Coach Kim English is making his presence felt immediately since becoming the new Providence Friars basketball coach. It hasn’t even been a week and he’s been across the country recruiting players, offering prospective players in both the 2024 and 2025 classes, meeting with the current Friar players, and everything between. To kick things off with building the roster for next year’s team, English has officially brought over two players from his previous George Mason team, Justyn Fernandez and Josh Oduro.
Justyn Fernandez was the first of the two to announce his commitment to Providence, doing so yesterday across his social media. Fernandez will still have three years of eligibility remaining once he arrives in Friartown, having finishing his first year at George Mason. The Friars were actually in on the recruitment for Fernandez when he was at IMG Academy, having offered the 6’5” guard back in July of 2021. Fernandez chose to go to Mason despite having some very high level teams offering him, including Virginia Tech, Oregon State, Seton Hall, Clemson, ASU, Georgetown, Florida, Wake Forest, Ole Miss, Butler, Georgia, Texas A&M, Illinois, Tennessee, and NC State, among others.
The main reason that Fernandez chose Mason over those other schools is the exact same reason that chose to continue his collegiate career in Providence, one Kim English.
Per On3, ““I chose Providence because of the same reason I chose George Mason. I have a great relationship with the coaching staff and I believe in the vision that they have for me under their coaching. I feel that this is the best move for me to make that vision come true.”
Fernandez played in all 33 games for the Patriots last year, working his way into the starting lineup down the stretch, eventually starting in 13 games, and averaging 14.1 minutes per game on the season. The athletic wing averaged 4.1 ppg, 1.9 rpg, and 0.5 apg while shooting 37% shooting from the floor and 33.8% from three. He has the type of two-way ability that would thrive in English’s ideal 1 in, 4 out offensive style and high pressure defense.
Today, the Friars received their second transfer commitment from George Mason, this time a graduate transfer, when Josh Oduro decided that he will use his additional year of eligibility that he received via COVID, to attend Providence. Oduro is a two-time first-team All-Atlantic 10 conference selection and a traditional big that the Friars are in desperate need of with the departure of Ed Croswell and backup Clifton Moore. Oduro started all 33 games for George Mason last season and led the team in points (15.6 ppg), rebounds (7.9 rpg), and blocks (0.9 bpg), while recording a team-high 13 double-doubles en route to a 20-13 overall record for the Patriots.
Odoru scored 1,371 points and 721 rebounds across his four-year career at Mason, just coming up short of each category’s all-time statistical leaders in the respective categories. His 119 total career blocks were good enough to notch him in 6th place all-time for the Patriots. Oduro was easily the best player on last year’s George Mason squad and will slid nicely into a big void that would have otherwise been unfilled in next year’s lineup.
The most underrated attribute of Oduro’s game might be his passing. He averaged 2.6 assists per game last season, good enough for 3rd on the team. If English is looking to play 1 in, 4 out, a big guy who is able to dish the rock out to the shooters is essential. To put Oduro’s passing into perspective for Providence fans, he would have averaged the 2nd most assists on the team, with Devin Carter averaging just under that with 2.5 apg and our big guy tandem of Ed Croswell and Clifton Moore averaging 1.0 apg combined on the season.
And if you like thrashing URI, then Josh Oduro is your Huckleberry.
Everybody give the warmest of Friartown Welcomes to the two newest member of the Friars.
Mindset.
The Morning Hangover 
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