With the graduation of eight seniors from the men’s basketball team that made an unprecedented run to the Sweet 16, the Red looked to add a few new names to its roster. Newman Nation will have the opportunity to see the five newest members of the squad sporting the red and white this winter when the team plays its first home game against Delaware on Nov. 17.
The most experienced player of this new group is junior Andrew Ferry, who comes to Cornell after two years of play in junior college. Ferry is a transfer from Palm Beach State College, where he posted an average of 18.7 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. In his sophomore campaign Ferry made 105 3-pointers, placing him in the top 20 in long-range shooting percentage among junior college competitors. The 6-4 guard will be eligible to play as soon as the season begins.
Joining Ferry in the backcourt will be freshman Jake Matthews of Greensburg, Pa. Standing at 6-2, Matthews’ resume includes a McDonald’s All-American nomination and two all-section selections. During his senior season he averaged 19.7 points, three rebounds and four assists per game.
One of Matthews’ classmates is Manny Sahota, who might fit in better with the hockey team than the basketball team given his Canadian roots. The 6-5 forward was invited to the 2010 All-Canadian National High School All-Star game his senior year. Sahota averaged 20 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and three blocks in his last season in high school. Matthews will don jersey No. 20, most recently worn by Cornell all-time leading scorer Ryan Wittman ’10.
A Second-team All-District selection out of Jesuit High School in New Orleans, Dominick Scelfo was a McDonald’s All-American nominee and ranked among the top-50 high school players in the state of Louisiana. The freshman guard missed most of his last high school season due to injury, but averaged 18 points per game as a junior. The 6-3 sharpshooter knocked down 58 percent from 3-point range and shot 92 percent from the free-throw line.
The final addition to Cornell’s roster is 6-6 freshman Dwight Tarwater from Knoxville, Tenn. The forward was a two-time all-state and three-time all-region selection who averaged 23.2 points and 10.1 rebounds per game his senior season. Tarwater tallied over 1500 points throughout his four years of high school play.
The five newest members of this year’s team will have a tall task at hand as they attempt to bridge the gap between last year’s history-making squad and the future of Cornell basketball.
Original Author: Evan Rich