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Looking to improve to 3-0 for the fourth straight season, Providence continues its season-opening, five-game homestand Tuesday against Hampton in the first-ever meeting between the programs.
The Friars (2-0) are coming off a 76-49 win Saturday over nearby Stonehill in which 11 different players scored, led by Georgia graduate transfer Jabri Abdur-Rahim's 16 points and six rebounds.
Coach Kim English's team is still coming together after dealing with injuries throughout the preseason. All-Big East star Bryce Hopkins has been out since January due to an ACL tear.
"Guys are still fighting for rotational minutes -- and that's without Bryce Hopkins, who you can plug in (for) high-20s, low-30s per game," English said. "The starting group, we're still evaluating. ... We're looking to see who can play that hard on defense and be efficient on offense."
The deep lineup shot 50 percent from the field, a big improvement from the 37.7 percent mark in last Monday's 59-55 win over Central Connecticut State.
Meanwhile, English is hopeful for a Hopkins return during the Friars' Thanksgiving week trip to the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas.
"I'm wanting him to do more. He's kind of in a dilemma of wanting to get in but also wanting the guys that are going to play to get reps," English said. "His legs are strong, his knee is strong."
Miami transfer Bensley Joseph leads Providence with 14 points per game, including 21 points and five 3-pointers against Central Connecticut.
Tuesday marks Hampton's (1-1) second game against a Division I foe this season after it fell 82-54 on Friday at George Washington.
George Beale Jr., a junior transfer from Norfolk State, scored a game-high 19 points on 8-of-14 shooting.
Beale has 17 points per game for a Pirates team that boasts just one returning starter in Kyrese Mullen, whose 10 double-doubles led the Coastal Athletic Association last season.
"What I've learned about the program is that we've had to establish our culture," first-year coach Ivan Thomas said. "There was no culture here. We got 14 new players. ... That's what we spent 12 weeks (in the preseason doing)."
Thomas spent the last nine seasons in the Big East, assisting Ed Cooley at Providence and Georgetown before taking the Hampton job.
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Three players permanently lose eligibility due to gambling
The eligibility of former Fresno State players Jalen Weaver, Mykell Robinson and Steven Vasquez have been permanently revoked due to their involvement in gambling, including betting on their own games, the NCAA's Committee on Infractions said Wednesday. Robinson last played for Fresno State on Jan. 11 and Weaver's last appearance was on Feb. 18. Vasquez transferred to San Jose State before the season and last played for the Spartans on Feb. 11. "As part of a coordinated effort, the student-athletes bet on their own games, one another's games and/or provided information that enabled others to do so during the 2024-25 regular season. Two of the student-athletes then manipulated their performances to ensure that certain bets were won. As a result, they violated ethical conduct rules, triggering permanent ineligibility," the NCAA said. Robinson and Vasquez conspired to place bets on Robinson to underperform during a Jan. 7 game between Fresno State and Colorado State. The three bets totaling $2,200 were flagged by a Nevada sportsbook operator with one of the bets made by Vazquez, according to the NCAA. The players netted $15,950. Robinson took just four shots and had three points, two rebounds and no assists during the contest. According to the NCAA, Robinson placed 13 prop bets on daily fantasy sites between Dec. 11, 2024 and Jan. 11, 2025. Weaver cooperated with the investigation and agreed to his violations. Robinson and Vasquez declined to cooperate. "I respect the NCAA's decision and I've taken accountability," Weaver told ESPN in a text message. "My focus is now on my professional career, where I'm committed to proving myself of the court." Weaver, a guard, averaged 12.5 points and 3.9 rebounds in 25 games (24 starts) last season. He played two seasons with the Bulldogs after beginning his career in Nevada. Robinson, a guard, averaged 10.3 points and 6.2 rebounds in 17 games (16 starts) last season. Earlier in his career, he played at North Texas. Vasquez, a guard, played in 18 games for Fresno State over three seasons (2021-24) before transferring. He saw action in 11 games for San Jose State last season and averaged 2.1 points and 0.9 rebounds. Fresno State said it shared information it learned with the infractions committee. "Fresno State holds itself to the highest standards of integrity, character and sportsmanship, and has an unwavering commitment to compliance with all NCAA and conference rules," Fresno State said in a statement. "The University proactively shared reported information concerning sports wagering activity with the NCAA and worked collaboratively with the NCAA staff throughout the investigation. "While the eligibility consequences for the former student-athletes are significant, the case ultimately resulted in a Level III/Secondary violation and no sanctions for the institution. The University continues to have confidence in the Fresno State Athletics' culture and is grateful to conclude this matter."
Former HC does not hold back on Cowboys' atrocious defense
The Dallas Cowboys have played about as poorly as they possibly can on defense through the first three weeks of the NFL season. One week after needing a pair of late field goals from kicker Brandon Aubrey to outlast the New York Giants, 40-37, in overtime, the Cowboys dropped their second game in three weeks on Sunday in a 31-14 loss to the Chicago Bears, showing no signs of improvement whatsoever. Rex Ryan blasts Cowboys defense Simply put, Dallas just looks lost on defense, leading to former head coach and current ESPN analyst Rex Ryan going off during Monday's edition of "Get Up." "Just when we thought it couldn't get worse, this defense comes up with even a worse performance," Ryan said. ... "You're so dumb. I can't stand it. Do something. I don't want to hear about you can't rush the passer. Then how about we send more players on the quarterback. We can't play zone coverage, then how about we play man coverage. You guys stink. Dumbsday defense." Dallas had no answers for the Bears and QB Caleb Williams on Sunday. After struggling to find a rhythm in the first two games, Williams was sensational, throwing for 298 yards and four TDs to pick up head coach Ben Johnson's first win in Chicago. As good as Williams was, though, the Cowboys defense certainly helped. Dallas (1-2) has given up 92 points through three games and is 28th in the league in opponent points per game (30.7 PPG), per TeamRankings. Something Ryan alluded to in his rant was Dallas' inability to stop Chicago on a 19-play, 76-yard drive in the third quarter that took 9:54 off the clock. It was a 24-14 game before then, and the Cowboys were picked off on each of their final three drives afterward to seal their fate. Quarterback Dak Prescott has been solid, accounting for 800 passing yards — fourth-most in the league — and three TDs. Before Sunday, he had only thrown one interception. The run game has also contributed four combined TDs between Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders, providing a much-needed balance. That has ultimately not mattered with the defense unable to get stops and limit drives from opposing teams. To make matters worse, star wideout CeeDee Lamb suffered a left ankle injury in the loss on Sunday, and it sounds like he could land on injured reserve, which would put him out of action for at least four games. That is the last thing Dallas needs right now. The team will likely be without its best player for an extended period of time, in addition to having an abysmal defense, which does not sound encouraging going forward for a franchise that always seems to be in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.
Steelers' Once Promising Third-Year Defender Could Be Relegated On The Depth Chart
The Pittsburgh Steelers have begun the 2025 NFL season with a 2-1 record, however there are some things that need to be figured out. The defense is shaky at best despite forcing five turnovers in Sunday's win over the New England Patriots in Week 3. The group still struggles to get off of the field on possession downs, and stopping the run has been an issue throughout the first three weeks of the season. A lot of that starts with the front seven and the interior defensive line. Pittsburgh has been banged up in that area, but some healthy contributors returning could shake up the lineup. Pittsburgh was able to see the regular season debut of Derrick Harmon on Sunday. The organization selected Harmon in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, but he suffered a sprained MCL in the preseason finale which kept him on the sidelines throughout the first two weeks of the regular season. He made an impact while serving in a limited role on Sunday against New England as he recorded a sack and two total tackles, and he is expected to help the run defense in the near future. Team insider Mark Kaboly spoke about the interior defensive line after the game on Sunday on the most recent episode of Kaboly + Mack, and he believes there will be two rookies starting in that area very soon. "They made some moves there, and it was able to help them out," Kaboly said. "That's a definite difference in what they were able to do. And I think it's just a matter of time until Yahya Black, Derrick Harmon and Cam Heyward's your one, two and three across the front. It's just a matter of time." Currently, Cam Heyward and Yahya Black are the starting defensive tackles for Pittsburgh while Keeanu Benton has been the starting nose tackle. That is the part of the lineup that will be shuffled, as Benton will likely switch to being a rotational piece, while Harmon enters the starting lineup. He will likely takeover the duties at defensive tackle, while Black shuffles to nose tackle. Benton was expected to take a leap forward going into his second season in 2024, but that didn't necessarily happen. He has made some big plays for Pittsburgh, but he has not been the consistent force that the organization had hoped he would be to this point. There was hope he would improve once again during the 2025 season, but if anything, the third-year pro has shown some regression since his rookie season. Moving to a rotational role where he can fill in at both defensive tackle and nose tackle might be best for Benton at this point. He doesn't necessarily have the size to be a true nose tackle in the NFL, so the coaching staff in Pittsburgh has seemingly been setting him up for failure a little bit in that regard. He would likely play better at defensive tackle, which is something the coaching staff could find out if the starting defensive line gets shuffled. Steelers Need To See Keeanu Benton Step Up No matter what role he is serving, Benton needs to play better moving forward. The interior defensive line is a key part of stopping the run, and Pittsburgh has struggled to do that. It is going to be hard to win meaningful games if that problem persists, especially against the better teams in the NFL that show up on the schedule later in the year. Benton needs to show some signs of progression, whether that be as a starter, or as someone who rotates in with the starting lineup throughout a game. Benton can still have a future in Pittsburgh, but he is going to need to improve in 2025 while setting himself up for success in 2026.
Steelers Could Be Planning To Use Week 5 Bye As An Opportunity To Make Unexpected Trade
The Pittsburgh Steelers improved to 2-1 after defeating the New England Patriots by a score of 21-14 in Week 3 of the 2025 NFL season. It has appeared as if Aaron Rodgers still has some game left at 41 years old, but the box score on Sunday didn't exactly instill confidence from an outside observer. He was only able to throw for 139 yards in the contest and the offense as a whole was only able to muster up 203 total yards. The unit will be facing a tough test in Week 4 when the team plays against the Minnesota Vikings in Ireland. The long-term plan for the Steelers at quarterback is a bit of a mystery. The organization could draft a signal-caller in 2026, or let Mason Rudolph and Will Howard compete for the job in training camp. The latter seems unlikely, given the fact that franchises need a dominant force playing quarterback to win, and neither of the options under contract for 2026 have proven themselves as much as fans would have liked. The fourth piece to the puzzle currently is Skylar Thompson. The former seventh-round pick showcased his talents in the preseason, and ended up putting plenty of good film on tape. He was one of the better signal-callers throughout the league during the exhibition period, and should have no business being an organization's fourth option. With Howard and Thompson both currently on Injured Reserve (IR), a decision is going to have to be made in the coming weeks about what to do with the emergency quarterback spot on game days. The Steelers are known for not holding onto more than three quarterbacks, so it's very possible that Thompson ends up getting released when, and if, all four players are healthy at the same time. After Pittsburgh's Week 4 matchup overseas, the team will have an early bye in Week 5. This will allow guys to get healthy, but also provide a unique opportunity to explore additions, or subtractions from the roster. Franchises have already experienced quarterback injury issues early on in 2025, and by the time Thompson is healthy, a decision could be made to deal him for a late-round draft selection. There's no guarantee that the Steelers would find a trade partner for Thompson, but as long as he is fully healthy, he's definitely someone to shop around. He is highly likely never going to see the field in Pittsburgh, but has some value because of how well he played during the preseason. Unfortunately for the Steelers, it doesn't make sense to part ways with a rookie while keeping someone else who is on a one-year deal. While Thompson won't be able to return to action until Week 7 (because the bye week does not count when a player is on IR) there is precedent to trade him anyway. The Patriots just traded Ja'Lynn Polk to the New Orleans Saints despite the receiver being on season-ending IR. Thompson's situation is a bit different, as he should be expected to return in 2025. Any team inquiring would need to be confident that he is fully healthy, because his 21-day window would need to be activated upon any deal. General Manager Omar Khan could be interested in getting yet another draft pick for 2026 if another organization throughout the league needs quarterback help. Steelers Hoping To Keep Rodgers Healthy All Season Pittsburgh's offensive line performed better in Week 3, but there is still a long way to go for the unit. While the other three quarterbacks don't necessarily matter for on-field play in games, the 41-year-old in Rodgers could be one hit away from the Steelers' signal-caller situation drastically changing. Overall, Thompson is at the bottom of the list, and could get traded soon if he is almost fully recovered from his injury.
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