As the Providence Friars turn the page on consecutive disastrous seasons, hope is renewed as Coach Bryan Hodgson and his staff approaches the 2026 NCAA portal season. On Monday afternoon, Hodgson had a press availability where he discussed the benefits of bringing his staff from South Florida with him to Friartown, the return of Ryan Mela, and his thoughts on the portal. He also made those covering the event and the fan base happy by mentioning that he would like to have regular (weekly) gatherings to discuss the latest events with the program.
Though it was not a surprise considering that Hodgson had mentioned it during his introduction but today there was also the official announcement that Providence was hiring Tee Butters, Jamie Quarles, Derek Rongstad, Logan Ingram, Alex Harris, and Tyler Pacheco to head north to Friartown from USF. Hodgson made it clear from the briefing today that he considers continuity important and that Providence hired his entire team when they chose him as their next coach. Butters will also serve as General Manager in addition to his coaching duties. In response to a question from your intrepid correspondent, he said that he expects to hire a couple more people to complete his staff.
When discussing Ryan Mela, Coach Hodgson went out of his way to mention that Mela expressed that he enjoyed the entire experience of Providence College. He also said that during his discussions with Mela, they studied video of every shot he took during the season, including everything from spot on the floor to release point to trajectory, and he was confident that the staff would assist Ryan in bringing his game to the next level. While it may be difficult having only one returning player from this season, Mela is a strong building block for next year. He showed great improvement in his shot from deep, especially by the end of the season. He also brought his free throw percentage up to 81% from 57% last year. Over his final five games, Mela averaged 16.8 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, while hitting 9 of 16 three pointers (56%). Additionally, Mela is a jack of all trades player which is a benefit on Hodgson’s system. Hodgson mentioned today that he likes to have multiple players on the floor who can bring the ball up, and Mela showed that skill repeatedly over his two seasons here.
The majority of the press event today focused on the opening of the transfer portal, as expected for a team that needs to rebuild almost the entirety of their roster. Coach Hodgson discussed his embrace of technology in evaluating talent for skills and fit. In addition to his use of technology to benefit Mela’s growth, he also mentioned how they have specialized software to utilize multiple statistical services and develop an analysis of how potential players will perform in his system.
Hodgson made it clear that he expects to play fast, but unlike this year’s Friar team, he is not willing to sacrifice defense for offense. In 2025-26, South Florida had the 59th best offensive and 41st best defensive rating according to KenPom. One rule of thumb I have noticed is that teams whose combined rating number adds up to 100 or less generally are in consideration for an at-large tournament bid. Among the teams whose combined rating were in the same range as USF this past year were New Mexico, Santa Clara, Clemson, TCU, and VCU. All but New Mexico were NCAA Tournament teams this season. For comparison, Providence’s 32nd best offensive rating and 170th best defensive rating combined for a total 202, leaving them under .500 for the second consecutive season.
Among the players I expect to see the Friar staff pursue in the portal are a few players from USF who are already familiar with the coaches. Wes Enis (6’1”) announced his intention to enter the with a Do Not Contact tag, a potential indicator that he has a preference for his next destination. Enis is a great story as he came to USF after being an All-American at Division II power Lincoln Memorial. In in first season with Coach Hodgson, Enis was first team all-conference in the American and the MVP of the American Conference Tournament. He has one season of eligibility. Another USF starter who should have significant interest is 6’2” lead guard CJ Brown, who predated Hodgson at USF. Brown showed significant improvement in his sophomore season, averaging 11 points, 5 assists, and 4 rebounds per game. The third player who I would like to see potentially in Friartown is freshman 6’5” wing Tristan Beckford. He only played sparingly this season but was very impressive in games I watched last summer in the U19 World Cup, with 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists in a close loss to the American team featuring AJ Dybansta, Mikel Brown, and Caleb Holt, among others. In building a 13-15 player roster, a (relatively) low cost-high potential player is a real benefit for a coach.
As the portal officially opens, pcbb1917.com will track portal entrants and our thoughts on how they may fit in Friartown. Among the under the radar players I am tracking at this early stage include Rowan Brumbaugh, Javontae Campbell, Jake Hall and Tomislav Buljian, Sash Gavalyugov and Christian Hammond of Santa Clara, Styles Phipps, Jordan Frison, and many more to be entering soon. Follow the pcbb1917.com portal committee for continuous updates and data driven analysis.
Finally, I wish nothing but the best for the Friars who are entering the portal, whether by their own choice or by the staff. They represented the school well during their time in Friatown and I hope they do well in their future stop.
Go Friars!