Courtesy of GWSports.com
WASHINGTON – Tyler Cavanaugh, a 6-foot-9 forward from DeWitt, New York, has joined the GW men’s basketball program after competing for Atlantic Coast Conference program Wake Forest for the past two seasons. Cavanaugh will sit out the 2014-15 season per NCAA requirements and have two years of eligibility remaining beginning in 2015-16.
“After recruiting him in high school, my staff and I are so thrilled to have the opportunity to coach Tyler at GW,” said Head Coach Mike Lonergan, who led GW to the second-most wins (24) in program history and an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2013-14. “Tyler steadily improved throughout his two seasons at Wake Forest against rigorous competition in the ACC. With another year of hard work, we anticipate Tyler will have an immediate impact in the Atlantic 10 on a veteran-laden Colonials’ team in 2015-16.”
“I chose GW because I felt most comfortable with the coaches and guys. Once I came down and visited the campus and D.C., I thought this was the place I wanted to go,” said Cavanaugh. “When I finally get to play, I am excited I get to play with all the guys, especially the four seniors who will all be very good players. I’ll just plug myself in, hopefully contribute in any way I can and help the team be successful because that’s what I really want to do – I want to win and make a run in the NCAAs.”
In two seasons with Wake Forest, Cavanaugh averaged 7.0 points, 3.2 rebounds and 19.0 minutes while playing all 64 games. As a sophomore in 2013-14, he started 22 of 33 games and posted averages of 8.8 points on 42 percent shooting and 3.9 rebounds to help the Demon Deacons finish with a winning record for the first time in four seasons at 17-16. Cavanaugh reached double-figure scoring 14 times in 2013-14 highlighted by a career-high 20 points along with six rebounds in an upset of No. 4 ranked Duke on March 5, 2014.
In his freshman season in 2012-13, Cavanaugh provided 5.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 16.7 minutes per game while earning ACC All-Academic Team honors and recognition on Wake Forest’s Athletic Director’s Honor Roll.
“I feel can improve my game in so many ways with things I know I have to improve on after two years in the ACC as well as work with [Strength and Conditioning] Coach Johnson on my body and athleticism to be the best that I can be,” added Cavanaugh.
Prior to his two seasons at Wake Forest, Cavanaugh helped Jamesville-DeWitt High School outside of Syracuse to three straight New York State Class A titles from 2009-11 and a state semifinal appearance in 2012. He averaged 19.3 points as a senior in 2012 to earn First Team All-State honors and was a finalist for New York’s Mr. Basketball award won by former Red Rams teammate and current Syracuse forward DaJuan Coleman.
Cavanaugh is the second transfer to join the Colonials this offseason along with walk-on guard Matt Hart from NCAA Division III Hamilton College. Hart, a native of Orchard Park, New York who will also sit out the 2014-15 season and have two years of eligibility left beginning in 2015-16, averaged 17.9 points on 45.8 percent shooting (300-655) from the field, 4.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.1 steals in 49 games over two seasons with the Continentals. As a sophomore in 2013-14, Hart led Hamilton and the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) and ranked 25th in Division III in scoring at 20.6 points per game to earn First Team All-NESCAC and Third Team All-Northeast Region honors from D3hoops.com.
“Our coaching staff is very selective in recruiting transfers and we have been fortunate to attract student-athletes who have positively impacted our program on and off the court,” said Coach Lonergan, who has added transfers Isaiah Armwood, Maurice Creek and Ryan McCoy in his three years at GW. “We expect Tyler and Matt to continue the trend of helping our basketball program succeed while they receive an education from one of the nation’s top academic schools in the most powerful city in the world.”
– GW –
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