GUMBO GURU: Charlotte’s Country Kitchen
May 5, 2015
Wallace Thibodaux
May 13, 2015
Nicholls men’s basketball coach J.P. Piper said he wanted to add talented guards, elite shooting and players with championship-winning attitudes in his 2015 signing class.
At least on paper, it looks like Piper got all three.
Nicholls announced its 2015 signing class this week, which features three decorated players from different parts of the country.
The Colonels signed Evangel forward CJ Daniels, Otero Junior College point guard Tre O’Neal and Australian-born guard Jay Weldon in a class that Piper believes can help the Colonels in their continued quest to win the Southland Conference Tournament and reach the NCAAs.
“We’re really, really excited about these guys that we have coming in – we think that all three can come in and compete for playing time here right away,” Piper said. “We still are recruiting for one more spot and possibly for two, and we’ll see where that goes. But we’re happy with the start we have with these three. We think they’re all guys who fit in with what we’re trying to do.”
Daniels is the only local product of the Colonels’ trio – a 6-foot, 5-inch small forward who played for Evangel High School in Shreveport.
Daniels averaged 19.3 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists for the Eagles, earning himself Second-Team All-State honors during his senior season.
Piper said Daniels will boost the Colonels’ wing play, while allowing the Colonels to stretch the floor to keep opposing defenses off balance.
The Nicholls coach described Daniels as an elite shooter, offering him high praise while explaining his skillset.
“He’s a great shooter. Maybe the best that we’ve ever had sign here, and that’s saying a lot, because we’ve had some really good ones,” Piper said. “I watched him in a playoff game and he made eight 3’s. This was in a Quarterfinals Playoff game. They weren’t open shots. He had guys hanging all over him. He can make shots in traffic, and that should translate to our system right away.”
With Daniels inked, Piper said the Colonels also wanted to boost their play at the point guard position – a spot that is a bit thin because of a couple departures from the program.
To offset those losses in the immediate future, Nicholls signed O’Neal – a point guard from Denver who will report to the Colonels with collegiate experience, averaging 11.7 points and 4.5 assists per game last season with Otero Junior College.
But perhaps more important than the experience is O’Neal’s pedigree. The 6-foot, 1-inch guard is the nephew of NBA Champion and future Hall of Fame point guard Chauncey Billups.
Piper said O’Neal isn’t flashy, nor an instant All-Star. But he said O’Neal is steady, a fierce competitor and a strong-willed leader – all things that he said the Colonels will benefit from.
“We struggled this year because we weren’t always doing on the floor what we’d been coached to do,” Piper said. “The No. 1 thing that I wanted was a guy who’d come here and carry what the coaching staff wanted to the floor. To me, that’s this kid. Some of that comes from having an Uncle who was an NBA legend and understanding how it works. He understands that it’s not about just himself as a player, but also about what he needs to do to help his team win.
“He’s not flashy. He’s not an All-Star. But he’s a point guard who just goes out and wins. There’s something to be said for that.”
The coach said a lot of those same attributes can be used to describe Weldon – another 6-foot, 1-inch guard who will join the team after a prep career at Trinity Grammar School in Sydney, Australia. Weldon averaged 18.2 points, 10 rebounds and 2.1 assists at Trinity – the same school that current Nicholls center Liam Thomas attended.
Piper said he expects Weldon to have a promising four-year career in Thibodaux, describing him as a quick, explosive point guard who can beat people off the dribble, but also make shots over the defense.
The Colonels have had a bunch of luck with Australians in the past, including Ryan Bathie and Toly Bose.
“We expect him to come in and compete for playing time right away,” Piper said. “He’s a kid who we are very excited about. We think he’s going to have a very nice career here.”
