Head coach Rob Perron and Catawba return once again with heavy expectations but also with a chip on their shoulder. After securing a 25-win season last year but coming up short against Queens University of Charlotte in the second round of the 2019 DII men’s basketball tournament, the Indians have the talent to make a deep run this year.
Coming in nationally ranked, Perron and his staff have done a great job in grabbing some key transfers to blend in with their returning starters and young players. But to get a better understanding of what they have, let’s dive into the roster.
Senior returning guards
Devin Cooper
Cooper will be the lead point guard for Catawba, coming back for his senior year after averaging 11.3 points last year and starting 32 games for the Indians. Cooper, who played at Radford before, understands what Coach Perron wants in his offense, as they look to push the break and tempo, as well as attack or find his shot. Cooper displayed his ability to be an outside threat during the Catawba Hoopfest and was second on the team last year with 47 made 3-pointers.
Marcell Haskett
Haskett started 14 games last year but averaged 25 minutes. Haskett averaged 14.5 points per game last year, just behind Jameel Taylor. The senior guard is another that provides a big-time threat from outside, breaking the school record last year for made 3-pointers with 82. Shooting 44 percent from the three, expect him to be in contention to possibly break his own record this year.
Providing size down low along with versatility
With the loss of Taylor and McElveen, both over which averaged over five rebounds per game, Daquan Lilly and Malik Constantine will have opportunities to increase their numbers on the boards and offensively. Lilly, a 6’7 senior, averaged just under 10 points per game last year and averaged 4.7 rebounds. Shooting 55 percent from the floor last year, he is very effective around the paint but also has the ability to step out as well. Same with Constantine, who provided pivotal minutes off the bench last year. Constantine is another forward that provides a ton of versatility to the floor, as Catawba will be able to stretch the floor on offense.
Junior forward Ben Zemonek is a sound, hard-working 6’6’ prospect that started 17 games last year for Catawba. He finishes strong around the rim, runs the floor well, and brings effective minutes to the floor. Sound forward that provides critical depth at the position.
Redshirt freshman Ben Bowen brings size at 6’10 but has also worked hard over the past year to get him ready physically to provide minutes in the post for Catawba.
Transfers making a splash this season
Catawba is loaded with very intriguing talent coming in this year, as the transfers will play a huge role this year.
Starting with 6’6 Larry McLeod from Arkansas State; if you haven’t seen the video yet, go check it out on Phenom Hoops YouTube page. Athleticism is what he screams when he takes the floor. He is a long, explosive wing player that will play multiple positions for this team and he hopes to showcase that he is more than just an athlete.
Guard Marcus Burwell from Florida International was a Top-100 JUCO prospect when he was at Northeastern Junior College, where he averaged nearly 20 points per game and shot 50 percent from the floor. He saw action in 13 games at FIU last year but should be a huge part of the offense this year.
Senior guard Zaqwuan Matthews, a local North Carolina prospect, comes in from Sam Houston State and looks to find a much bigger role for the Indians. A 6’5 guard, he provides size and length at the guard position and can score the ball, as he averaged nearly 15 points at Cape Fear CC before Sam Houston State.
Junior guard Jeffrey Prophete comes from Towson and has the background in knowing how to score the ball. He was Florida’s 8A Player of the Year, in which he averaged 32 points per game. At Hillsborough CC last year, he played in 28 points and averaged 13 points.
Providing depth
Outside the names listed above, here are a few other names to keep an eye on this year.
Senior guard RJ Robinson
Sophomore guard Terrence Whitfield
Freshman guard Josh Dupree
Junior center DJ Johnson
Junior forward Bakary Sylia