McDonald Plotting Trips; Southeastern IA Update
Marvett McDonald is hoping to cash in a Division I scholarship offer after helping Southeastern C.C. of Iowa win its second straight NJCAA title last week.
The 6-1 combo guard from Memphis, Tenn., scored nine points and dished out four assists to help the Black Hawks upend Redlands C.C., 58-43 on Saturday night. For his efforts, McDonald landed on the 12-man all-tournament squad.
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After the game, McDonald told JUCO Junction he hopes to take official visits to Alabama-Birmingham and Northern Illinois. SCC Head Coach Joe O'Brien added Colorado State and Arkansas State to that list.
McDonald averaged 13.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.8 steals per game this season. He shot 45 percent from the field, 38 percent beyond the arc and 76 percent from the foul line.
What we like best about McDonald is his ability to make shots from the perimeter. His size dictates that he'll need to play the point slot at the Division I level, and he's an adequate enough ball handler to get a team into its offensive sets.
McDonald's backcourt partner in crime, 6-3 shooting/combo guard Kelvin Pena of the Dominican Republic, is seeking professional opportunities next year.
The Most Valauable Player of the 2004 NJCAA Tournament, Pena could be headed to Spain or a Latin American country to play professionally, according to Coach O'Brien.
A gifted offensive player, Pena can slice and dice a defense in myriad ways. This past season, he averaged 21.3 points, 2.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.7 steals per game. Pena shot 51 percent from the field, 39 percent beyond the arc and 76 percent from the foul line.
Up front, the Black Hawks feature a pair of Division I bound players and two recruitable sophomores.
The committed players are 6-6 power forward Ivan Almonte of the Dominican Republic and explosive 6-8 power forward/center Doug Thomas of Inglewood, Calif.
Almonte signed in the fall with Texas-El Paso, while Thomas committed to Iowa out of prep school and is expected to ink with the Hawkeyes this spring.
The two availables are 6-5 power forward Benito Flores and 6-8 finesse power/combo forward Eliz Cepeda.
Flores, a native of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, is a blue collar banger whose game is confined to the paint. He wears a knee brace that bears testament to his ACL surgery last year.
Coach O'Brien said that Western Illinois has expressed interest in Flores.
Flores averaged 11.4 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game in 2003-2004 for the Hawks. He shot a team-high 61 percent from the field and a respectable 65 percent from the foul line.
While Flores is a bit of a plodder, Cepeda is a 6-8, 200 pound run/jump athlete from Puerto Rico.
As a result, Cepeda can finish the fast break with a flourish, but he's not a player that likes to live with his back to the basket. He has a penchant for facing the hoop, and can knock down the occasional jumper.
This past season, Cepeda averaged 6.5 points and 3.8 rebounds per game, blocking 16 shots. He shot 58 percent from the field and 75 percent from the foul line.
Coach O'Brien said that Northeastern University in Boston expressed interest in Cepeda after seeing him play at the national tournament last week.
Cepeda's father lives in New Jersey, so he has some family ties on the East Coast.
JUCO Junction will keep an eye on things in West Burlington as the spring signing period approaches, so stay tuned to this site for the latest.