We continue our recruit and return series with the Providence Friars, whose season ended Friday with a loss to Texas A&M. A look at what the 2018-19 season could hold:
Possible 2018-19 starting five
G: Maliek White
G: Alpha Diallo
F: Emmitt Holt
C: Nate Watson
Who is lost: Providence will lose three starters off this year's team: Kyron Cartwright, Rodney Bullock and Jalen Lindsey. Cartwright saw his assist numbers take a small hit as a senior, but he remained efficient as a distributor and hit the jumper against Creighton that punched Providence's ticket to the dance. Bullock was a consistent contributor in each of his final three seasons, remaining one of the tougher matchups in the Big East due to his 6-foot-8 size and ability to score from the perimeter. Lindsey emerged as the team's best outside shooter by the time his career ended, making a huge improvement over the 26.9 percent he shot from 3-point range as a sophomore.
Who is added: Ed Cooley has steadily improved his recruiting, and the Friars are bringing in a pair of top-50 guards next season. AAU teammates David Duke and A.J. Reeves are impact players who should form Cooley's backcourt of the future. Duke has good size for the point guard position and is at his best going off the dribble. He also gets after it defensively. Reeves plays more off the ball than Duke and has a better jump shot. He's still improving his 3-point range, but he can score in the midrange and also get to the rim off the bounce. Duke has the higher ceiling, but these two are going to form one of the better backcourts in the league for a few years. Providence is also bringing in frontcourt reinforcements in forwards Kris Monroe and Jimmy Nichols Jr.
What it means for next season: Although three senior starters are on their way out, Providence brings back several rotation members. The battle at the point guard spot will be interesting. Duke will factor in, but returnees Maliek White and Makai Ashton-Langford will also be involved. Ashton-Langford was a highly touted prospect coming out of high school, but barely had a role toward the end of the season. White was the primary backup to Cartwright as the season progressed. Alpha Diallo is the team's leading returning scorer after making the jump from 5.7 points as a freshman to over 13 points as a sophomore. The slashing wing has good size and gets involved on the glass. The 6-foot-7 Diallo should form a solid tandem with 6-6 Isaiah Jackson on the wings. Jackson, a former George Mason transfer, is a better perimeter shooter than Diallo. Up front, Nate Watson and Kalif Young are both back. Watson showed flashes as a freshman and had moments down the stretch that should give Cooley confidence moving forward. The key will be the return of Emmitt Holt, who averaged 12.5 points in 2016-17 but missed this entire season with an abdominal injury and illness. If he can return, he'll give Providence a major boost on the inside.
Trending: Neutral. For Providence to be able to lose three senior starters and either not drop off or even potentially improve is a testament to what Cooley has done over the last several years with the Friars. Getting Duke and Reeves will be huge moving forward, and if the role players can take steps forward to fill some of the vacated holes (and if Holt returns), Providence's quest to get to a sixth NCAA tournament bid is very realistic.