Out with the old, in with the new

It was only a short time ago that Jesse Pellot-Rosa (Richmond, Va./George Wythe) and B.A. Walker (Onancock, Va./Nandua) arrived on campus. It’s been an even briefer period since Calvin Roland (Hephzibah, Ga./Hephzibah) and Matt Coward (Richmond, Va./Hermitage) transferred into the class of 2007. With their departure, the Rams lose 42 percent of the team’s scoring. However, a new class is ready to come in and help the Rams win consecutive CAA titles and return to the NCAA tournament. In recruiting, two of the major concerns are filling needs and talent level. Anthony Grant’s first class appears to fill both of these requirements.

While Pellot-Rosa provided outstanding offense and leadership, Coward, Walker and Roland are perhaps the greatest losses from this year’s class. Without Coward and Walker, Eric Maynor (Fayetteville, N.C./Westover) is left as the only point guard on the roster. Stepping in to help fill this role is Joey Rodriguez (Ovideo, Fla./Lake Howell). At 5’11 160, Rodriguez is small in size, but big on talent. During his senior season he averaged more than 11 points and nine assists per game in helping lead Lake Howell to a state championship.

While Roland did not get a lot of playing time, his size was a big help off the bench. However, without Roland, Wil Fameni (Douala, Cameroon) is the only true post player on the roster. But, at 6’7 240, he is a little undersized. At 6’9 210, Larry Sanders (Fort Pierce, Fla./Port St. Lucie) has the height to help out immediately in the post. The big man will need to put on weight, however, before he can seriously contribute in the post.

The good news about the loss of Pellot-Rosa is that there is talent on the bench to replace him. T.J. Gwynn (Burlington, N.C./Cummings), Franck Ndongo (Cameroon, Africa/Monteverde Academy) and James Eversley (Centreville, Va./Hargrave) are all capable of playing the guard/forward combination Pellot-Rosa generally played. Myk Brown (Gainesville, Fla./P.K. Yonge) and Lance Kearse (Fort Myers, Fla./Fort Myers) will more than likely sit on the bench behind the more experienced players. Both are very athletic, however, and have the size (Brown is 6’4 200 and Kearse is 6’6 225) to cause problems for small players on the wing.

While the seniors will be missed, it is easy to see why the future is bright. Because the Rams are reloading instead of rebuilding their roster, the 2007-2008 season could be just as successful.