Men’s Basketball Adds Three Players in Early Signing Period
11/13/2019 6:28:00 PM | Men's Basketball
KENT, Ohio- The Kent State University men's basketball program added three student-athletes to the 2020-21 roster during the early signing period, announced by head coach Rob Senderoff on Wednesday. Signing national letters of intent to play for Kent State are Von Cameron Davis (Columbus, Ohio), Gabe O'Neal (Princeton, Ohio), and James Jordan (Detroit, Mich.).
Davis, a 6-5 forward, plays at Walnut Ridge High School. Nearing 1,000 points in just three seasons, the highly productive lefty has been a dominant force in Columbus and is only beginning to discover the pure talent he has. In his freshman season, Davis averaged around 16 points and six rebounds per game. He made an even bigger jump his sophomore year, posting several dominant performances, as he averaged 22 points and seven rebounds a night.
Last season, he averaged 27.5 points and 11.6 rebounds while earning First Team All-Ohio honors last season, and is considered a strong candidate for the Ohio Mr. Basketball Award in 2019-20.
"We have been recruiting Von since his sophomore year of high school as he was our top priority high school recruit in the state of Ohio," said Senderoff. "We're really excited he's with us. Von should be a finalist for Mr. Basketball this year and has gotten great coaching from Chuck Jefferson at Walnut Ridge. Von is a competitive kid that can play all over the court and fits our mold. We are excited for him to be with us."
Jordan, a 6-6 guard played one season at Roane State Community College before transferring to Triton College. At Roane State, he averaged 18.8 points and 4.9 rebounds, shooting 49 percent from the field and 39.5 percent from beyond the arc. He had 17 games where he scored 20-plus points while scoring a career-best 29 points against Volunteer State. Jordan was a First-team all-conference selection. This summer, Jordan was the top-performer in the JUCOAdvocate 45 game scoring 24 points.
"James is an ultra-talented junior college guard with size. His play making ability is tremendous by creating his own shot and for others. James comes from the Detroit area, an area we've had tremendous success with our own players. With his versatility, he has an opportunity to have an instant impact here and we are excited for him joining Kent State."
O'Neal, a 6-foot-7, forward plays at Mineral Area College. He averaged 6.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 60 percent from the field. O'Neal had 17 games where he scored in double-figures with two games where he scored 20 or more after starring in high school at Cincinnati Princeton.
"With the graduation of Phil next season, we knew we needed a front court scorer and low post guy who would be a presence both offensively and in rebounding. Gabe has gotten better over the course of his career with the help from his coach Luke Strege. Gabe will be ready to help offset the loss of Phil in front court and we are really excited for his addition.
The trio will join the Flashes for the 2020-21. The Kent State men's basketball team looks to extend its win streak on Saturday, Nov. 16 as the Flashes travel to Wright State for a 7 p.m. tipoff.
