Javon Bardwell commits to Providence (Photo by On3.com)

By KEVIN McNAMARA

PROVIDENCE – If there ever was an example of recruiting NEVER ending, the newest example A is Javon Bardwell.

A former Top 20 recruit who committed to Kansas last fall, Bardwell recently reclassified into the 2026 class and after weighing multiple offers announced Sunday he will sign with Bryan Hodgson and the Providence Friars. Bardwell will sign a two-year contract with PC, according to sources.

Bardwell joins a deep group of wing players for the Friars that includes players with extensive collegiate experience like PC veteran Ryan Mela, Devin Vanterpool (Florida Atlantic), Miles Byrd (San Diego St.), incoming freshman Clyde Walters and NBA GLeague recruit Dink Pate, among others. Bardwell is scouted as an elite run-and-jump athlete. The New York City native played last year at Overtime Elite and has also spent time at Phoenix Prep. Originally slotted as a member of the 2027 recruit class, the 6-6 wing was a Top 20 rated player before he opened up his recruitment earlier in August. Now slotted into the 2026 class, Bardwell’s ranking is still a hearty 33rd by 247Sports.

This summer, playing with the Compton Magic on the adidas 3SSB Circuit, Bardwell averaged 20.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. He has big-time upside and his multi-year commitment to the Friars shows that he is focused on growing his game on the collegiate level.

The Friars had room under the NCAA’s expanded roster limit of 15 players. The Friars intend on getting Pate eligible and are also holding a scholarship for Joseph Pinion, a 6-6 shooting guard who played for Hodgson at South Florida last season. Pinion has played four years of college ball but is exploring a injury/hardship waiver from earlier in his career while at Arkansas.

The Friars are still awaiting an eligibility ruling on Pate, the 6-8 Dallas native who has shined in the G League with the Westchester Knicks. Pate signed an Exhibit 10 contract during his G League tenure, a decision that he believed would still allow him to enroll in college if he chose. The NCAA, and other conferences, are now saying that an NBA contract of any kind ends a prospects NCAA eligibility.

Pate intends on challenging this ruling and will continue to wait for a ruling from the NCAA. Eligibility standards are literally changing by the week with the start of football and will remain unclear as court cases around the country get adjudicated.

Dink Pate intends on playing at Providence in 2026-27