A Miami transfer commits to Providence basketball.
Providence College has received a commitment from an experienced guard with Final Four experience.
Bensley Joseph will transfer from Miami to the Friars for his senior season. He made the decision on Friday afternoon via his personal social media sites.
Joseph was born in Massachusetts and attended Putnam Science in Connecticut. It’s a homecoming of sorts for the 6-foot-2 point guard, who has 105 career games with the Hurricanes. Joseph is a 37.9% 3-point shooter who has improved his assist rate in each of his three seasons in Coral Gables.
Joseph started 27 games in 2023-24 and was the only Miami player to play in all 32. He averaged 9.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.5 steals per 31.4 minutes. Joseph has scored in double digits in six of his last seven games, including a season-best 21 points in a road loss to North Carolina.
Joseph was a grassroots player for Expressions Elite who competed in the Peach Jam, the Nike circuit’s year-end championship event. He received a four-star rating from several Internet scouting organizations and was widely regarded as a top-130 player in his class. Before committing to the Hurricanes, Joseph received offers from Providence, the University of Rhode Island, Boston College, Marquette, Penn State, Georgetown, Iowa, and Rutgers, among others.
Joseph’s first two seasons with Miami finished with deep NCAA Tournament runs. He played in 36 games for an Elite Eight team as a freshman, with the Hurricanes falling to eventual national champion Kansas in a regional final in Chicago. Miami lost again to the title winner last season — Connecticut pushed past them in the national semifinals in Houston, denying former Friars guard and Hurricanes coach Jim Larrañaga.
Providence is coming off a 21-14 season and an NIT berth. The Friars lost Bryce Hopkins in early January to a left knee injury and fell short of the expected March Madness field for just the third time since the 2013-14 season. Providence coach Kim English spoke about the importance of adding winning players — along with several other topics — in a podcast appearance with The Field of 68 late Thursday night.
“You see what it looks like — their willingness to do the things that translate to winning,” English said. “Getting a winning player is great — someone who’s been around winning culture. But there are so many different players out there.”
Joseph slots into a Friars backcourt that’s also projected to include Jayden Pierre, Corey Floyd Jr. and Justyn Fernandez. Rich Barron returns on the wing and incoming freshman Ryan Mela adds more perimeter shooting depth. Devin Carter followed his superb junior season by declaring for the NBA Draft and Garwey Dual has entered the transfer portal so Providence will be replacing a combined 54 minutes per game in those two spots.
Joseph was among a handful of prospects whose names surfaced with the Friars over the last couple of weeks. Temple guard Hysier Miller carries a similar profile — one year of eligibility remaining and some needed experience on the ball. Providence is also a finalist for Chattanooga sophomore forward Sam Alexis, a rebounder and shot-blocker who can score in the paint.
Joseph and Rutgers wing Gavin Griffiths were on campus for unofficial visits this week. The Friars missed on Tulsa guard PJ Haggerty, who committed to Memphis ahead of offers from Providence, Texas and Kansas State. Haggerty was the Rookie of the Year in the American Athletic Conference, breaking out with the Golden Hurricane after a redshirt season at TCU.
Providence made what felt like a noticeable pivot to the 2025 class after securing Mela and losing a commitment from point guard Daquan Davis. The Friars received a pledge from five-star big man Oswin Erhunmwunse, one of the top-rated recruits they’ve landed in the Internet scouting era. Providence also hosted 2025 prospects Mikel Brown Jr., Nigel James, Jaylen Harrell, Efeosa Oliogu, Jamier Jones and Tee Bartlett either on campus or at games last season.
“High school guys are still very, very, very important,” English said. “The young guys on your roster are still very, very, very important — the development of those guys.”
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