# 2021–22 Providence Friars men's basketball team

The 2021–22 Providence Friars men's basketball team represented Providence College during the 2021–22 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team was led by 11th-year head coach Ed Cooley, and played their home games at Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island as a member of the Big East Conference. They finished the season 27–6, 14–3 in Big East play to win the school's first regular season championship. The Friars defeated Butler in the quarterfinals of the Big East tournament before losing to Creighton in the semifinals. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament as the No. 4 seed in the Midwest region. They defeated South Dakota State and Richmond to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. There they lost to No. 1 seed and eventual national champion Kansas.

## Previous season

In a season limited due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Friars finished the 2020–21 season 13–13, 9–10 in Big East play to finish in sixth place. As the No. 6 seed in the Big East tournament, they lost to DePaul in the first round.

## Offseason
### Departures

| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Reason for departure |
| Greg Gantt | 1 | F | 6'8" | 220 | Sophomore | Fayetteville, NC | Transferred to NC State |
| Kris Monroe | 2 | F | 6'8" | 215 | Junior | Creedmoor, NC | Transferred to North Carolina Central |
| David Duke Jr. | 3 | G | 6'5" | 205 | Junior | Providence, RI | Declared for the 2021 NBA draft |
| Jimmy Nichols Jr. | 5 | F | 6'8" | 220 | Junior | Conway, SC | Transferred to VCU |
| Jyare Davis | 13 | F | 6'7" | 215 | Freshman | Newark, DE | Transferred to Delaware |

### Incoming transfers

| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Previous school |
| Al Durham | 1 | G | 6'4" | 180 | Graduate Student | Lilburn, GA | Indiana |
| Matteus Case | 3 | G | 6'5" | 190 | Freshman | Pickering, ON | Penn |
| Justin Minaya | 15 | F | 6'7" | 210 | Graduate Student | Harrington Park, NJ | South Carolina |

### Recruiting classes
#### 2021 recruiting class

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Rafael Castro #24 PF | Dover, NJ | Dover High School | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) | 215 lb (98 kg) | Nov 5, 2020 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 81 ||||||
| Legend Geeter #30 PF | River Rouge, MI | River Rouge High School | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | Sep 11, 2020 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 79 ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: ||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "2021 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved October 15, 2021. ||||||

#### 2022 recruiting class

US college sports recruiting information for 2022 recruits :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Quant'e Berry #40 SG | Cleveland, TN | Winston-Salem Prep | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | Jul 5, 2021 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 80 |||||||
| Jayden Pierre #39 PG | Brookville, NY | Long Island Lutheran High School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 165 lb (75 kg) | Sep 26, 2021 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 80 |||||||
| Christ Essandoko C | Paris, France | Winston-Salem Prep | 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) | 265 lb (120 kg) | Oct 2, 2021 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: ESPN: N/A ESPN grade: NR |||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: |||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "2022 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved October 15, 2021. |||||||

## Schedule and results

The Friars had games against Creighton, UConn, and Seton Hall canceled due to COVID-19 protocols. An additional game against Georgetown was originally canceled and then later rescheduled for January 20, 2022.
| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Exhibition |||||||||
| October 21, 2021* 7:00 p.m. | | Stonehill | W 95–71 | | 17 – Watson | 8 – Durham | 5 – Durham | Dunkin' Donuts Center (3,895) Providence, RI |
| Non-conference regular season |||||||||
| November 9, 2021* 7:00 p.m., FS1 | | Fairfield | W 80–73 | 1–0 | 22 – Watson | 11 – Horchler | 4 – Bynum | Dunkin' Donuts Center (9,990) Providence, RI |
| November 11, 2021* 6:30 p.m., FS1 | | Sacred Heart | W 92–64 | 2–0 | 15 – Breed | 10 – Watson | 4 – Bynum | Dunkin' Donuts Center (9,716) Providence, RI |
| November 15, 2021* 9:00 p.m., FS1 | | at Wisconsin Gavitt Tipoff Games | W 63–58 | 3–0 | 24 – Watson | 9 – Bynum | 7 – Bynum | Kohl Center (15,773) Madison, WI |
| November 18, 2021* 6:30 p.m., FS2 | | New Hampshire | W 69–58 | 4–0 | 19 – Durham | 12 – Horchler | 4 – Horchler | Dunkin' Donuts Center (4,872) Providence, RI |
| November 22, 2021* 9:30 p.m., ESPN+ | | vs. Northwestern Legends Classic semifinals | W 77–72 | 5–0 | 16 – Watson | 7 – Horchler | 7 – Durham | Prudential Center (3,719) Newark, NJ |
| November 23, 2021* 7:30 p.m., ESPN2 | | vs. Virginia Legends Classic championship | L 40–58 | 5–1 | 14 – Horchler | 7 – Horchler | 3 – Bynum | Prudential Center (2,787) Newark, NJ |
| November 27, 2021* 12:00 p.m., FS2 | | Saint Peter's | W 85–71 | 6–1 | 25 – Horchler | 11 – Horchler | 5 – Horchler | Dunkin' Donuts Center (6,978) Providence, RI |
| December 1, 2021* 8:30 p.m., FS1 | | Texas Tech Big East–Big 12 Battle | W 72–68 | 7–1 | 23 – Durham | 8 – Reeves | 2 – 2 tied | Dunkin' Donuts Center (10,022) Providence, RI |
| December 4, 2021* 2:00 p.m., CBSSN | | Rhode Island Ocean State Rivalry | W 66–52 | 8–1 | 16 – Horchler | 15 – Croswell | 6 – Durham | Dunkin' Donuts Center (12,947) Providence, RI |
| December 7, 2021* 6:30 p.m., FS1 | | Vermont | W 68–58 | 9–1 | 24 – 2 Tied | 10 – Horchler | 5 – Durham | Dunkin' Donuts Center (5,087) Providence, RI |
| December 11, 2021* 2:00 p.m., FS1 | | Central Connecticut | W 68–53 | 10–1 | 17 – Reeves | 10 – Horchler | 7 – Reeves | Dunkin' Donuts Center (5,111) Providence, RI |
| Big East regular season |||||||||
| December 18, 2021 5:00 p.m., FOX | | at No. 20 UConn | W 57–53 | 11–1 (1–0) | 16 – Reeves | 7 – Watson | 4 – Durham | XL Center (15,564) Hartford, CT |
| December 29, 2021 7:00 p.m., FS1 | No. 21 | No. 15 Seton Hall | W 70–65 | 12–1 (2–0) | 17 – Horchler | 13 – Horchler | 4 – Bynum | Dunkin' Donuts Center (12,069) Providence, RI |
| January 1, 2022 3:00 p.m., FOX | No. 21 | at DePaul | W 70–53 | 13–1 (3–0) | 17 – Durham | 11 – Minaya | 7 – Bynum | Wintrust Arena (2,956) Chicago, IL |
| January 4, 2022 9:00 p.m., FS1 | No. 16т | at Marquette | L 56–88 | 13–2 (3–1) | 16 – Durham | 8 – Watson | 3 – Bynum | Fiserv Forum (11,757) Milwaukee, WI |
| January 8, 2022 12:00 p.m., FS1 | No. 16т | St. John's | W 83–73 | 14–2 (4–1) | 22 – Watson | 13 – Horchler | 3 – Bynum | Dunkin' Donuts Center (10,008) Providence, RI |
| January 11, 2022 9:00 p.m., FS1 | No. 23 | at Creighton | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols | CHI Health Center Omaha Omaha, NE |
| January 15, 2022 2:00 p.m., FS1 | No. 23 | UConn | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols | Dunkin' Donuts Center Providence, RI |
| January 18, 2022 7:00 p.m., FS1 | No. 21 | at Seton Hall | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols | Prudential Center Newark, NJ |
| January 20, 2022 5:00 p.m., FS1 | No. 21 | Georgetown Rescheduled from December 22 | W 83–75 | 15–2 (5–1) | 15 – 2 Tied | 9 – Minaya | 8 – Bynum | Dunkin' Donuts Center (9,105) Providence, RI |
| January 23, 2022 12:00 p.m., FS1 | No. 21 | Butler | W 69–62 | 16–2 (6–1) | 18 – Watson | 8 – 2 tied | 6 – Bynum | Dunkin' Donuts Center (10,561) Providence, RI |
| January 26, 2022 6:30 p.m., CBSSN | No. 17 | at No. 21 Xavier | W 65–62 | 17–2 (7–1) | 22 – Durham | 11 – Horchler | 4 – 2 tied | Cintas Center (10,224) Cincinnati, OH |
| January 30, 2022 12:30 p.m., FS1 | No. 17 | No. 22 Marquette | W 65–63 | 18–2 (8–1) | 17 – Watson | 10 – Horchler | 6 – Bynum | Dunkin' Donuts Center (12,157) Providence, RI |
| February 1, 2022 9:00 p.m., CBSSN | No. 15 | at St. John's | W 86–82 | 19–2 (9–1) | 16 – Bynum | 7 – Horchler | 4 – 2 tied | Carnesecca Arena (4,781) Queens, NY |
| February 6, 2022 12:00 p.m., FS1 | No. 15 | at Georgetown | W 71–52 | 20–2 (10–1) | 32 – Bynum | 10 – Horchler | 3 – Durham | Capital One Arena (5,575) Washington, D.C. |
| February 12, 2022 6:30 p.m., FS1 | No. 11 | DePaul | W 76–73 $^{OT}$ | 21–2 (11–1) | 25 – Bynum | 7 – 3 Tied | 6 – Bynum | Dunkin' Donuts Center (12,810) Provdience, RI |
| February 15, 2022 8:00 p.m., CBSSN | No. 8 | No. 10 Villanova | L 84–89 | 21–3 (11–2) | 20 – Watson | 7 – Tied | 3 – Tied | Dunkin' Donuts Center (12,636) Providence, RI |
| February 20, 2022 1:00 p.m., FS1 | No. 8 | at Butler | W 71–70 $^{OT}$ | 22–3 (12–2) | 22 – Watson | 11 – Horchler | 5 – Bynum | Hinkle Fieldhouse (7,588) Indianapolis, IN |
| February 23, 2022 7:00 p.m., CBSSN | No. 11 | Xavier | W 99–92 $^{3OT}$ | 23–3 (13–2) | 27 – Bynum | 9 – Horchler | 6 – Durham | Dunkin' Donuts Center (12,400) Providence, RI |
| February 26, 2022 8:30 p.m., FS1 | No. 11 | Creighton | W 72–51 | 24–3 (14–2) | 23 – Reeves | 11 – Minaya | 7 – Bynum | Dunkin' Donuts Center (12,400) Providence, RI |
| March 1, 2022 6:30 p.m., FS1 | No. 9 | at No. 11 Villanova | L 74–76 | 24–4 (14–3) | 19 – Bynum | 7 – Horchler | 10 – Bynum | Finneran Pavilion (6,501) Villanova, PA |
| Big East tournament |||||||||
| March 10, 2022 12:00 p.m., FS1 | (1) No. 11 | vs. (9) Butler Quarterfinals | W 65–61 | 25–4 | 26 – Watson | 8 – Minaya | 3 – Reeves | Madison Square Garden (19,812) New York, NY |
| March 11, 2022 6:30 p.m., FS1 | (1) No. 11 | vs. (4) Creighton Semifinals | L 58–85 | 25–5 | 21 – Durham | 6 – Minaya | 3 – Durham | Madison Square Garden (19,812) New York, NY |
| NCAA tournament |||||||||
| March 17, 2022 12:40 p.m., truTV | (4 MW) No. 13 | vs. (13 MW) South Dakota State First Round | W 66–57 | 26–5 | 13 – Durham | 9 – Tied | 6 – Durham | KeyBank Center Buffalo, NY |
| March 19, 2022 6:10 p.m., TNT | (4 MW) No. 13 | vs. (12 MW) Richmond Second Round | W 79–51 | 27–5 | 16 – Horchler | 14 – Horchler | 6 – Bynum | KeyBank Center Buffalo, NY |
| March 25, 2022 7:29 p.m., TBS | (4 MW) No. 13 | vs. (1 MW) No. 3 Kansas Sweet Sixteen | L 61–66 | 27–6 | 21 – Durham | 8 – Horchler | 4 – Tied | United Center (20,857) Chicago, IL |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Eastern Time. |||||||||
Source

## Awards and honors
### Big East Conference honors
#### All-Big East Awards

* Coach of the Year: Ed Cooley
* Sixth Man: Jared Bynum

#### All-Big East Second Team

* Jared Bynum
* Nate Watson
Sources