The Providence Friars have officially strengthened their frontcourt depth for next season as Kim English announced the commitment of Will McNair Jr. McNair started his collegiate career at New Mexico State (2018-2022) before transferring to Mississippi State and playing the past season. He started on the New Mexico State squad that upset UConn in the first round of the 2021-2022 NCAA Tournament. In 34 minutes of action, he recorded 4 points, 3 rebounds, and a block but perhaps his most significant contribution was helping to hold First Team All-Big East player Adama Sanogo to 10 points, 5 under his season average that season. His team at Miss. St. also made the NCAA Tournament last season, losing in the play-in game to Pittsburgh by a single point after a wide open game-winner clanged out.

McNair played AAU ball with recent Friar graduate and fan favorite Ed Croswell. Croswell has been extremely vocal about being a proponent for the Friars program since graduating and even spoke with his former teammate McNair before he made his decision to exercise his last season of eligibility at Providence.

“I called him and talked about some things. I was intrigued with what he had to say. It was good to hear his point of view on what he would have done if he were to come back to school.”

– Will McNair on Ed Croswell via The Pawtucket Times

McNair is a big body who does his work exclusively around the basket. He has sparingly tried his hand at the three-ball (mostly over the past two season) but has yet to be able to hit at any consistency from distance (career 20% on 40 attempts). It’ll be interesting to see if Coach Kim English gives him the freedom to let it fly from deep or not next season. Standing 6’11” and weighing 265 pounds, the Bear McNair (I swear I’ll think of something better…I mean, it can’t be worse) is easily the biggest player on the team in terms of the combination of height (tied with Rafael Castro) and weight (Oduro checking in about 30 pounds lighter).

McNair is a very solid defender and is one of those players whose impact on the court shows up more than just looking over the stat sheet at the end of a game. For comparison’s sake, let’s compare McNair’s stat line last season to Providence’s back-up big, another graduate transfer with one year to play, Clifton Moore.

Will McNair Jr.: 12.6 mpg / 3.3 ppg / 3.3 rpg / 0.4 apg / 0.5 bpg & 45.2% FG/57.7% FT/14.3% 3FG

Clifton Moore: 13.2 mpg / 4.6 ppg / 3.4 rpg / 0.3 apg / 1.2 bpg & 48.4% FG/73.7% FT/26.1% 3FG

Their minutes, points, rebounds, and assists are pretty even while Moore’s athleticism gave him the edge in blocks. If McNair converts those three-point attempts into shots around the basket, I could see him improving his field goal percentage to be around where it was in his three previous seasons at New Mexico State (55%, 57%, & 58%). And if he can creep that free throw percentage up to the 60% mark, that would give me one less heart attack than usual during the season when the Friars are in a close game. McNair does seem to have an edge to him that is more reminiscent of Ed Croswell than Clifton Moore. Moore was more of a finesse player while McNair wants to dirty it up.

As usual, Brendan McGair has a great article catching up the newest member of the Providence Friars.

Welcome to Friartown Big Will.