PROVIDENCE – Two chapters were closed on this Providence men’s basketball season Saturday afternoon.
The Friars played publicly for the first time, cruising past Pittsburgh in an exhibition at Amica Mutual Pavilion. They also suited up without Dink Pate, who will pursue a return to professional basketball after spending the last six months committed to Providence.
Pate wasn’t on the bench for this 87-64 thumping of the Panthers. Friars coach Bryan Hodgson confirmed on social media Friday the athletic wing would leave the program and explore finding a place in the same NBA G League where he spent the last three years.
“We signed Dink with the expectation that he would be able to play this year,” Hodgson said during his postgame press conference. “There was guidance and rules passed afterwards that changed those expectations. We fought through some of them.
“It got to this point where we’re sitting here in the middle of October, push came to shove, and Dink had to make a decision. We fully support him in that decision.”
Pate was looking at a Monday deadline to sign an Exhibit 10 deal, the same type of contract he agreed to last season with the Westchester Knicks. Pate played 36 games with Westchester, the affiliate of the defending NBA champion New York Knicks, before making an April pledge to Providence. He practiced with the team throughout the summer sessions and was with them through the preseason this fall.
“Every day he came in with positive energy even though he knew he was facing a lot of stuff behind the scenes,” Providence guard Malik Mack said. “He was a tremendous teammate. Great guy.”
Pate was facing both academic and professional eligibility questions from the NCAA, which had yet to clear Pate for competition. The Friars were still trading paperwork with the sport’s governing body, and Pate wasn’t guaranteed a chance to take the floor in 2026-27 or beyond. He had yet to start collecting on whatever financial arrangement he made with Providence for the upcoming season.
“Nobody gets paid by Providence College or (name, image and likeness) or (revenue) share until they’re fully certified and able to check into a basketball game,” Hodgson said. “That’s the bottom line. That’s with anything.
“There’s this misconception out there that Dink made a bunch of money for a couple months and now he’s out of here. That’s not the case. If anything, Dink brought us a lot of value for the time he was on campus. He's a phenomenal young man.”
Providence impressed on the perimeter in this one even without Pate’s services. The Friars dished out 22 assists and connected 15 times from 3-point range – they exceeded that assist number only twice last year and didn’t make more shots from deep in a single game. Miles Byrd led all scorers with 17 points, Ryan Mela chipped in 15 and the point guard duo of Malik Mack and Gavin Hightower each finished with seven assists.
“Anybody who watched our exhibition game today would probably tell you this team wasn’t built around one guy who wasn’t here today,” Hodgson said. “It was pretty evident today.
“Is Dink a good basketball player? Absolutely. But we did not build this roster around one guy. Losing Dink Pate hurts us more as human beings than it does as a basketball team, transparently.
“This team is going to be just fine without Dink.”
Providence was also without guards Devin Vanterpool (left ankle) and Ryan Sabol (left shoulder) due to injury and potential fifth-year additions Derek Simpson and Joseph Pinion due to their pending legal case. Simpson and Pinion have a virtual hearing Monday morning with the Rhode Island branch of U.S. District Court, and they’re seeking both injunctive relief and a temporary restraining order alongside a federal antitrust lawsuit.
“We’ve got Dink’s back no matter what,” Byrd said. “His next decision is up to him, but we’re going to be his brothers for the rest of our lives. We built that.”
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This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: What Dink Pate's exit means for Providence basketball this season