The Big East Conference has suspended Providence's Duncan Powell for three games following a brawl with St. John's. The suspension, announced on February 15, includes two additional games beyond the mandatory one-game suspension for fighting, as mandated by NCAA rules. The incident occurred during the game on February 14, where Powell was ejected for a flagrant 2 foul with 14:25 left in the second half. Game officials reviewed the on-court footage and determined that Powell engaged in additional combative actions, resulting in a three-game suspension. This means Powell will miss the February 21 game at DePaul, the February 24 home game against Xavier, and the February 28 game at Creighton. The brawl began when St. John's forward Bryce Hopkins was fouled hard by Powell while going up for a shot at the basket. Hopkins, who played for Providence for three seasons, took exception to the foul and confronted Powell, leading to a physical altercation between the two players. Both benches became involved in separating the players, escalating the tension. Six players were ultimately ejected from the game, including Powell and Jaylin Sellers from Providence, and Dillon Mitchell, Kelvin Odih, Ruben Prey, and Sadiku Ibine Ayo from St. John's. Despite the ejection, Hopkins remained in the game. The incident sparked debate among coaches and analysts, with some questioning the necessity of the hard foul. Providence's coach, English, expressed his thoughts, stating that while hard fouls have their place, the specific foul in question was unnecessary and could have been handled more legally by running and positioning himself properly. The game ended with St. John's rallying to a 79-69 victory over Providence, even with the short-handed Friars.
