Providence College Head Coach Kim English announced that senior Jabri Abdur-Rahim, junior Wesley Cardet Jr., redshirt freshman Christ Essandoko and junior Bensley Joseph each have signed an athletic aid agreement to attend Providence in 2024-25.
Abdur-Rahim, a 6-8, 215-pound guard, has one season of eligibility remaining. He played at Virginia in 2020-21 helping the Cavaliers capture the ACC regular season title and a berth in the NCAA Tournament before transferring to Georgia where he has played for the last three years. In four seasons of action, Abdur-Rahim played in 101 games and averaged 8.0 points and 2.9 rebounds. He shot 83.6 percent (240-287) from the free-throw line and 35.4 percent (141-398) from three-point territory. In 2023-24, Abdur-Rahim averaged 12.2 points and 3.5 rebounds while shooting 35.6 percent (62-174) from three and 88.7 percent from the free-throw line. He scored in double figures in 17 of the 27 games he played. Abdur-Rahim registered 20 or more points four times last season, including a career-best 34 points on 7-14 shooting from three-point territory at Kentucky on January 20, 2024. Abdur-Rahim graduated from Blair Academy in 2020. In 2019, he was named Gatorade Player of the Year for New Jersey.
"We are looking forward to having Jabri on the court for us next season," English said. "We are very familiar with his game. We played against Jabri last season, we coached against him at George Mason and I recruited him out of high school when I was at Tennessee. In addition, Matt Palumbo and TJ Grams were with him for his freshman season at Virginia."
Cardet, a 6-6, 210-pound guard, has one season of eligibility left. He began his college career at Samford in 2021. After averaging 8.1 points and 4.6 rebounds in 27 games at Samford in 2021-22, Cardet transferred to Chicago State following his freshman year. In two seasons at Chicago State, Cardet averaged 17.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 62 games. He also shot 34.4 percent (76-221) from three-point territory in two seasons at Chicago State. He had a strong 2023-24 campaign, averaging 18.7 points and 4.5 rebounds while starting all 31 games. He scored 20 or more points 14 times, including two games with 30 points. He registered 30 points as he shot 13-21 from the field in a win at Northwestern on December 13, 2023 and he scored 30 points versus UC San Diego on March 23, 2024. On January 25, 2023, he scored a career-high 31 points at Stanford as he was 10-10 from the free-throw line and 9-12 from the field. Cardet graduated from West Oaks Academy in 2021. He was ranked No. 60 in nation in the class of 2021 by Rivals.com.
"We are thrilled that Wesley has chosen to become a Friar," English said. "Wesley's uncle, Gerald Gillion, who was his head coach at Chicago State, is a great friend. We were able to get really good information on who he was as a player, a person and a teammate. We were most excited to hear about him being a tremendous person and teammate."
Essandoko, a 7-0, 290-pound center, has three seasons of eligibility remaining. He enrolled at Saint Joseph's University in the fall of 2022. After redshirting in 2022-23, he saw his first action with the Hawks in 2023-24. Essandoko averaged 8.2 points and 5.7 rebounds in 2023-24. He shot 50.0 percent (71-142) from the field, including 36.8 percent (14-38) from three-point territory. He also shot 64.9 percent (48-74) from the free-throw line. Essandoko started 15 of the 25 games he played. He recorded his first career double-double with 21 points and 12 rebounds in a win versus Duquesne on January 20, 2024. He also added a career-high three, three pointers in the win. Essandoko posted a career-high 15 rebounds in a win versus George Mason on January 31, 2024. On February 5, 2024, he was named Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week. Essandoko graduated from Winston-Salem Prep (N.C.). Essandoko played for Boo Williams on the EYBL Nike Circuit.
"From the first moment that we spoke to Christ, he had a love and excitement about Providence," English stated. "His skill set is an excellent fit for our style of play. He will provide a presence down low that will help solidify our front court for the always physical challenges of the BIG EAST season."
Joseph, a 6-2, 196-pound guard, has one season of eligibility remaining. He spent the last three seasons at the University of Miami (2021-24). In three seasons of action at Miami, Joseph played in 105 games, making 29 starts. He scored 584 points, grabbed 243 rebounds and dished off 213 assists. He shot 37.9 percent (102-269) from three-point territory and 75.2 percent (88-117) from the free-throw line. Joseph helped the Hurricanes advance to the Final Four in 2023 and the Elite Eight in 2022. In 2023-24, he averaged 9.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists while starting 27 of the team's 32 games. He shot 36.4 percent (52-143) from three and 78.0 percent (39-50) from the free-throw line in 2023-24. Joseph scored a career-high 21 points at North Carolina on February 26, 2024. He also recorded a career-high five threes and six rebounds in that game. Joseph also posted a career-high 10 assists last season in a win versus North Florida on December 29, 2023. Bensley graduated from Putnam Science Academy (Conn.) in 2021. He played AAU basketball for Expressions Elite Basketball.
"We love the fact that Bensley is from New England and that he will be coming home to play," English said. "Bensley reached the Elite Eight as a freshman and the Final Four as a sophomore. He is a quality individual and he will be another veteran leader on our roster."
