John Godinez (#0)
Five-Foot-Nine
169 lbs.
Red Shirt Freshman
Guard
Baltimore, MD. (Parkville High School)
Last season he played in 17 games, started 14. Played 21 minutes per night. Averaged 7.9 points per contest while shooting 41 percent from the 3-point line. Shot 82 percent from the free throw line.
This is what Godinez had to say about starting as a freshman:
" It was pretty cool to start as a freshman because a lot of people can't say that they did that as a freshman. I learned a lot. Being a starter prepared me for everything because I was on the court more. The more things I learned, the more confidence I had. It also showed me my weaknesses and what I need to work on, which is good."
He also talked about how the MEC prepares him:
" Playing in the MEC prepares me because there are a lot of good players in the conference. I think there are a lot of potential Division 1 players in the conference, so it prepares me because of how good the conference is."
Teammate Mike Sampson talked about Godinez:
" I really like John's pick n' roll game a lot and he is a very quick ball handler. He is a big time competitor as well. It is good to have a guard like John because he makes the game easier for guys like me."
Teammate Tyland Crawford gave his thoughts on Godinez:
" The first time I met John was at an open gym. His playing style reminds me a lot of the players from the D.C, Maryland, Virginia area. John is gritty on the court and plays hard. Being from the DMV (D.C., Maryland, Virginia) area makes you bring a form of pride everywhere you go. Godinez also brings his gritty defense with his flashy offense every night."
Fellow Guard Jalen Barnes talked about Godinez:
" John is a floor general who fears no one. He has a basketball IQ especially using the pick n'roll."
Pete's Take: Godinez is the engine that makes this team go. You can't underestimate the experience he gained a season ago.
DeAirius Barker (#1)
Six-Foot-Two
165 lbs.
Red Shirt Freshman
Guard
Cincinnati, OH (Princeton High School)
Eclipsed 1,000 points in his time at Princeton. Was second team All-Ohio.
According to Barker,"Building connections, and relationships is definitely the best part of being on this team."
"My expectations for this team is to always be better the next game,'he continued:
And then he complimented the coaches this way:
" They want to win just as badly as the team does."
Lastly Barker spoke about one of his pre game rituals:
"I write my best friend's name on my hand because he passed."
Pete's Take: A guy who is a good floor general with a solid medium range game. Should see some minutes in the backcourt off the bench.
Junior Farqhuar (#2)
Six-Foot-Two
169 lbs.
Junior
Guard
Montreal, Quebec, Canada (Orangeville Prep)
Middle Tennessee State
2018-2019: Played in all 32 games at Middle Tennessee State. Averaged 3.5 points- 2.7 rebounds- and- 1.7 assists per contest. Was third on the team with 28 steals.
Teammate Obinna Ugwuakazi talked about Farqhuar:
" Junior is definitely a guy who can lead our team. He is a very good floor general and can take over games in spurts. His game speaks for itself overall. He is a very sound offensive threat."
Pete's Take: Faqhuar will be a big part of this teams backcourt. Suffered an injury after his time at Middle Tennessee State. His health will be key for this NDC team this season.
Jaedon Willis (#3)
Six Feet
170 pounds
Junior
Guard
Baltimore, Maryland (McDonogh High School)
Chowan University (Limestone College & Hartford Community College)
Scored 18.9 points per game while at Hartford Community College. Averaged 12 points per game, three assists, and- 2.6 rebounds per contest at Limestone CC. Was third team all conference while at Chowan, where he averaged 17 points per game.
Ugwuakazi talked about Willis:
" Jaedon is a deadly shooter who is a smaller guard that can't be left alone. He breaks the game of basketball down, finds a way to maneuver the game."
Pete's Take: Willis is a guy who will be a big part of this squad, especially on the offensive end. One of his best traits is his ability to get into the paint as well as being a solid outside shooter.
Lameen Carter (#4)
Six Foot One
185 lbs.
Sophomore
Guard
Newark, Delaware (Glasgow High School)
Rowan College of South Jersey
Was a key cog on the Rowan basketball team a season ago.
Pete's Take: Carter is another JuCO transfer who will definitely help this team.
Jalen Barnes (#5)
Six Feet
155 lbs.
Red Shirt Freshman
Guard
San Diego, California
Lutheran West High School
Played in four games last season. Scored a pair of points and grabbed a pair of rebounds.
Barnes talked about the best part of being on this team, and his expectations for this season:
" 'The best part of being on this team is making fun memories with your teammates on and off the court. My expectations for this team is to win games and get better each and every day."
" What pushes me everyday is my little brother. I want him to follow in my footsteps one day," Barnes said.
Pete's Take: Barnes did gain some experience last season albeit minimal. Expect him to take another step this coming season.
Jamarr Talbert Jr (#10) .
Six Foot Three
186 lbs.
Freshman
Guard
Cleveland, OH (Richmond Heights High School)
Was third team All-State in the state of Ohio last season. Averaged 14.9 points per game. The year before he averaged 12.2 points per contest, dished out 6.5 assists per night, and got 2.1 steals per contest. Was first team all conference and led the league in assists.
Pete's Take: A local product from Richmond Heights who will be a big part of this team for years to come.
Daylin Lee (#11)
Six Foot Five
205 lbs.
Junior
Guard
Toronto, Ontario Canada (St.Edmund Campion Catholic School & The Rock School)
West Virginia Wesleyan College
Played and started in all 14 games logging 33 minutes per contest. Scored 13.7 points per game, while grabbing 8.1 rebounds per contest while playing at West Virginia Wesleyan.
Pete's Take: Lee will be a good addition to this team. His familiarity with the conference should be a big help this season.
Tyland Crawford (#12)
Six Foot Three
200 lbs.
Junior
Guard/Forward
Woodbridge, Virginia (C.D. Hylton High School)
Northern Virginia Community College
Played in 13 games, making 11 starts. He averaged 31.7 minutes per contest, which was third highest on the team last season. Shot 41 percent from the field and 83 percent from the free throw line. Added 13.4 points and 5.8 rebounds per contest.
Crawford talked about how excited he is to play in front of fans this season:
"I am hyped to play in front of fans at "The Murph" this year. I'm told it's the best place to play in front of fans in the conference and i'm looking forward to it."
Teammate Mike Sampson talked about Crawford:
" Tyland has definitely been like a brother to me since I got here. His game really compliments mine as well. Playing with Tyland is so good because we are so similar in height. That is an advantage when we switch on defense. We can be versatile because of the similarities we have."
Pete's Take: Crawford is one of three returning starters from last season. He will be a key contributor once again.
Gbolahan Adio (#13)
Six Foot Four
180 lbs.
Freshman
Guard
Richmond Heights, OH (Richmond Heights High School)
International Sports Academy
Competed at ISA prior to NDC.
Pete's Take: Adio is another great addition from Richmond Heights. He is long, and can also be a contributor on the offensive end. Will get some minutes off the bench this season.
Michael Sampson (#14)
Six Foot Four
180 lbs.
Junior
Forward
Houston, TX (Klein High School)
Played and started in all 17 contests last season. Averaged 11.2 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. Was third in the MEC in rebounding average, as well as first in offensive rebounds. Was 15th in all of Division II in rebounds per game. Was 19th in double-doubles, 21st in offensive rebounds per game, and 26th in total rebounds.
Tyland Crawford talked about Sampson:
" He is very underrated, especially at his size. He is very athletic and has a knack for the ball. Everyday he pushes himself in every drill. "
John Godinez talked about the work ethic of Sampson:
"What makes Mike such a great teammate is he works hard for the team and he is extremely competitive. Both of us hate losing. It is really fun to play with Mike because he feeds off a lot of energy, is very unselfish, and will always be there for you on and off the court."
Jalen Barnes said it best: "Mike Sampson is a gamer."
Pete's Take: Sampson was a double-double machine last season and it doesn't seem like anything points to that being any different this year.
Michael Kirkland (#20)
Six Foot Six
205 lbs.
Junior
Forward
Sacramento, California (Rio Linda High School)
Wallace Communit College Selma
Was a member of the team at WCC Selma prior to NDC.
Obinna Ugwuakazi talked about Kirkland's game:
"His game is raw. I love the shiftiness, and he loves to shoot tough shots. Overall he can break down his defender in numbers ways. He is pretty offensively sound."
Pete's Take: Kirkland will be a good addition to this team at his size.
Elijah Barnett (#23)
Six Foot Six
205 lbs.
Junior
Forward
New York City, New York (Storm High School)
SUNY Ulster
Played in all 17 games, starting nine last season. Played 15 minutes per night, averaging 4.2 points and 3.5 rebounds per contest. Also swatted away six shots.
Teammate Chris Richardson talked about Barnett:
" Elijah is a long, athletic big with great shot block timing. He also has the ability to stretch the floor."
Pete's Take: Barnett is a guy who can really rebound the ball and can change games not only blocking but altering shots at the other end. A big part of getting the team out and running on the offensive end. Will have to earn his minutes in practice this season with the surplus of big men that this team has.
Manny Hill (#24)
Six Feet
165 lbs.
Red Shirt Freshman
Guard
Cleveland Heights,OH (Cleveland Heights High School)
Played in a trio of games scoring five points last season.
Pete's Take: Hill is a guy who is very athletic, can get the ball to the basket and has a solid mid range game. How much he improves his outside shot will determine how much he plays.
Sam Jackson (#30)
Six Foot Seven
225 lbs.
Junior
Forward
Fernandina Beach,Fla. (Yulee High School)
Florida State College at Jacksonville
Was the male athlete of the year at FSCJ his sophomore season.
Pete's Take: His size will be a plus. Has played his way into the starting lineup with his play in the early stages of his NDC career.
Christopher Richardson (#34)
Six Foot Five
215 lbs.
Sophomore
Forward
Akron, OH (Revere High School)
Lakeland Community College
Played in seven games in the shortened season. Tallied five points, five rebounds, and blocked a shot.
Pete's Take: Another guy who is a big part of the logjam of big men this season.
Obinna Ugwuakazi (#44)
Six Foot Six
210 lbs.
Freshman
Forward
Brockton, Mass. (Springfield Commonwealth Academy)
Played in one game, scoring four points and grabbing a pair of rebounds last season.
He talked about the best part of being a member of this squad:
" In my honest opinion the best part is the brother bond that comes with it. No matter the place you know your teammates got your back both on and off the court."
He talked about the expectations for the team this season:
"My expectation is to take it all the way to the NCAA Tournament, starting with the MEC. From being a .500 team last season, I believe this season's players such as guys like Junior, Mike, and Jaedon and so many others have the potential to carry us. I did not really know much about NDC prior to my commitment. Upon arrival I saw that the community was really small and welcoming. Also prior to coming here I had never been to Ohio. The people here seem fascinating and Ohio itself is pretty cool."
He talked about what drives him everyday:
" The will to see my mother taken care of for life will forever drive me to get up in the morning. When it comes to training, the constant need to be better and to learn pushes me, honestly."
Pete's Take: He is one of the better athletes on this team regardless of position. That athleticism can ultimately lead to more minutes.
Javontae Jones
Six Foot Five
190 lbs.
Sophomore
Forward
Beaver Falls, PA (Richmond Heights High School)
Played in 16 games, starting two his freshman season. Averaged 4.9 points per game in 16 minutes per contest. Had 16 assists, and blocked six shots to go along with 37 rebounds.
Pete's Take: Had a solid freshman season, look for him to contribute more next semester.
Redshirts:
Panos Karras
Six Foot Four
190 lbs.
Freshman
Guard
Athens, Greece (Radyr School)
Itchen College
Was an all star at Itchen.
Elochukwu Nwodo
Six Foot Three
185 lbs.
Sophomore
Guard
Missouri City, Texas (Elkins High School)
Brescia University
Played last season at Brescia.
Pete's Take: They have a solid group to learn from this season.
The NDC hops team after some conditioning at Edgewater Park in October.
In the Scrimmage against Walsh.
In the huddle in the Walsh scrimmage.
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