Portal Chaos, Defensive Identity and a New Era: Inside Bryan Hodgson’s First Providence Roster

Two months after taking the job, Bryan Hodgson's first offseason is nearly complete in Friartown.

Going into the offseason, the four biggest and most important players from last year's team were Jamier Jones, Stefan Vaaks, Oswin Erhunmwunse, and Ryan Mela.

Hodgson was only able to retain one of them in Mela, while Jones ended up at Missouri, Vaaks at Illinois, and Erhunmwunse at Big East rival Creighton. While it has been a while since all three departed for new homes, here are my quick takes on each one:

Jones: Elite athlete, super athletic, would have loved if he stayed but he was never recruited by Hodgson and chased the bag for $3.3M. Good for him in today's day and age of NIL.

Vaaks: Excellent three-point shooter, super fun to watch offensively, very wise and mature beyond his years in his offensive playstyle. Defense needs work, good for him for going to a Final Four team in Illinois to join Brad Underwood's European pipeline.

Erhunmwunse: Elite shot blocker and rim defender, does not bring much to the offensive side of the ball besides putbacks lobs and trips to the free throw line. Never took the leap that fans expected him to, good for him for chasing the bag like Jones even though he left for an in-conference team.

Other players who transferred were Daquon Davis, Jaylen Harrell, Rich Barron, Peteris Pinnis, and Nilavan Daniels. The rest of the players from last year's team have either graduated or are out of eligibility. Not going to touch on players mentioned above as they made minimal impact on last season's team.

Now for the 10 new players that Hodgson brought in from the transfer portal:

Miles Byrd

Byrd was the first piece of marine life that the great white shark was able to hunt down when the portal opened, and boy was it a big and statement one from Hodgson to start off transfer portal season.

The biggest weakness from last season's team was defense as the Friars ranked in the 300's in defensive efficiency even though they were one of the best scoring teams in the country.

Byrd immediately helps solve and fix the defensive issue as the 6'6" guard played at San Diego State the last four seasons and earned 2026 Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year honors.

Here's what Hodgson had to say about the commitment:

"Miles will be entering his fifth year and he will bring experience, leadership and a strong defensive presence to our roster. As we watched film on Miles we felt he had all the attributes that we look for when we are building a roster.  He also has been a part of a winning culture and has had experience in the NCAA Tournament over the last four years."

Byrd will be the best defender on this year's PC roster, be tasked with handling the other team's number one option, a versatile defensive chess piece, and a tone setter on the defensive end of the floor.

Statement and culture addition by Hodgson right off the bat, a lot to be excited about with this one.

Dink Pate

This one was a pleasant surprise commitment to say the least as I did not expect that we would recruit a player from the G League to come play for us yet alone I did not know that was even possible and eligible until the commitment happened.

Needless to say, I am very happy that we landed Pate after diving deep and gathering research on him. What is really cool about him is that he brings an element that no other player on this year's roster brings in his G League experience as the 6'8" guard played in the G League for the last three seasons.

Hodgson seems very happy to have landed Pate too:

"I have followed Dink's career for a number of years.  He is a very talented basketball player and we believe Friar fans will be excited to see him play in the Amp next season.  Dink has competed in the G-League for the last three seasons and we have seen him display his skill and athleticism while showing continual improvement."

Two nuggets to know about Pate is that Hodgson has actually been recruiting him for four years, originally pursuing him since Pate was in 10th grade. Additionally, Pate was the 30th ranked recruit in the class of 2023 according to ESPN.

Last season with the Westchester Knicks, Pate had 10 games with 20 or more points, including a career-high 31 points on Jan. 9, 2026 versus the Kings.  He also shot 8-14 from three in the game. Pate also recorded seven double doubles in 2025-26.

Pate should be the lead point guard for the offense this season and a high-volume electric scorer, shoutout to Hodgson and co. for going outside of the portal in an unorthodox way to land their floor general.

Ryan Sabol

If you watched the UConn vs. Duke game in the Elite Eight during this year's March Madness, you would know how important three-point shooting is in today's landscape of college basketball from one shot alone.

The shot by Braylon Mullins. Much like Mullins' shot to send the Huskies to the Final Four, this commitment very much reminds me of when Mullins committed to Connecticut. I am not saying that Sabol will be the next Mullins, but at the very least he will be our guy when it comes to the three-point ball which is a staple in the Hodgson offense.

In the words of Hodgson himself:

"Ryan is a team-first player and we are excited that he will be part of our program next season," Hodgson said. "His development has come through hard work and growth during his college career.  He is a prolific scorer from the perimeter.  He made 122 threes and shot 40 percent from beyond the arc last season. Ryan ranked seventh in the nation in made three pointers."

Sabol was just the second Buffalo player to register 600 or more points and add 100 or more assists in a season. He registered 73 threes in conference play to lead the Mid-American Conference. Sabol had 17 games with 20 or more points, including two games with 30 or more points. He also posted 15 games with five or more made three, including a career-high seven versus Southern Mississippi on Nov. 3, 2025.  For his efforts, he earned Third Team All-MAC honors.

Safe to say that the three-point ball will be falling from Sabol as the 6'3" guard comes to Providence after playing at Buffalo the last three seasons, meet your PC Braylon Mullins Friar fans as they will go head-to-head at least twice next season.

Devin Vanterpool

Out of the commitments so far, this one very well may be the best and most exciting one out of them all. No shade to Byrd, Pate, and Sabol but they are all just not the two-way player that Vanterpool is which makes this commitment that much more intriguing.

Furthermore, according to Hodgson "We are very familiar with Devin as he was one of the top players in the AAC last season," Hodgson said. "Devin earned all-conference honors and was named the conference's most improved player in 2026, which is an example of the tremendous growth he has displayed.  He comes from a family with a strong basketball background that has enabled him to understand what it takes to play at a high level. He will be a great addition to our team."

Not only this, but Vanterpool led Florida Atlantic in scoring and rebounding last season, averaging 15.8 points and 6.3 rebounds.  He also shot 35.1 percent (52-148) from three and 78.2 percent (68-87) from the free-throw line.  For his efforts he was named Third Team All-AAC and AAC Most Improved Player. He scored 20 or more points eight times last season, including a career-high 30 points versus Coastal Georgia on Nov. 17, 2025.  Vanterpool had a career-high 11 rebounds versus Memphis Jan. 11, 2026.

Vanterpool brings value in a multitude of ways between his scoring, rebounding, and shooting ability. It is clear that Vanterpool is a versatile and ascending player who will only continue to grow as he has three years of eligibility remaining. Vanterpool very well could be a huge contributing piece to the future of Hodgson's team for the foreseeable future.

Samson Aletan

This was very much a refreshing commitment to see as Aletan was the first big man to commit to Friartown after the first four dominoes fell.

While he comes over from Yale which isn't exactly a world beater, Hodgson and co. believe that Aletan can achieve heights that he has not reached before after his three-year stint with the Bulldogs.

"We believe that Samson has the potential to be a really special addition to Friartown," Hodgson said. "He is an athletic and versatile big whose physical profile will allow him to fit in well schematically in our offensive and defensive philosophies.  He will provide an elite defensive presence. His background of basketball and high academics demonstrates he is a person who has continued to grow within a structured environment and contribute to winning."

His statistics do not jump off the page as he averaged 7.8 points and 5.8 rebounds last season, he did however lead the team and ranked third in the Ivy League in blocks (41). Aletan also shot 57.8 percent (85-147) from the field last season, which was tops on the team in the 29 games that he started in.

Clearly the statistics are not a big deal to Hodgson and his staff as they are banking on his three-year experience, defense, shooting, and traits to bring his game to the next level in an offense that prioritizes playing fast and crashing the glass.

Arrinten Page

Turning from one page to another, Arrinten Page becomes the second big man to commit to Hodgson and co. for this upcoming season.

Page has had a relatively interesting collegiate playing career to say the least as Providence will be his fourth stop in four years after previous stops at USC (Southern California), Cincinnati, and Northwestern. While the Page commitment might seem like a head scratcher based on his previous track record, this is what Hodgson had to say about his addition:

"Arrinten will add another dimension to our roster next season," Hodgson said. "He has played in three different power conferences and is coming off his best individual season, averaging 10.2 points and 4.5 rebounds and shooting 54.6 percent from the field in the Big Ten. We expect that he will continue to develop and he will improve his versatile skill set in our program. He will be an elite addition on both ends of the floor in Friartown!"

Page scored 15 or more points eight times, including a career-high 22 points at DePaul on Nov. 14, 2025. Page registered a double-double versus Mercyhurst when he scored 18 points and recorded a career-high 12 rebounds on Nov. 3, 2025.

Page was rated as a four-star prospect by 247Sports, and ranked as the No. 48 player nationally, the No. 7 forward in the country, and the No. 4 player in Georgia. He also was ranked as the No. 40 overall recruit by ESPN.

Clearly there is upside and potential here, and much like Aletan Hodgson and co. are going beyond what may scare other programs away into something that they can build on and into to get the most and best out of him. Aletan and Page will battle it out this offseason for the starting center job which is an early biggest weakness on this year's team.

Gavin Hightower

Out of the 10 new players that Hodgson has brought to Friartown, Hightower is the only one that has previous experience playing under him. I thought Hodgson would bring Wes Enis to Friartown with him as well especially after he entered the transfer portal with a do not contact tag, but Enis instead decided to take his talents to Creighton instead to join Erhunmwunse.

"We are excited that Gavin is coming with us to Friartown," Hodgson said. "We knew that Gavin would be a perfect fit as we continued to build out our roster. He showed continual growth and improvement throughout the season last year.  As his confidence grew, his role increased late in the season. Gavin has a blend of speed, athleticism, competitiveness and skill that makes him a great fit for what we ask our players to accomplish on both ends of the floor."

At the very least, Hodgson knows what he is getting in Hightower. What also helps is that Hightower is only a sophomore with four years of eligibility left as I see him as the backup point guard to Pate coming off the bench this upcoming season. Hightower has a real opportunity to grow and learn here before he takes the reigns from Pate when he eventually leaves or runs out of eligibility.

Hightower had a strong game, scoring 12 points, grabbing four rebounds, dishing off three assists and recording three steals versus Louisville in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament on March 19, 2026. Prior to going to USF, Hightower attended Sierra Canyon High School.  He was a four-star recruit, according to ESPN.  ESPN rated him as the No. 34 point guard, No. 30 in his region and No. 15 in California.

Hightower will serve as a key depth piece behind Pate at the point guard position and will look to build on his impressive NCAA Tournament debut as that's where he and Hodgson look to take the Friars together this upcoming season.

Malik Mack

This was a cherry on top commitment from Hogdson and his team as Mack left Georgetown and Ed Cooley in favor of Providence.

"We feel that Malik has a strong basketball background in the BIG EAST and he is the type of player who is suited to maximize his talents in Friartown," Hodgson said. "Malik began his career as the Ivy League Rookie of the Year before coming to the BIG EAST where he continued to have success. In two seasons at Georgetown, he averaged 13.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 4.2 assists. Malik is a dynamic guard who has his best basketball ahead of him."

If there's one thing that Mack brings to the table, it's experience as Mack has been a consistent contributor throughout his first three seasons of college basketball.  In 90 career games, he has recorded 1,290 points (14.3 ppg), 315 rebounds (3.5 rpg), 393 assists (4.4 apg) and 101 steals (1.1 spg).  He has registered 100 or more assists in each of his three seasons.  Throughout his three seasons of play, Mack has shot 79.3 percent (264-333) from the free-throw line. He has averaged 33.4 minutes per game for his career, while starting all 90 games he has played.

Last season, Mack had 15 games with 15 or more points, including four games with 20 or more points.  Mack also recorded 14 games with five or more assists in 2025-26.  He ranked seventh in the BIG EAST in assists (4.1 apg), assist to turnover ratio (2.07) and free throw shooting (81.8 percent).

Mack will be a centerpiece in the backcourt alongside Hightower Page and co. as he brings veteran leadership, experience, and versatility on both sides of the ball to the court.

Jacob Bannarbie

Bannarbie is another player who brings experience and is someone the coaching staff believes can get the most out of. Not only this, but Bannarbie brings plus size at 6'9".

"Jacob is a veteran player who will bring size, athleticism, physicality and versatility to our team next season," Hodgson said. "Jacob's college career has been marked by continual progress.  In 2025-26, he shot 51 percent from the field, while averaging 5.4 points and 4.8 rebounds. Jacob is a playmaking forward, who can rebound the basketball and provide a strong presence in the paint.  He competed at the highest levels of prep basketball and he has continued to show his development by improving his play each of the last three years." 

Bannarbie has spent the last three seasons at UNLV. After he did not see any action in his first season in 2023-24, Bannarbie played in 19 games while making three starts in 2024-25.

Last season, Bannarbie started 15 of the 30 games he played.  He averaged 5.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists.  He shot 51.9 percent (55-106) from the field. Bannarbie scored a career-best 15 points versus Nevada on Feb. 26, 2026.  Bannarbie posted four games with 10 or more rebounds, including a season-high 15 rebounds against Grand Canyon on Feb. 7, 2026.  He also recorded three games with five or more assists.  Bannarbie had a career-high six assist effort at Memphis on Nov. 16, 2025.

Bannarbie will serve as a key depth piece behind Aletan and Page in the frontcourt for the Friars next season.

Leonardo Marangon

Last but not least, we have Leonardo Marangon who like Pate had an unorthodox way of committing to Friartown. While Pate committed from the G League, Marangon committed from overseas as the 6'7" forward played in Italy last season for UEB Gesteco Cividale.

"Leonardo brings significant international experience to our roster for next season," Hodgson said. "He won a gold medal playing for Italy at the U20 EuroBasket Tournament in 2025.  In addition to being a high-caliber athlete, Leonardo is a strong defender, who led his team in steals.  He also had tremendous improvement in his three-point shooting as he shot 39 percent from behind the arc in 2026."

What I really like about this commitment is a few things. How Hodgson and co. again went out of their way to fill a key roster spot in a different way than most programs would, the fact that Leonardo has been a winner, his defensive presence, and his improved three-point shot. These are all key traits for future development as he is only a freshman and has years waiting ahead of him. Not to mention the international style of play as well especially the emphasis on team first basketball and the three point shot.

In 2025-26, Marangon averaged 9.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.2 steals per game for UEB Gesteco Cividale.  Marangon was 78-164 from field (47.5 percent). He also shot 39.3 percent (46-117) from three-point territory.  He scored in double digits 17 times in 36 games, including a season-high 18 points, twice.

Marangon will be a depth piece on this year's roster but could very well see playing time and action if he is able to impress the coaching staff early on and make an impact defensively to give him early minutes in games.

In conclusion, 10 new players have been added to the roster for this upcoming season as the key overarching themes of the commitments are size, versatility, winning veteran experience, and defense. These themes should excite a lot of folks in Friartown as the team currently ranks as the eight best transfer portal class in the country according to 247Sports.

Now it's up to Hodgson and his staff that he brought over from South Florida to fit all of the new toys and puzzle pieces together as they look to earn a berth in the NCAA Tournament in year one of the Hodgson era.