7-foot center Christ Essandoko commits to Providence basketball for a second time
For the second time in his young basketball career, Christ Essandoko has committed to Providence.
The Friars scored a pledge out of the transfer portal from the rugged 7-foot center early Wednesday evening. Essandoko arrives after two years at Saint Joseph’s, the first as an academic redshirt.
“Big dog confirmed,” Providence assistant coach Nate Tomlinson posted on social media late Wednesday.
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Essandoko retains three seasons of eligibility and was a popular prospect immediately after hitting the open market last week. He reported contact from the likes of Kansas, Florida, North Carolina State, Texas Tech, TCU, Texas, Cincinnati, Boston College, Pittsburgh and more. Essandoko was also pursued by Big East rivals Creighton, Villanova, Butler, Georgetown, St. John’s, Seton Hall and Xavier.
“Money is not an issue,” Providence coach Kim English said last week on The Field of 68 podcast, speaking generally about recruiting in the age of name, image and likeness rights. “We’re not going to lose a player. Our biggest donors have really stepped up and made it clear if we need a player we’re not going to let money be the issue.”
Essandoko joins Miami guard Bensley Joseph, George Mason guard Justyn Fernandez, wing forward Ryan Mela and junior college big man Anton Bonke among those expected to debut with Providence in 2024-25. Fernandez sat out last season with the Friars after suffering a serious knee injury in the spring and Bonke practiced with the team after enrolling for second semester.
Transcript issues kept Essandoko from joining Providence the first time around, and he took a year in residence with the Hawks in 2022-23. He debuted in November and started in 15 of his 25 appearances, averaging 8.2 points and 5.7 rebounds. Essandoko missed time due to a toe injury but still showed flashes of what made him a top-150 recruit out of a North Carolina high school.
Essandoko had an immediate impact in the paint despite limited minutes. His defensive rebounding and blocked shot rates both approached the national top 100 according to KenPom.com. Essandoko collected season highs of 21 points against Duquesne and 15 rebounds against George Mason.
Saint Joseph’s finished 21-14 overall and was selected to play in the NIT. Essandoko’s last game with the Hawks turned out to be something of a future Big East audition for the Friars. He started, played 37 minutes and finished with 14 points and eight rebounds against the Pirates, the eventual tournament champions.
Essandoko initially committed to Providence in the fall of 2021 ahead of finalists Seton Hall, the Hoyas, Maryland, Illinois, the Wolfpack and Oral Roberts. The Paris native also claimed offers from the likes of South Carolina, Texas A&M, West Virginia, Ohio State, the Panthers, Nebraska and Rutgers. He was a three-star talent according to 247Sports and Rivals.
Essandoko was part of a Friars class that included current point guard Jayden Pierre, shooting guard Quante Berry and five transfers – Devin Carter (South Carolina), Bryce Hopkins (Kentucky), Corey Floyd Jr. (Connecticut), Noah Locke (Louisville) and Clifton Moore (La Salle). Providence reached the NCAA Tournament and lost to Kentucky, the last game in Ed Cooley’s 12 seasons with the program. Cooley made his now infamous jump to Georgetown, Berry left for Temple, Carter has declared for the NBA Draft after winning Big East Player of the Year honors in 2023-24 and Hopkins is expected to return at some point during the 2024-25 season after recovering from major left knee surgery.
Garwey Dual, Rafael Castro and Donovan Santoro could all depart via the transfer portal after the Friars finished 21-14 and lost their own NIT opener to the Eagles. Josh Oduro and Ticket Gaines have both exhausted their eligibility. Those potential departures have Providence still in the mix with several names over the next two incoming classes.
Essandoko, Joseph, Owls guard Hysier Miller, Scarlet Knights wing Gavin Griffiths and Chattanooga forward Sam Alexis were among the portal targets linked with the Friars over the past two weeks. Providence has also made inroads with a host of 2025 recruits and received an early pledge from Oswin Erhunmwunse, a five-star prospect prepping in Connecticut at Putnam Science. The Friars have hosted Mikel Brown Jr., Nigel James, Jaylen Harrell, Efeosa Oliogu, Jamier Jones and Tee Bartlett either on campus or on game nights at some point during the 2023-24 academic year.
On X: @BillKoch25
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: 7-foot center Christ Essandoko commits to Providence again
