Compiled by PAUL GOTHAM
Counting down to tipoff and previewing the incoming players of the Atlantic 10 with a look at the first-year players of the University of Rhode Island Rams.
Rhode Island finished 17-15 (9-9 in A-10 play) last season and fell to UMass in second round A-10 action.
Dan Hurley and his staff welcome four players to campus: Jeff Dowtin, Cyril Langevine, Mike Layssard and Michael Tertsea. In addition, junior transfer Stanford Robinson will take the court for the Rams this season.
Jeff Dowtin G 6-3, 180 Upper Marlboro, MD/St. John’s College
At St. John’s College H.S.: A three-star recruit by Scout.com, Rivals.com, and ESPN.com
ESPN rated him the #43 PG nationally and 247Sports rated him #21 among combo guards
Averaged 15.3 points and 5.0 assists as a senior per game for St. John’s College H.S.
Helped lead the Cadets and head coach Sean McAloon to a 29-5 record – including a 16-2 mark in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference. One of three NCAA Division I signees from SJC. Scored 13 points and dished out five assists in SJC’s 71-57 win over DeMatha in the WCAC title game. Named to the 2015-16 Washington Post All-Met Second Team and also earned All-DCSAA and All-WCAC honors. Played for the Capital Region team in the 43rd Annual Capital Classic. Played his AAU basketball with the DC Blue Devils.
Personal: Jeffrey Dowtin Jr. was born May 10, 1997. Son of Lesa and Jeffrey Dowtin Sr. Has a sister Jeleisa. Favorite NBA player is Stephen Curry.
What they’re saying about Jeff Dowtin – Jamie Shaw/Phenom Hoop Report: “Lengthy off guard who plays with great pace. He can shoot the ball well, defends the wing, and was the starting off guard at St John’s College, who finished Top 10 in the country last season.”
Marcus Helton/DMV Elite: “He got overshadowed in high school and AAU. He had a good senior year and he’s really underrated. He’s come really far from where he was as a sophomore.”
Steve Keller/National Recruiting Report: “He can really stick the jump shot, knows how to play, knows how to score and can really shoot.”
Allen Rubin/Hoop Scoop: “He’s a good two-guard, a good shooter, a good slasher. He comes from a very good high school program. He played in the best high school league in the country. He just gets it done. He knows how to win.”
Cyril Langevine F 6-7, 225 East Orange, N.J./The Patrick School
At The Patrick School: Rated a three star recruit by ESPN and 247sports.com. ESPN ranked him #66 among all PF nationally. Averaged 10.0 points and 7.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocked shots for The Patrick School as a senior. Helped the Celtics to a 23-6 overall record and the Union County championship as the team advanced to theNJSIAA Non-Public B semifinals. Played for South team in 38th Annual. North/South Senior All-Star Classic in Lawrenceville, N.J. Was a Third Team All-State and a First Team All-Union County selection. Scored 11 points in the Jordan Brand Regional Game at the Barclays Center
Played his AAU basketball with the Playaz Basketball Club.
Personal: Cyril Langevine was born on Aug. 16, 1997. Son of Nicola Profitt and Cyril Langevine Sr.
Born in Guyana. Enjoys hanging out with friends and watching movies. Lists his favorite basketball players as LeBron James and Hakeem Olajuwon.
What they’re saying about Cyril Langevine – Jay Gomes/NJHoops.com : “He’s a big, physical kid. He played on one of the best high school teams in the country. Rebounds well, intimidates, does not back down from anybody. Has to improve his outside game a little bit. You don’t want him running out on the wing, but he’s got be able to nail a 16-footer a little bit more frequently. He’s a warrior inside. He’s going to have a good career at Rhode Island.”
Steve Keller/National Recruiting Report: “He’s a big body who’s shockingly skilled especially around the basket. He has tremendous hands. He finishes right hand, finishes left hand, dunks right hand, dunks left hand gets fouled and finishes. He rebounds his tail off.”
Allen Rubin/Hoop Scoop: “He’s a very good low post player. He’s strong inside, very good rebounder. He’s a good physical defender.”
Mike Layssard F 6-9, 280 Lena, LA/Northwood
At Northwood H.S.: Averaged 24.6 points, 2.6 blocked shots per game as a senior for Northwood H.S. in Lena, La. Helped the Gators and head coach Daniel Aikens achieve a 21-6 overall record and a trip to the Allstate Sugar Bowl/LHSAA Top 28 Tournament. Was a two-time First Team Class 1A All-State Louisiana Sports Writers Association selection as a junior and a senior. Also named to the All-Cenla team as a junior and a senior. As a junior, averaged 20.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 2.1 blocked shots per game. Was tabbed as a three-star recruit by Scout.com, Rivals.com, and ESPN.com
ESPN rated him the #36 PF nationally while he was rated the #5 player in Louisiana according to the Louisiana Basketball Report. Played his AAU basketball with DFW Urban Elite
Personal: Michael Layssard Jr. was born on Nov. 20, 1996. Son of Darlene Lee and Michael Layssard Sr.
Has a sister Brandi and a brother Omarion. Enjoys painting. Lists Jabari Parker as his favorite NBA player and the New Orleans Pelicans as his favorite team
Stanford Robinson G 6-4, 200 Landover, MD/Findlay Prep (Indiana)
2014-15 (Sophomore at Indiana):Played in 31 games, and made one start against Rutgers. Went 4-of-4 at the free throw line on his way to six points, four rebounds, two assists, one block and two steals versus Lamar. Recorded seven points, three rebounds, five assists and two steals against Savannah State. Added six points to help the Hoosiers open the Big Ten season with a win at Nebraska. Totaled a season-high 12 points while grabbing four rebounds against Penn State. In his lone start, he scored four points and added five rebounds against Rutgers. Finished with six points, four rebounds and one assist in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament against Wichita St.
2013-14 (Freshman at Indiana): Appeared in all 32 games and was in the starting lineup nine times. Averaged 6.4 points per game overall and 7.6 points per game in Big Ten play. Scored six points in 10 minutes off the bench against Chicago State in his collegiate debut. Registered seven points and a steal in nine minutes against Samford. Had six points in six minutes off the bench against Washington at MSG.
Provided a spark off the bench, scoring six points and snatching eight rebounds while dishing out two assists and coming up with two steals against North Florida. Added eight points, three rebounds and two assists off the bench against Oakland. Chipped in six points and three rebounds in 17 minutes against Notre Dame. Played 19 minutes in his Big Ten debut at Illinois. Had 11 points, four rebounds and two assists in 26 minutes of play vs. Michigan State. In 22 minutes against Penn State, scored nine points and snatched four rebounds. Collected 13 points and five rebounds in 24 minutes against Wisconsin.
In his first start of the season, contributed nine points, three rebounds, two assists and a steal at Michigan State. Posted 10 points and five rebounds in 29 minutes against Illinois. Had 12 points and two steals at Nebraska. Scored seven points, including a key layup in the final minutes against Michigan.
Recorded 11 points on 5-for-6 shooting, three assists, one rebound, one steal, and one block against Penn State. Tallied a career-high 17 points in 26 minutes of play and added two rebounds and three assists versus Iowa. Registered 13 points, three rebounds and three assists in the final game of the regular season at Michigan
At Findlay Prep: Ranked No. 56 by Rivals.com and No. 16 at shooting guard … ranked No. 59 overall by Scout.com and No. 14 at shooting guard … also ranked inside the top 100 by ESPN100 …
Played for head coach Todd Simon at Findlay (Nev.) Prep, averaging 10.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists as a senior, leading the squad to the National High School Invitational semis
Participated in the 2012 NBPA Top 100 Camp and LeBron James Skills Academy
Prior to Findlay Prep, played for three years at Paul VI High School in Fairfax, Va. … As a junior, led Paul VI to a 35-3 record and its first-ever WCAC title, averaging 13.5 points per game and 3.5 rebounds per game.
Personal: Stanford Robinson Jr. was born on July 11, 1995 and is the son of Stanford Sr., and Janet Robinson
Majoring in Communication Studies
What they’re saying about Stanford Robinson: Steve Keller/National Recruiting Report: “He’s got skills. He can shoot and handle. He’s athletic. He’s got a wiry body.”
Michael Tertsea C 6-10, 225 Makurdi, Nigeria/John Carroll School
At John Carroll School: Rated as a three-star recruit by Scout.com, Rivals.com, and ESPN.com. 247Sports.com has him ranked as the 35th-best center nationally and fourth-best in Maryland. Helped lead John Carroll and head coach Tony Martin to a 27-11 mark and the Baltimore Catholic League Championship. The Patriots advanced to the championship game of the Alhambra Catholic Invitational, falling to DeMatha after downing St. John’s College H.S. and fellow Ram Jeff Dowtin in the semifinals. Earned All-BCL honors after finishing his career at John Carroll as the school’s all-time second-leading rebounder. Played his AAU basketball with Baltimore Elite
Personal: Michael Tertesa was born on Dec. 30, 1997. Son of Felicia Ikpum; host family in the U.S. are Shari and George Dehority. Senior class at John Carroll School surprised Tertsea by flying his mother to the U.S. from her native Nigeria. Enjoys listening to music, dancing, drawing, and watching movies.
What they’re saying about Michael Tertsea – Jamie Shaw/Phenom Hoop Report: “Tertsea is a paint protector. He has a thick frame and long arms.”
Steve Keller/National Recruiting Report: “He’s a project, but he runs the floor well. With his size and other pieces that can translate well. He’s going to need time, but he’s fast for his size.”
Marcus Helton/DMV Elite: “He was really raw when he first came over from Nigeria but has since developed a nice package. He runs the floor well. I can see him contributing early. He’s better on the offensive end than people give him credit for. He runs the floor and gets a lot of cutbacks, a lot of hustle points. He should have a nice career at Rhode Island.”
Biographical information courtesy of Rhode Island Athletics.
Leave a Reply