The third time recruiting Noah Locke was a charm for Providence.
The Friars have finally landed the Baltimore shooting guard for what will be his fifth season of college basketball.
Locke will exercise his blanket COVID-19 waiver to suit up for the Big East regular-season champions. He spent three previous years at Florida and the 2021-22 campaign at Louisville, with Providence vying for his services and coming up short on both occasions.
Locke started 25 of 32 games for Louisville in his lone season with the program. He hit for double digits 18 times and reached a season-high 20 points twice against Furman and Western Kentucky. Locke’s best effort in ACC play came against Wake Forest, as he totaled 17 points on 5-for-7 shooting from deep in a 73-69 win.
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Locke was a consensus four-star recruit out of the McDonogh School and from Team Melo, which runs on the Nike grassroots circuit. He averaged 10.6 points per game in each of his first two seasons with the Gators and shot 40.2% from 3-point range through his first three years. Locke selected the Cardinals ahead of Providence, Connecticut, Oregon and North Carolina State while electing to leave Gainesville.
Locke features two other significant strengths to his game — ball security and defensive discipline. He’s posted a turnover rate of 13.1% or less in each of his four seasons, ranking inside the national top 55 twice. Locke also hasn’t committed more than 2.1 fouls per 40 minutes in any season.
The Friars will be hoping Locke performs in similar fashion to Al Durham, a graduate transfer from a Power 5 program — Indiana — who brought immediate stability to the lineup. Durham and South Carolina transfer Justin Minaya were the key additions as Providence ripped off a 27-6 mark last season. The Friars reached their first Sweet 16 since 1997 and fell only to eventual national champion Kansas.
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Locke could be the first domino to fall for Providence as it reloads. The Friars are hosting Gamecocks transfer and former top-100 shooting guard Devin Carter for an official visit this weekend. Providence has also reportedly contacted UConn transfer guard Corey Floyd Jr., Kentucky transfer wing Bryce Hopkins, Virginia Tech transfer guard Nahiem Alleyne and La Salle transfer big man Clifton Moore.
The Friars currently hold four open scholarships and add Locke to a pair of incoming freshman guards — Jayden Pierre and Quante Berry. Providence could use some experienced frontcourt depth to aid Ed Croswell, who will likely succeed Nate Watson as the starting center. Further additions on the wing and in the paint would be welcome.
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On Twitter: @BillKoch25
