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Providence forward Ben Bentil to remain in NBA Draft

Ben Bentil, Jarvis Garrett, Hassan Martin

Providence forward Ben Bentil (0) looks to go up for a shot against Rhode Island guard Jarvis Garrett (1) and forward Hassan Martin (12) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Dec. 5, 2015, at the Ryan Center in Kingston, R.I. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)

AP

Providence forward Ben Bentil will remain in the NBA Draft, according to a post he published on Instagram over the weekend.

Bentil was the Big East’s leading scorer this past season, averaging 21.1 points and 7.7 boards to help lead the Friars to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

“I am the man I am today because of the opportunity Providence College gave me,” Bentil wrote in the post. “As l look forward to the next chapter of my life, I’ll always remain a Friar because once a Friar, always a Friar.”

Bentil attended the NBA Combine earlier this month and apparently liked the feedback that he got from NBA teams in attendance. He’s projected as a late first round or early second round pick. At 6-foot-9, 235 pounds, Bentil projects as a power forward that can space the floor at the next level; he shot 32.9 percent from three.

Without Bentil next season, and with all-american guard Kris Dunn also heading to the NBA, Providence looks like they are headed back to the bottom of the Big East next season. By the end of the 2015-16 season, it was quite clear that the Friars were a two-man show, and both of those men are off to the NBA.