Providence enters rebuilding mode with Ben Bentil staying in draft
The most improved player in college basketball this past season believes he's ready for the NBA.
Providence forward Ben Bentil announced Sunday evening in an Instagram post that he will forego his final two years of college eligibility and remain in the NBA draft.
Bentil's decision is logical considering the feedback he received after a strong performance at the draft combine in Chicago earlier this month. He could be selected in the late first round and he'd still be a strong candidate to negotiate a guaranteed contract even if he falls to the top of the second round.
Turning pro serves as the culmination of Bentil's year-long rise from role player, to Kris Dunn's co-star, to NBA prospect. The 6-foot-8 native of Ghana helped lead Providence to the second round of the the NCAA tournament in March, averaging 21.1 points and 7.7 rebounds as a sophomore after contributing just 6.4 points and 4.9 rebounds the previous year.
What intrigues NBA teams about Bentil is his potential as a floor-spacing power forward in an era when such a skill set is considered highly valuable. Bentil shot 33 percent from behind the arc this past season and also displayed the ability to score in the post or via face-up opportunities.
Recording 36 blocks and 30 steals is proof of Bentil's defensive instincts, however, NBA teams may fear that his modest height and explosiveness for his possession may render him less effective at the professional level. Bentil also isn't much of a playmaker for a forward with such a diverse skill set as he recorded barely one assist per game this past season.
While the departure of Bentil and Dunn were both no surprise for Providence, that doesn't make it any easier for the Friars to say goodbye. Ed Cooley could have a very difficult time extending Providence's three-year streak of reaching the NCAA tournament unless some of last season's role players make comparable jumps to the one Bentil made.
The most promising player left on the roster is 6-foot-8 small forward Rodney Bullock, who averaged 11.4 points and 6.8 rebounds per game this past season but faded during the second half of league play. He'll need support from Jalen Lindsey, Kyron Cartwright, and Ryan Fazekas, none of whom averaged more than seven points per game this past season or shot above 40 percent from the field.
Providence also welcomes a deep recruiting class headlined by point guard Maliek White and former Indiana forward Emmitt Holt. That group could be counted on to contribute immediately next season as the Friars adjust to life without Bentil and Dunn.
While losing its two stars could be a crippling blow for Providence in the short-term, the program will benefit in the long term if Dunn is taken in the lottery and Bentil is also selected in the first round.
That becomes a nice carrot for Cooley to dangle as he attempts to recruit the Friars' next crop of stars.
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Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
