- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 420,271
- Reaction score
- 43
Providence College landed its first men’s basketball transfer commitment of the spring on Wednesday, getting some frontcourt help who enjoyed a 2024-25 breakout at Drexel.
Cole Hargrove pledged to the Friars after visiting campus over the weekend. The power forward made the announcement on his personal social media pages.
Hargrove played in a combined 34 games through his first two seasons before starting all 33 with the Dragons last year. He averaged 9.9 points and 7.5 rebounds while posting top-120 national numbers in effective field-goal percentage, 2-point shooting percentage and blocked-shot percentage.
Hargrove posted four double-doubles, including a pair against Big 5 opponents. He hit for 10 points and 15 rebounds while falling to La Salle and collected 17 points and 13 rebounds in a victory over Penn. Hargrove’s last big outing came in the Coastal Athletic Association Tournament opener against Elon, as he piled up 19 points on 8-for-11 shooting and 10 boards in a 91-74 victory.
“I will always be grateful to have been a Dragon,” Hargrove wrote while announcing his entry into the portal in late March. “I’ve built countless relationships and experienced moments that I will never forget.”
Hargrove blocked at least three shots in 12 games last season and at least four shots four times. He should help a Providence paint defense that allowed opponents to shoot 49.0% from 2-point range last season. That was a significant jump from 45.5% the previous year, a mark that ranked inside the national top 20.
Hargrove is a Pennsylvania native who starred at Methacton High, about 45 minutes outside Philadelphia. Verbal Commits listed offers from just Drexel and Saint Peter’s. Hargrove played a total of 138 minutes with the Dragons in 2022-23 and 2023-24. He eclipsed that total before November was done last season and eventually logged 35 minutes or more 10 times.
The Friars have frontcourt minutes available with just Oswin Erhunmwunse and Ryan Mela committed to return. Bryce Hopkins jumped to St. John’s earlier in the week, leaving Providence after three seasons and just three games in 2024-25. Hopkins selected the Red Storm over Georgetown and former coach Ed Cooley, who hoped for a reunion and a Hopkins return to his starring 2022-23 form.
Christ Essandoko has also found his next home, committing to South Carolina over the weekend after a one-year stint with the Friars. Eli DeLaurier and Anton Bonke are the frontcourt pieces among multiple Providence players who remain in the portal. Jayden Pierre and Justyn Fernandez have also entered, a starting point guard and reserve shooting guard on last year’s roster.
The Friars are looking for a quick turnaround from a 12-20 season, one that saw them tie a program record for losses in a single campaign. Providence enjoyed a lone victory after the calendar flipped to February, a home triumph against Villanova. The end came in the opening round of the Big East Tournament, a 75-69 defeat against Butler.
The Friars have been connected to a host of targets in the portal, including Central Florida guard Jaylin Sellers. He listed Providence, Cincinnati, Illinois and Georgetown among his last four schools in a social media post over the weekend. Sellers would be another veteran alongside Hargrove and Corey Floyd Jr., who has committed to a fifth college season with the Friars next year.
[email protected]
On X: @BillKoch25
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Cole Hargrove Providence transfer portal commitment
Continue reading...
Cole Hargrove pledged to the Friars after visiting campus over the weekend. The power forward made the announcement on his personal social media pages.
Hargrove played in a combined 34 games through his first two seasons before starting all 33 with the Dragons last year. He averaged 9.9 points and 7.5 rebounds while posting top-120 national numbers in effective field-goal percentage, 2-point shooting percentage and blocked-shot percentage.
You must be registered for see images attach
Hargrove posted four double-doubles, including a pair against Big 5 opponents. He hit for 10 points and 15 rebounds while falling to La Salle and collected 17 points and 13 rebounds in a victory over Penn. Hargrove’s last big outing came in the Coastal Athletic Association Tournament opener against Elon, as he piled up 19 points on 8-for-11 shooting and 10 boards in a 91-74 victory.
“I will always be grateful to have been a Dragon,” Hargrove wrote while announcing his entry into the portal in late March. “I’ve built countless relationships and experienced moments that I will never forget.”
Hargrove blocked at least three shots in 12 games last season and at least four shots four times. He should help a Providence paint defense that allowed opponents to shoot 49.0% from 2-point range last season. That was a significant jump from 45.5% the previous year, a mark that ranked inside the national top 20.
You must be registered for see images attach
Hargrove is a Pennsylvania native who starred at Methacton High, about 45 minutes outside Philadelphia. Verbal Commits listed offers from just Drexel and Saint Peter’s. Hargrove played a total of 138 minutes with the Dragons in 2022-23 and 2023-24. He eclipsed that total before November was done last season and eventually logged 35 minutes or more 10 times.
The Friars have frontcourt minutes available with just Oswin Erhunmwunse and Ryan Mela committed to return. Bryce Hopkins jumped to St. John’s earlier in the week, leaving Providence after three seasons and just three games in 2024-25. Hopkins selected the Red Storm over Georgetown and former coach Ed Cooley, who hoped for a reunion and a Hopkins return to his starring 2022-23 form.
Christ Essandoko has also found his next home, committing to South Carolina over the weekend after a one-year stint with the Friars. Eli DeLaurier and Anton Bonke are the frontcourt pieces among multiple Providence players who remain in the portal. Jayden Pierre and Justyn Fernandez have also entered, a starting point guard and reserve shooting guard on last year’s roster.
The Friars are looking for a quick turnaround from a 12-20 season, one that saw them tie a program record for losses in a single campaign. Providence enjoyed a lone victory after the calendar flipped to February, a home triumph against Villanova. The end came in the opening round of the Big East Tournament, a 75-69 defeat against Butler.
The Friars have been connected to a host of targets in the portal, including Central Florida guard Jaylin Sellers. He listed Providence, Cincinnati, Illinois and Georgetown among his last four schools in a social media post over the weekend. Sellers would be another veteran alongside Hargrove and Corey Floyd Jr., who has committed to a fifth college season with the Friars next year.
[email protected]
On X: @BillKoch25
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Cole Hargrove Providence transfer portal commitment
Continue reading...
