TWO NEW MONARCHS SET FOR BASKETBALL
Jeff Jones lands a transfer and a Texas high school senior.
NORFOLK — Mekhi Long, a 6-foot-7 transfer from Rhode Island, has signed with Old Dominion after appearing in 30 games with the Rams last season, men’s basketball coach Jeff Jones announced Monday.
The Monarchs also signed John Shanu II, a 6-10 forward out of Houston.
Long will have to sit out the 2020-21 season under NCAA transfer guidelines. He was rated a three-star recruit coming out of high school in Bryans Road, Maryland. He averaged 3.1 points and 2.3 rebounds per game as a Rhode Island freshman last season.
“Mekhi is an extremely talented young man,” Jones said in a release from ODU. “His length and athleticism are apparent, as is his competitive nature. We look forward to Mekhi impacting our program immediately.”
Shanu averaged 13 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks per game as a senior at Sam Houston High.
“John is a young man with tremendous upside,” Jones said. “He is just beginning to scratch the surface of his full potential. His size, athleticism and work ethic will allow him to develop quickly and contribute to our team’s success next season.”
The Monarchs finished 13-19 overall and 9-9 in Conference USA last season. ODU lost a first-round C-USA tournament game to Florida Atlantic.