COLLEGE: 7-foot center Christ Essandoko commits to Providence Basketball for the second time.
For the second time in his brief basketball career, Christ Essandoko has committed to Providence.
The burly 7-foot center pledged to the Friars via the transfer site early Wednesday evening.
Essandoko transfers after two years at Saint Joseph’s, the first as an academic redshirt. “Big dog confirmed,” Providence assistant coach Nate Tomlinson announced on social media late Wednesday.
Essandoko has three seasons of eligibility remaining and was a favorite prospect when he first entered the open market last week. He claimed receiving contact from Kansas, Florida, North Carolina State, Texas Tech, TCU, Texas, Cincinnati, Boston College, Pittsburgh, and other institutions. Essandoko was also targeted by Big East rivals Creighton, Villanova, Butler, Georgetown, St. John’s, Seton Hall, and Xavier.
“Money is not an issue,” Providence head coach Kim English said last week on The Field of 68 podcast, speaking broadly about recruiting in the age of name, image, and likeness protection.
“We will not lose a player. Our greatest benefactors have stepped forward and made it obvious that if we need a player, money will not be an issue.
Essandoko joins Miami guard Bensley Joseph, George Mason guard Justyn Fernandez, wing forward Ryan Mela, and junior college big man Anton Bonke as players slated to make their Providence debuts in 2024-25.
Fernandez did not play for the Friars last season due to a significant knee injury sustained in the spring, while Bonke practiced with the team after entering for the second semester.
Transcript issues kept Essandoko from joining Providence the first time around, and he took a year in residence with the Hawks in 2022-23. He debuted in November and started in 15 of his 25 appearances, averaging 8.2 points and 5.7 rebounds. Essandoko missed time because of a toe injury but still showed flashes of what made him a top-150 recruit out of a North Carolina high school.
Essandoko had an immediate impact in the paint despite limited minutes. His defensive rebounding and blocked shot rates both approached the national top 100, according to KenPom.com. Essandoko collected season highs of 21 points against Duquesne and 15 rebounds against George Mason.
Saint Joseph’s finished 21-14 overall and was selected to play in the NIT. Essandoko’s last game with the Hawks turned out to be something of a future Big East audition for the Friars. He started, played 37 minutes and finished with 14 points and eight rebounds against the Pirates, the eventual tournament champions.
Essandoko initially committed to Providence in fall 2021 ahead of finalists Seton Hall, the Hoyas, Maryland, Illinois, the Wolfpack and Oral Roberts. The Paris native also claimed offers from the likes of South Carolina, Texas A&M, West Virginia, Ohio State, the Panthers, Nebraska and Rutgers. He was a three-star talent, according to 247Sports and Rivals.
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