PROVIDENCE REMOVES BENSLEY JOSEPH FROM THE TRANSFER PORTAL.
On Friday afternoon, Providence used the transfer portal to secure a commitment from point guard Bensley Joseph.
With Devin Carter confirming his decision to forego his senior season and pursue the NBA draft on Wednesday, Providence was able to confirm the amount of open spaces for portal transfers. Four is the number, and the first portal advertisement appeared on Friday. One of the areas that Kim English and his staff wanted to strengthen was the point guard position. Jayden Pierre would return for his junior season, but with Garwey Dual transferring, the Friars needed a quality, veteran point guard to help Pierre, who struggled with illness and injury as a sophomore, his first year as a starter.
The Friars contacted a number of point guards in the portal but really liked Bensley Joseph. Joseph visited St. John’s last week and made his way to campus late Tuesday. Three days later, Joseph is a Friar.
This was not Providence’s first attempt to persuade Joseph to join Friartown. Joseph, a native of Arlington, Massachusetts, spent his first two years at Arlington High before transferring to Cushing Academy, where he grew into a four-star prospect. As a junior, he averaged 15.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game, earning All-NEPSAC Class AA accolades. Joseph left Cushing to attend Putnam Science Academy in Connecticut for his senior year, however he missed the entire season due to an ankle injury sustained during a preseason scrimmage.
Still, he was a national recruit, and the various recruiting services rated his play high. ESPN tabbed him as the #80 prospect in the Class of 2021, while 247 had him at #126 and the 19th best point guard in the nation. Ed Cooley and staff recruited him for Providence and Joseph eventually included the Friars in his final top five, which also included Boston College, Georgetown and Marquette, but chose Miami as his college destination on July 27, 2020.
Throughout his three seasons at Miami, Joseph was a solid contributor. As a freshman, he appeared in 36 of 37 games and scored 2.3 points per game while shooting 39.5 percent from three, connecting on 18 of 39 attempts. As a sophomore, he started two of 37 games and improved his average to 5.3 points per game in 20 minutes. He also made 35 three-pointers at a 39.8 percent clip, scored in double figures seven times, and finished sixth in voting for ACC Sixth Man of the Year. His playing time grew further as a junior in 2023-24. He started 27 of 32 games and averaged 9.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.5 steals in 31.5 minutes per game. However, his three-point shooting dropped to 37.4 percent. He scored double figures in 15 games, had career highs with 21 points and five threes against North Carolina, 10 assists against North Florida and five steals against Central Florida.
Joseph adds an invaluable piece to the backcourt. At 6’2 and 196 pounds, he’s strong and can play off the ball as well as share ballhandling duties with Pierre. Joseph is a downhill player, meaning he thrives on finding lanes to drive to the rim and finish through contact. Adding to his value is his ability to hit free throws. Joseph shot .792 as a junior and has consistently been around 80 percent throughout his career. Along with his ability to drive and penetrate, Joseph has been a reliable three-point shooter, especially in catch-and-shoot opportunities. He sank 52-139 threes as a junior and has been a career 38 percent three-point shooter against top competition.
His experience should also not be underestimated. While Miami had a disappointing season in 2023-24, Joseph made the Final Four with the Hurricanes in 2022-23 and was a key rotation contributor as the team’s first guard off the bench. That winning experience will be crucial as he influences the Friars next season. Finally, Joseph should be an excellent fit for the English defensive system. He’ll fit right in as one of PC’s best backcourt defenders, influencing games with tight man coverage, steals, and even blocks. In short, Bensley Joseph fills a specific need and is an excellent initial addition to the Friars’ roster.
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