How Good Are the Four PC Portal Transfers? Pretty Good — Kevin Stacom

Tuesday, April 23, 2024

Kevin Stacom, Sports Analyst

In an article a couple of weeks ago, I gave a brief explanation of the new “Portal” system in college athletics. It centered around Providence freshman Garway Dual and his decision to enter it along with two other players from PC, Rafael Castro, and Donovan Santoro. The main theme was that the situation which had been brewing for a long time had finally come to a head in dramatic fashion, demanding rapid adaptation by all involved. 

Since we all live in the Ocean State, it seems appropriate to assign that part of the process as the tide going out. Well, luckily, the irrepressible tide has returned in a favorable way for the Providence College basketball program in the recently announced inclusion of four key strategic additions through said Portal. They are Christ Essandoko, 7’0”, 275lb Center from St.Joseph’s; Joseph Bensley, 6’2”, 195lb Guard from U of Miami; Jabri Abdur-Rahim, 6’8”, 220lb, from U of Georgia; and Wesley Cardet Jr. of Chicago State.

In this analysis, I will attempt to evaluate their games, what they have to offer and how each of them can contribute to fill the needs of a once-depleted roster. In full disclosure, I have not seen any of these players in person, a fact that would disqualify me from confidently presenting a definitive scouting report.

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Film was always, in my previous world as an NBA scout, a secondary or complimentary tool for serious evaluation confirming or challenging your in-person critique.

But there are some things you can discern from film. 

 

Christ Essandoko

All of these players address serious needs in PC’s roster, but none more crucial than Essandoko in terms of the obvious void in size up front created with the graduation of Josh Oduro, the leaving of Rafael Castro, and the injury to Bryce Hopkins 

I don’t mean to be sacrilegious, but in a sense, this is Christ’s second coming since he was originally recruited by PC out of Winston-Salem HS in North Carolina, committed, but because of some transcript issues, ended up enrolling at St Joe’s where he was redshirted his freshman year He played last year as a “redshirt” freshman at St Joe’s.

His high school coach was quoted as saying that what drew him to PC was that he did his homework and saw a lot of himself in Josh Oduro’s game, and Coach English was able to convince him that he, too, would be utilized in the same way 

Here are Essandoko’s statistics from his season at St Joe’s:

25 games-15 started: 21 min/game:

50% FG’s; 37% 3’s; 65% FT’s; 5.7 rebs; 38 turnovers/ 51 assists; 8.2 points; 27 Blocks; 8.2 points/game                

It’s encouraging that Essandoko was that judicious in his approach to his recruitment since it hints at a level of motivation necessary for a player's development- especially when it comes to big men. A lot of big guys are sometimes almost goaded or cajoled into playing basketball because they stand out from their peers as youngsters because of their genetic size. God just doesn’t make a lot of people over 6’8” with a high level of athleticism, as opposed to the millions of us gym rats vying for attention. Often, they play to fulfill other people’s expectations and not necessarily their own. Because of their size, they can have a good amount of success early on, but as they go up the food chain, at some point, to maximize their talents, the desire to play has to come from within themselves - but I digress.               

From watching film on him, it’s easy to see why Essandoko garnered interest from so many big-time programs, from the Big 12, SEC, ACC, and just about every other Big East school. The beauty of it is also that he has three more years of eligibility in which to develop. He’s not a quick leaper, but he does have good mobility, very good feet and hands. He appears to have a good feel for defensive positioning, and when he knew it wasn’t a situation where he could block a shot, he was clever enough to stay vertical, not break the plane, and still be a big defensive facto. One thing that was very encouraging was that he showed to be a better passer than his assist-to-turnover ratio (38 assists/51 turnovers) would indicate.

A few times after receiving the ball off movement in the lane, he would immediately know where the next pass was and accurately deliver it. He presented well in the post and on pick and rolls, keeping his hands high and creating a big target. From the post, he showed he has put in a good amount of work on his footwork with a series of pump fakes, baby jump hooks with either hand, and even some spin moves off the dribble in the lane, finishing at the hoop. And what probably sealed the deal for Kim English was that he looked super confident and fluid for a 7-footer launching and making 3s.

For a player of that size, taking about 25% of his FG attempts from 3 and making 39% of them is impressive. He took them from the top of the key, from the wings, and the corners. With his size and form, he looked like a poor man’s Joel Embiid. He appears to be a solid replacement with a considerable upside potential. Although the game has changed drastically with the emphasis on 3-point shooting, spreading the floor, driving and kicking out, a good big man’s contribution cannot be overlooked, as evidenced by this year’s Final 4. UConn, Purdue, Alabama, and NC State all had bigs that were major factors.

 

Bensley Joseph                 

Bensley Joseph is an Arlington, Massachusetts native who, like Essandoko, was previously recruited by Providence when coming out of a strong Putman Science prep school program. He decided to play for former PC star Jim Larranaga at the University of Miami, where he has been a solid contributor for the last three years. He’s a strong, athletic 6’2”195 lb guard.

His last year’s statistics at Miami:

Started 27 out of 32 games, 31.5 min/game:

41% FG’s; 37% 3’s; 78%FT’s; 3.4 rebs; 1.5 steals; 3.4assists/2.2 turnovers; 9.6 points

Watching him on film, a few things stand out. He looks to have the physical makeup to be a strong defender on the ball and also to have quick anticipation in passing lanes as confirmed by his solid 1.5 steals/game. He looks to have the quickness off the bounce to get into the lane to make plays or go to the hole and finish strong. He has a solid lefty release and mechanics on his jumper, and a lot of confidence in his 3-point range. Over 50% of his FG Attempts are 3-pointers. That wouldn’t happen if he didn’t have the confidence to make them. He could potentially share point guard responsibilities with Pierre or play alongside him, giving Coach English a lot of flexibility in backfield combinations. He looked equally comfortable pulling up from 3 on the break, but was most effective off swings of the ball on catch and shoots, up fake one dribble left or right.

Another 3-point shooter to contribute to contribute to English’s vision of 3-point capability from every position. He should be highly motivated to finish his college career back in New England. Joseph appears to be a solid addition, bringing good athletic ability, defensive intensity, play-making ability, and 3-point shooting to the table.

 

Jabri Abdur-Rahim          

Another player in this compendium that was recently added to PC’s roster might be the most intriguing. Jabri Abdur-Rahim hails from the royal bloodline of Shareef Abdul-Rahim, who played in the NBA over 14 seasons after being drafted number 3 overall in the 1996 NBA draft( averaged 18.1 points; 7.5 rebs; 2.5 assists/game) He’s currently serving as head of the NBA affiliated G-league

Jabri Abdur-Rahim’s statistics last year at the University of Georgia:

36%FG’s; 36% 3’s; 89%FT’s; 3.5 rebs; 10 assists/ 30 turnovers; 10 blocks; 22 steals; 12.2 points/game

As mentioned Coach Kim English has been very clear on his approach to offense once he’s been able to assemble the components to his liking. There will be 3s!! No acquisition in this year’s portal represents that evolution better than Jabri.

First, a quick look at his basketball background. Jabri was a huge star coming out of Blair Academy in New Jersey, where he was ranked 38 nationally and the 6th-ranked small forward in his class. He was ranked as the number 2 player in the state of NJ behind Jonathon Kuminga, who now stars for the Golden State Warriors. He initially went to the University of Virginia before leaving for the University of Georgia.

As a mature 6’8” 220 lb small forward no need to belabor the interest he generated entering the portal. After watching Jabri, you come away with the impression he approaches being close to a pure shooter. He might not be super creative at creating his own shot, but he looked to have a good enough handle to take advantage of open lanes that presented themselves, incorporating spin moves in the lane and an occasional baseline up and under drive.

Perhaps not an uber athlete, but athletic enough to dunk on you if the opening presents itself. His forte looks to quickly find open areas on the break behind the 3-point line, either on the wing or corner, squaring up quickly in rhythm and perfect balance. He’s also capable of pulling up off the dribble on the break, confidently launching the 3-ball. When you drill down on his shooting statistics, you see that out of the 241 FG attempts this past season at Georgia, 174 of them were 3-point attempts- a whopping 72% of his FGA’s were 3’s!

Obviously, he is very confident in that aspect of his game. The fluidity of his shooting motion reminded me of Alan Houston, the former NY Knick shooting guard. As the son of a former NBA player, you could tell Dad had him out early for shooting fundamentals. A major indicator of most analytical formulas now used by NBA teams in projecting offensive proficiency shooting skills is free throw percentages. Jabri’s 89% from the line last year denotes a high skill level and an aspect of his game that will help drag PC out of the bottom of that category in the Big East. 

With his size and skill at the small forward position, he could also be part of some interesting lineups, being able to slide over to the 4 position teaming up front with Essandoko at the 5 and any combination of smalls around them- Pierre, Joseph, Floyd Jr, Barron, Fernandez- not to mention a restored Hopkins at some point

             

Wesley Cardet Jr.

Wesley Cardet Jr ( Chicago State)has just announced his decision to commit to Providence College out of the Portal.

He’s been under the radar mostly through choices of his own, every step of the way so far in his unique basketball journey. He has played for three different uncles all the way from high school (West Oak Academy in Orlando) and two different lower division one colleges (Samford and Chicago State). He must be a very loyal family-orientated guy since out of high school, he was a 4 Star recruit spurning offers from Auburn, Illinois, Rutgers, KState, U of Florida and a number of other SEC, Big 10, Big 12 schools.

Watching him on film it’s easy to see why Kim English wasted no time in contacting Cardet Jr. He is a rangey 6’6” 204lb, athletic guard/wing with good size and a tight handle for someone his size. He appeared to be deceptively explosive off the dribble, enabling him to get into the lane, where he showed an ability to get to the rim and finish in traffic and through contact. He reminds you of a Shai Gilgeous-Alexander type that suddenly shifts into that 5th gear that you don’t see coming 

His basic stats from his last year at Chicago State:

31 games/ 34 minutes/game:

44% FG%; 34% 3pt%; 72%FT’s;4.5rebs; 28 steals; 16 Blocks; 2.6assists; 18.7 points

When working as an NBA scout trying to evaluate a player from a lower or mid-major program, you try to seek opportunities to watch him perform against players from high major power conferences for obvious reasons. Watching film on him against Northwestern U (Big 10), who had just cracked the top 25 at the time, he was clearly the best player on the floor. He shot 3s off the dribble after creating space and breaking down the defender off the dribble, drove down the lane to make plays or finish strong (once with an impressive windmill dunk) He also displayed an impressive midrange game where he utilized his size and length to get his shot off versus smaller defenders. His team got down by 7 or 8 with minutes to go but they hung in there with Cardet Jr. hitting a lot of big shots down the stretch, including a big 3 to put them ahead to seal the W. 

I mentioned earlier how securing Essandoko filled a huge gap in the frontcourt for PC with the graduation of Oduro. Cardet Jr. could be the answer to losing some of Devin Carter's dynamism. Of all the players acquired in the Portal so far, Cardet Jr. has the best chance of replacing those characteristics of Carter’s game - the ability to create opportunities for himself and others on both sides of the ball. In an interview with Jeff Goodman in his podcast “Field of 68”, it was encouraging to hear Cadet Jr describe himself as a 2-way player and how he takes pride in playing defense also. There will be some adjustments, no doubt, for him to be consistently playing against and with better competition. You can tell he feels most comfortable with the ball in his hands, probably because everywhere he’s been so far he’s been by far the best player.

There’s no reason he couldn’t adjust to learning how also to move without the ball, to generate some offense getting shots off screens etc. He led his team in assists last year with 2.6/game, so he probably was afraid of not seeing the ball again due to the lack of playmaking from his teammates. His shooting form is not broken. It seems to actually be fundamentally very sound, so 34% from 3 and 72% from the line should be improvable with more focus and repetition. 

The only other key component here that needs to be mentioned is that there is a caveat to his commitment to PC. Cardet Jr. has filed paperwork and has applied for the NBA draft. In the previously mentioned interview, he said that he wanted to continue with that process, as he should. It should be a great learning experience for him The way the draft process works now is any player can withdraw his name 10 days before the draft with no threat of losing their eligibility. I'm sure with his talent level, he’ll get at least a few sanctioned workouts with NBA teams that are common this time of year before the draft He’ll get that experience of showcasing his ability and interacting with NBA GMs, coaches, scouts and most importantly hear there constructive feedback on his strengths and weaknesses and what he needs to work on and be mindful of in order to help him be successful at the NBA level, which is his stated goal.

My short rule of thumb for college players who are considering entering the NBA draft is that you shouldn’t leave school to be a 2nd round pick. There is only guaranteed money in the 1st round and it’s a lot better for a young person to be in a college environment continuing to work on your game, rather than being in the G-league touring small town America. It can be a lonely stressful experience. 

In summation, all four of the players highlighted here obtained through the Portal were highly valued and sought-after players that bring a level of physicality, size, and skill to the Providence program. Not included in this discussion is the inclusion of some top talent being recruited from the high school and junior college ranks

Coach English and his staff seem to be on track establishing in relatively short order the foundation of their own legacy at Providence College, adapting very well to the new realities of attempting to assemble a competitive team in the crazy new environment of College athletics 

Related Articles

• PC Great and 30-Year NBA Scout Kevin Stacom Joins GoLocal as Sports Analyst
• Garwey Dual and the Art of the Portal - Kevin Stacom
• Assessing Devin Carter and His Future in the NBA - Kevin Stacom

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