loss to Virginia Tech and then an awful defensive effort (1st of many) in a loss at Colorado brought home everyone’s worst fears. By Thanksgiving weekend the Friars owned four losses and their non-league resume was toast.
That obviously cannot be the case this time around. Coincidentally, the Friars head back to Mohegan Sun for their second game of the season just like they did vs. Va. Tech last year. This time around it’s a matchup with a Nebraska team that just may end up as the best team on PC’s non-league schedule. The opportunity to play an Arizona after the first round of the Maui Invitational may offer a stiffer opponent, but the chance to get a Big Ten opponent on PC’s home-away-from-home court at Mohegan is one that cannot be missed.
The Cornhuskers loosened up for that matchup by blowing out LeMoyne Monday night, 106-64. They’ll offer a very stiff test.
Here are the season-opening KenPom numbers for PC’s non-league slate:
344 – Maine
15 – Nebraska
307- Bryant
87- Colorado
318 – Sacred Heart
57 – VCU
**2 more TBD Maui games
132 – @ Rhode Island
235 – Fairfield
82 – Syracuse
Gavin Hightower (7 assists, 5 steals) will be a backcourt key for the Friars
Hodgson insists that he wants to carry the playing style that won him conference championships at Arkansas State and South Florida to Providence. Some ingredients will be easily transferable, others not so much. The one that is non-negotiable is to play hard, for 40 minutes. Hodgson said he didn’t see enough of that from all of his players in a first half that ended with PC up 34-26. The Friars forced 12 Maine turnovers but settled for a 21-21 count off the glass and shot 39 percent from the floor.
“I’m not the type to sugar-coat things. We’ve got to get a lot better before Saturday,” Hodgson said. “We’ve got to put a full, 40 minute game together. That first half was just not very good and then some lulls there in the second half. Offensively out of our rhythm.”
The offense was significantly better in the second half as the Friars put up 49 points on 51 percent shooting. They did not shoot well from downtown (10-of-30) but led by Jacob Bannarbie (7-of-7) and Ryan Mela (13 points), the Friars scored 42 points in the paint.
Hodgson used 11 players with varying degrees of success. Starting center Arrinten Page seemed to tweak his knee in the first half and would see just five minutes of time. Backup Samson Aletan also didn’t get much done but Bannarbie is looking like a dialed-in frontcourt piece who owns good hands and knows how to score. The transfer from UNLV insists that he “knows what I’m capable of when I’m in shape,” and he doesn’t own an ounce of fat. Instead Hodgson says the pace he’s pushing his players to reach is one that no one is yet ready for.
Hodgson did put Elijah Saunders into the game. The well-traveled power forward (San Diego St., Virginia, Maryland) has been on campus and in practice for less than two weeks as he awaited a court hearing on his attempt to play a fifth season of college basketball. That decision recently came down in his favor in a California court and if he can remain eligible (which is very unclear, pending NCAA appeal), it looks like he will be a certain rotation player. Saunders knocked in 3-point shots on two quick possessions and all but oozes with basketball savvy.
“Elijah is one of the most intelligent guys I’ve coached,” Hodgson said. “He just knows how to play, he understands basketball.”
Saunders may yet be a starter down the road for this team. So might Devin Vanterpool, a big wing guard who is still nursing a sore left ankle but may be able to try to play Saturday.
While Providence listed an attendance of 11,685, there were not that many people in the stands. Let’s call it 9,000 and be happy, because that’s also an excellent crowd for an opener against Maine. The student sections were packed, so much so that Miles Byrd (10 points, 7 steals) couldn’t believe that he’s able to strut in front of his classmates on both ends of the court. Byrd is a long-armed defensive demon who is already a fan favorite. Freshman athletic dynamo Javon Bardwell (12 points) will quickly check that box as well.
After PC introduced Byrd and the other starters, it played the theme from ‘Jaws’ when Hodgson’s face was shown on the Jumbotron. The crowd ate it up. Clearly, so did the coach who’s looking to make this era of Friar basketball – and this 100th season – one to remember.
“This college, this fan base, we’re in the 100th year of Friar basketball,” Hodgson said. “I get to walk out there as the head coach. It’s really special. I don’t take that for granted. Absolutely fired up to be here, really excited about what we’ve got ahead of us. I can promise you you’re going to get my best effort and we have a group of young men that are going to give you the same thing.
