Yale center marks the latest player to join Providence basketball

Wednesday night saw Providence add a rim protector to the perimeter threats the program has landed to date in the transfer portal.

Yale center Samson Aletan pledged to the Friars through an April 15 announcement on Instagram by his representatives at Slan Sports Management. He opted to explore leaving the Bulldogs a little less than a month ago and took a visit with the Friars this week.

Aletan started in all but one of his last 59 games with Yale, averaging 7.8 points and 5.8 rebounds in 2025-26. He was a top-20 player nationally in block percentage according to KenPom.com in 2024-25 and rejected at least three shots in six games last season. Aletan shot 58.5% from the field – all from 2-point range – and pulled down 70 offensive boards.

Ex-Yale center Samson Aletan (10) has committed to Providence.

“I have decided to enter the NCAA transfer portal and explore all of my options for my final year of eligibility,” Aletan wrote in a March 19 post. “This was not an easy decision, but I believe it is the right step for my future and continued development on and off the court.”

Aletan collected a pair of double-doubles and scored in double figures 11 times last season. He totaled 18 points on 8-for-11 shooting in a win over Columbia and pulled down 14 rebounds in an overtime triumph against Howard. That came after Aletan hit double figures in scoring 13 times in 2024-25.

Aletan was a consensus three-star prospect from Dallas who opted for the Ivy League ahead of a list of offers from power conferences. Houston, Kansas State, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, SMU, Tulsa, Saint Louis and Brown were among the schools who recruited Aletan prior to his commitment to the Bulldogs. He reached a pair of NCAA Tournaments with the school and was part of a 78-76 upset of Auburn in the opening round as a freshman.

Aletan was his league’s Defensive Player of the Year as a high school senior at Lake Highland, setting a new record for blocked shots in a state tournament championship game with seven. He helped his team to a title that season and was a two-time all-district selection. Aletan followed by earning the John C. Cobb Award as a freshman at Yale, which goes to the program’s Rookie of the Year.