NORFOLK, Va. - Old Dominion head men’s basketball coach Mike Jones announced on Wednesday an 11-member recruiting class for the 2024-25 season. Nine of the newcomers join fall signees Caden Diggs and Deion Ware to form a talented and deep newcomer group this season.
“We are very excited to welcome these new student-athletes to our Monarch Family. Each brings his own personality that will blend into our culture easily. As we navigate this new era of college basketball, we are proud to have a roster of Monarchs to represent our world-class university,” said Jones.
Robert Davis, Jr.
6-6, So.
Detroit, Mich./Massachusetts
Davis, the first signed recruit for coach Mike Jones, joins the program after playing at UMass last season. As a freshman, he saw action in 30 games and averaged 4.1 points per game. A solid outside shooter, he had a season best 18 points against West Virginia. He went 6-for-8 from 3-point land against the Mountaineers. He scored eight points, hitting two 3-pointers, and had three rebounds in 20 minutes against ODU in the Diamondhead Classic on December 24. Davis had a season best six rebounds at South Florida.
Jones on Davis
Robert Davis, Jr., is a complete basketball player. He will add size to our guard positions and a winning mentality. He is known as a shooter but is much more than that. He will be a fan favorite on and off the court as he is a great person with an infectious personality.
Caden Diggs
6-7, Fr.
Waldorf, Md./Bullis School
Helped lead his team to a district championship scoring 12 points in title win and finished Maryland State Private School runner-up as Bullis was 27-3 on the year. He earned Honorable Mention All-Metro DC honors and was the highest ranked recruit in program history by 247sports.com at 97th.
Jones on Diggs
Caden comes to us with a background of winning. He played for one of the best high schools and coaches in Maryland. He also played for one of the elite AAU programs in America. With his background, Caden is used to winning and playing at a high level. His size and versatility will be just two of the reasons that Caden impacts us from day one.
Sean Durugordon
6-5, Jr.
Harlem, N.Y./Siena
A slashing guard who can attack the rim and score. He averaged a team-high 18 points and 7.3 rebounds per game at Siena last season. Durugordon got to the line over six times per game, with three games of 10 or more attempts including a 16-for-16 performance against Niagara. Scored 23 points and had 15 rebounds in his first game against Cornell. Played at Missouri and Austin Peay before Siena.
Jones on Durugordon
Sean brings a tremendous amount of talent on both sides of the ball as well as level of college experience that we really wanted. He is a proven scorer and will fit very nicely with our desired style of play. We are blessed to be able to have a program and fanbase that can attract a student-athlete with Sean's resume.
Scottie Hubbard
6-6, Fr.
Washington, D.C./Jackson-Reed
Named Honorable Mention All-Metro DC as a senior for Jackson-Reed High School as he averaged nine points and five rebounds per game. He scored a season best 23 points in a win over ESPN 8th-ranked Wasatch Academy going 6-of-7 from 3-point range. Hubbard also had 10 rebounds against McKinley Tech High School.
Jones on Hubbard
Scottie is a big time shot maker – having proved this in the DC high school ranks, both public and private. He led his Jackson-Reed team to a DC Championship and also scored the game winning baskets in three consecutive games this past season – he is clutch. Scottie will add much needed shooting, defensive versatility and a very high character to our program.
Jaden Johnson
6-2, Fr.
Parole, Md./Fork Union Military Academy/Bishop McNamara HS
Johnson played for Fork Union Military Academy's postgraduate basketball program and averaged 16 points, six assists, and five rebounds per game during the 2023-24 season. He also helped lead the team to an undefeated league record, the EPL Conference Championship and was named Co-EPL Player of the Year. Johnson had 22 points, six rebounds and six assists in a 67-65 win over Mount Zion Prep for the EPL League Championship.
Jones on Johnson
Jaden is a tough, hard-nosed point guard that is a true leader. He has proven throughout his career thus far that winning is his number one priority and that he will do whatever it takes for his team to prevail. He is equally adept on both ends of the floor and will bring a championship mindset to our roster.
Ben Nacey
6-8, Fr.
Virginia Beach, Va./Cox HS
Nacey averaged 21.7 points, 12.4 rebounds and 4.0 blocks per game at Cox High School in Virginia Beach. He had 20 double-doubles on the year en route to earning First Team All-State Class 5, Class 5 Region A Player of the year and a two-time Beach District Player of the year. Nacey was named to the All-Tidewater team by the Virginian Pilot as a senior.
Jones on Nacey
Ben will be a big part of the foundation that we are laying. His size stands out when you first see him but his hands, touch and skill set will be what we all will remember him by. Ben is from Virginia Beach and represents the great talent that resides in the 757. He is the first of what we hope to be many that will choose to stay home and be Monarchs.
CJ Parker
6-6, Fr.
Norfolk, Va./Maury HS
A lengthy post player, Parker can step outside and stretch a defense out with his shot making. He scored 17 points, including seven in second overtime as Maury beat Lake Taylor on Feb. 1, 2024. Parker also played football for Maury where he was a wide receiver and defensive end for a Virginia Class 5 State Championship team.
Jones on Parker
CJ is the son of former UVA great Cornell Parker. Like his dad, CJ has great size and a superb basketball IQ. His ability to compete on both ends of the floor provide our team with depth and almost every position. We could not be happier to have CJ and look forward to his impact being felt in program for years to come – also as a local 757 resident, keeping our talent home will be easier because of CJ.
Donovan Raymond
6-10, So.
Charlotte, N.C.
Hampton University/West Charlotte
Raymond comes to the Monarchs from Hampton University where he played one season for the Pirates. He averaged 4.4 points and 1.6 rebounds per game in eight games last season. Raymond had a season-best 18 points in a win over Virginia-Lynchburg and added 16 against Mid-Atlantic Christian.
In high school at West Charlotte, he averaged 11 points, seven rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game. Raymond had five double-doubles and started every game in his high school career.
Jones on Raymond
Donovan provides great size and frontcourt depth to our roster. His best basketball is ahead of him as he possesses a tremendous amount of potential. With a year of college basketball under his belt already, Donovan’s development has already begun. His desire to work and be in the gym almost guarantee his improvement, we are happy that he will do it as a Monarch.
Caelum Swanton-Rodger
7-0, Jr.
Calgary, Alberta, Canada/Maryland
Swanton-Rodger comes to Norfolk via Maryland where he was on the Terrapins squad the last two years. He had a season high eight points and five rebounds against Coppin State, while hauling in at least five rebounds in five games last season. Swanton-Rodger provided a shot altering presence inside and will be looked at to do the same with the Monarchs. He blocked three shots in seven minutes of action at Indiana.
Jones on Swanton-Rodger
Big Cal immediately helps our team in two areas, size and physicality. He has a tremendous work ethic and a desire to get better. He will be a fan favorite immediately with how hard he plays. Standing at seven feet tall, he will be one of the taller players in the Sun Belt and he will be one of the most physical as well. Possessing great athleticism will also make Big Cal standout not only on our team, but in our league as well.
Stephaun Walker
6-7, Jr.
Washington, D.C.
Robert Morris/Calvin Coolidge HS
Walker joins the Monarchs after two seasons at Robert Morris where he averaged 9.9 points and 6.2 rebounds per game in 2023-24. He scored a season-high 21 points against Detroit Mercy and hauled in a season best 16 rebounds against Point Park. Walker had three double-doubles on the season finishing with a 14 point, 10 rebound outing at Youngstown State on Feb. 14, 2024. On the season he hit 50% from the floor and 70% from the foul line. As a freshman he averaged 6.8 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. He started his collegiate career with 10 points and six rebounds against Ohio State.
Jones on Walker
Steph Walker was one of the toughest players in the portal. He will provide versatility at the forward spots as he is going to have an impact on both ends of the floor. His true competitive nature will add to the culture that we are building. Steph is a winner!!
Deion Ware
6-4, Fr.
New Orleans, La./Academy of Central Florida
Attended Academy of Central Florida for his final year of high school basketball. He led Killeen (Texas) to state championship as a junior. An athletic guard who can get to the rim and finish, he played for the Houston Defenders in the summer circuits.
Jones on Ware
Deion is a versatile guard who is a gym rat. He spends so much time working on his game, you cannot help but to root for him. He possesses a very long wingspan that allows him to be very disruptive on defense. It also helps him to be very crafty with the ball on offense. Add to that his superb athletic ability and Deion will be a big contributor to our success from day one.