New Orleans Men’s Basketball Announces 2024-25 Signing Class – University of New Orleans Athletics

NEW ORLEANS — Head Coach Stacy Hollowell of the University of New Orleans men’s basketball team has unveiled his first signing class ahead of his inaugural season on the Lakefront. The Privateers are set to welcome ten talented student-athletes to join returning players Jah Short, Turk Vincent, Omarion Henry, and Mason Jones.    

“We were looking for guys who were long, rangy, and athletic, that had some dimension to their game, whether it’s shooting the three, facilitating, rebounding well or playing above the rim,” said Hollowell. “In the amount of time we have had to put a team together, I feel like we’ve assembled a really solid group that I’m excited to coach.”   

Cedquavious “Dae Dae” Hunter signed with New Orleans back in November and began his collegiate career at CSU Bakersfield before transferring to Pearl River Community College. The Como, Mississippi native played in 30 games last season, averaging 14.2 points per game and shooting an incredible 92.9% from the free-throw line. Hunter will enter the upcoming season as a junior. 

Michael “MJ” Thomas, one of the top forwards out of Texas, was also part of the fall signing class. Thomas finished his high school career with 2,388 points, 1,825 rebounds, and 308 steals. The incoming freshman helped Link Year Prep to a No. 1 national ranking by New England Basketball in December 2023.  

James White, a transfer that played two seasons at Ole Miss before transferring to UAB. The junior played in seven games for the Blazers last season, scoring a season-high nine points against Alcorn.  

At Ole Miss, White played 46 games over two seasons, averaging 4.0 points and 2.0 rebounds per game while shooting over 40% from the field. White scored in double figures three times in SEC play, including a career-high of 14 points on 7-for-10 shooting on the road at Missouri.  

The 6-foot-5 guard scored 13 points at Auburn and recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 boards against South Carolina. The Conyers, Georgia native was highly recruited out of high school, reporting offers from Alabama, Arizona State, Arkansas, Creighton, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Missouri, Texas A&M, and UAB, among others.  

Kerwin Prince, a 6-foot-8 forward from Waterbury, Connecticut, spent his last season at South Plains where he played in 35 games, averaging 8.1 points and 6.5 rebounds per game in just 11 minutes per game, while shooting 57.5% from the field. Prince joins the Privateers as one of three seniors. 

Luke Davis, a 6-foot-9 forward, comes to the Lakefront as a senior from Greenville, North Carolina. Davis played ten games at Midland College where he averaged nine points and six rebounds per game while shooting 50.8% from the field and 74% from the free-throw line. Davis was a top-50 junior college recruit according to preseason rankings at Southwestern Illinois before the lone season at Midland. He earned JUCO All-American accolades while averaging 13 points and 11 rebounds through 21 competitions for the Blue Storm during the 2021-22 season.  

Terrance “JR” Jacobs, a 5-foot-10 guard from Memphis, Tennessee, spent his freshman year at Walters State in Morristown, Tennessee. Jacobs played and started in 32 games, averaging 8.47 points and 8.2 assists per game. Jacobs also shot 38% from three-point range and 75% from the foul line.  

Theo Grant, a 6-foot-3 guard from Schertz, Texas, averaged 18.5 points and 4.4 rebounds as a sophomore at Temple earning a 2023 First Team All-Region 5 selection. Grant shot 53% from the field and 35% from three-point range last season.  

Leland Coleman, a 6-foot-7 player from Hargrave Military Academy, averaged 12.2 points and 7.3 rebounds per game last season. The Von Air, Virginia native led his team in rebounds and to a 2024 First Piedmont Corp. Invitational Championship.  

Jackson Sowards is a true freshman out of Metro Christian High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma. As a senior, Sowards averaged 15.6 points and 6.6 rebounds per game while shooting 49% from the field and 69% from the foul line. The 6-foot-7 forward helped lead the Patriots to win an area championship and return to the Class 3A state tournament after finishing as the state runner-up in 2023. Sowards was a Tournament of Champions second-team selection with 43 points in three games. He also reached 1,000 career points and earned a spot on the 2023-24 All-Pinnacle Conference Team in his final season.  

Kohen Rowbatham is the lone local recruit, played three years at Northshore High School before transferring to St. Thomas Aquinas for his senior year. The dual-sport standout is a four-year LHSAA All-State player who helped lead St. Thomas Aquinas to the Select Division III quarterfinals in basketball, posting two playoff wins and averaging 23 points per game. The 6-foot guard helped the Northshore Panthers reach the LHSAA 5A championships in 2022.  

“We’ve brought in some guys that have been impactful in their previous stops. We’re hoping to build some chemistry pretty quickly and that we can put a team on the floor that is formidable in our league,” said Hollowell. 

The team held its first day of summer practice on Monday, June 10th.