The Providence College Friars men's basketball team accepted a bid to the National Invitation Tournament following a disappointing end to the Big East regular season, and acquitted themselves well before falling to the University of Texas 74-68 in the second round at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence.

The Friars, who finished the regular season 19-12 and were passed over for the NCAA Tournament despite a strong non-conference schedule, used the NIT as an opportunity to showcase their depth and resilience. They defeated Loyola Chicago 81-74 in the first round before the tightly contested loss to Texas, which entered the game as a heavy favorite.

Senior guard Bryce Hopkins led Providence with 22 points and 8 rebounds in the loss, while sophomore forward Garwey Dual added 17 points off the bench. "I'm proud of how our guys competed," said head coach Kim English. "We played a top-25 program to the wire on our home floor. That tells me a lot about the character of this team."

The loss ended the season with a 22-13 record, an improvement over the previous year's 18-15 mark. English, who is entering his third season as head coach, has steadily rebuilt the program after a difficult transition period and is expected to be an active recruiter in the transfer portal this spring.

Providence fans have responded warmly to English's tenure, with season ticket renewals up 18 percent from the previous year. The program is expected to return all five starters next season and has secured commitments from two highly rated recruits in the 2026 class.