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Bowling Green State University Athletics
Men’s Basketball Inks Four During Early Signing Period
November 10, 2016 | Men's Basketball
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – With just one day until the regular-season opener at Oakland University, head coach Michael Huger and the Bowling Green State University men's basketball team announced the signing of four individuals to National Letters of Intent on Thursday (Nov. 10). Nelly Cummings (Midland, Pa. / Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School), Joniya Gadson (Fort Lauderdale, Fla. / Dillard High School), Derek Koch (West Salem, Ohio / Northwestern High School) and Daeqwon Plowden (Philadelphia, Pa. / Mastery Charter North School) are set to join the program for the 2017-18 season.
"It is an exciting day, as we sign four young men to join our program for the 2017-18 season," said head coach Michael Huger. "As we started our recruiting process for the class of 2017, there were four guys that we wanted to make a priority -- Daeqwon Plowden, Derek Koch, Nelly Cummings and Joniya Gadson. It comes with great pleasure that today our top four prospects officially sign their National Letters of Intent to become Falcons! I truly believe all four of these young men will have outstanding academic and athletic careers here at Bowling Green State University, and I cannot wait to be a part of all their future successes. Welcome to BG, Daeqwon, Derek, Nelly and Joniya!"
A 6-0, 180-pound guard, Nelly Cummings comes to BGSU out of Midland, Pa., where he played at Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School. Last season, he averaged 23.5 points and 5.0 assists per game, and led the Leopards to a 26-4 record and a trip to the WPIAL Class 2A semifinals. Cummings was a first team All-State selection as a junior, and was one of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's "Fabulous Five" selections.
A 2016 National Honor Society member, Cummings led his AAU team – All-Ohio Red – to the national championship game in 2015. That same high school season, he garnered first team All-State honors as a sophomore.
"I'm very excited to welcome Nelly Cummings to our family," commented Huger. "In our offense, we need multiple combo guards who can score and distribute the basketball, and Nelly will be a perfect fit for our system. Nelly is a high octane offensive weapon who averaged over 23 points per game in high school. When left open, he is a deadly shooter and when guarded closely, he blows past his defender and gets to the basket with ease. What impressed me most about Nelly, is his work ethic and leadership ability. Nelly wakes himself up at 5 a.m. every single morning and gets his day started with a couple-mile run, and a rigid basketball workout.
"That type of work ethic and commitment to his goals will give him instant credibility when he arrives at Bowling Green. I've always believed the point guard is an extension of the coaching staff on the court, and during his recruitment, it was evident Nelly shared the same vision as my staff and I. He has the ability to lead vocally and by example, which are traits that are hard to teach. Our fans will love his ability to stuff the stat sheet, his defensive intensity, and his 40-inch vertical leap. I'm excited to have Nelly as part of our program over the next four years and truly believe he will be a great representation of BGSU and the men's basketball program."
Joniya Gadson, a 6-11, 245-pound center, hails from Fort Lauderdale, Fla. and attends Dillard High School. Last season, he averaged 10.0 points and 8.0 rebounds, as Dillard won the Class 6A state championship during Gadson's junior season.
Gadson's high school team went 23-7 last season, and finished the year ranked No. 23 in the nation according to MaxPreps. Dillard finished the year ranked No. 2 in the entire state of Florida, only behind nationally-acclaimed Montverde Academy. Gadson, who plays AAU basketball for the Florida Vipers, was featured by USA Today for shattering a backboard during an AAU practice.
"I am happy to welcome Joniya Gadson to our program. Joniya is a kid I have watched for a few years dating back to my time at the University of Miami," said Huger. "He has always been extremely outgoing and polite, and will bring a terrific personality to our program. Standing 6-11 with a 7-2 wingspan, Joniya will be one of the biggest players in the MAC, and will give us another true center on our roster. Coming to us from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Joniya is a seasoned defender who has a knack for blocking shots and being a high-volume rebounder. His offensive game has developed tremendously over the past few years, and he hasn't even scratched the surface of his potential yet.
"Our fans will love the size, athleticism and toughness that Joniya will bring to our team, and they will enjoy watching his monster dunks and big time blocks. Post depth was a need for us in this recruiting class, and we are very fortunate Joniya chose BGSU. Joniya has a bright future ahead of him, and I couldn't be happier to have him wearing a Bowling Green uniform for the next four years."
Derek Koch, who is a native of West Salem, Ohio and Northwestern High School, stands 6-9. Koch dominated the high school circuit last season, and averaged 21.7 points and 15.5 rebounds. The big man also averaged 4.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game at Northwestern High School.
Koch led his team all the way to the district finals, and after his highly-successful junior season, he hauled in several big-time awards and honors. He was named first team All-Ohio across Division III, and was also named the Northeast Inland District Player of the Year.
"I am thrilled that Derek Koch decided to become a Falcon," said Huger. "We had our eyes on Derek since we first arrived at Bowling Green, and I couldn't be happier that he will be wearing Orange and Brown next season. Derek is an excellent student and has a blue-collar work ethic on and off the court. A highly recruited, 6-9 stretch power forward who can play inside and out, Derek will have the chance to be a big contributor on our team from day one. In our offensive system, we need forwards who can pick and pop and shoot the three-point shot, post up to score on the block, and have the ability to drive to the basket. Derek can do all of those things and has even more in his arsenal.
"He is a high-volume rebounder and a big-body bruiser down low. Derek has a reputation as a hard worker and our fans will love the grit, energy and production he brings to the floor. He has a great deal of potential and will bring us some much-needed size and depth in the post. The power forward position is one of the most important ones in our offense, and Derek is the perfect fit for what we want to do. I am extremely excited to get Derek on campus this upcoming summer and begin working with him."
Daeqwon Plowden, a 6-5 wing/forward, hails from Philadelphia, Pa. and attends Mastery Charter North School. Last season, he led Mastery Charter North to the PIAA Class 2A state championship game, where he scored 24 points and hauled in 11 rebounds.
While leading his school to a 24-7 record, he averaged 15.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and 2.0 steals per game, while shooting 54 percent from the floor, and 42 percent from three-point range. Last season, Plowden was named second team All-State, first team All-Public League, and was also tabbed as the divisional MVP.
"I would like to welcome Daeqwon Plowden to our Falcon family. From day one of his recruitment, Daeqwon has impressed me with his positive attitude and high character," commented Huger. "He truly cares about his academics and caries over a 3.0 GPA. Coming to us from Philadelphia, Daeqwon has only been playing basketball for five years and already has a great skill set and tremendous amount of upside. He comes to Bowling Green having great length, standing 6-5 with a 6-9 wingspan. He has great athleticism and a quickly-developing game. Daeqwon plays as hard as anybody I've seen every single time he touches the floor, and he's is a proven winner. His motor, aggressiveness and relentless desire to win will fit perfectly into our system.
"He is a multi-dimensional offensive threat with the ability to score the ball in transition, on the wing and in the post. Our fans will love his ability to fly above the rim and throw down big-time dunks, spot up and hit three-point shots, and block shots in transition. A dynamic defender who can guard all five positions, Daeqwon has a world of potential and I am very excited to coach him the next four years."
"It is an exciting day, as we sign four young men to join our program for the 2017-18 season," said head coach Michael Huger. "As we started our recruiting process for the class of 2017, there were four guys that we wanted to make a priority -- Daeqwon Plowden, Derek Koch, Nelly Cummings and Joniya Gadson. It comes with great pleasure that today our top four prospects officially sign their National Letters of Intent to become Falcons! I truly believe all four of these young men will have outstanding academic and athletic careers here at Bowling Green State University, and I cannot wait to be a part of all their future successes. Welcome to BG, Daeqwon, Derek, Nelly and Joniya!"
A 6-0, 180-pound guard, Nelly Cummings comes to BGSU out of Midland, Pa., where he played at Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School. Last season, he averaged 23.5 points and 5.0 assists per game, and led the Leopards to a 26-4 record and a trip to the WPIAL Class 2A semifinals. Cummings was a first team All-State selection as a junior, and was one of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's "Fabulous Five" selections.
A 2016 National Honor Society member, Cummings led his AAU team – All-Ohio Red – to the national championship game in 2015. That same high school season, he garnered first team All-State honors as a sophomore.
"I'm very excited to welcome Nelly Cummings to our family," commented Huger. "In our offense, we need multiple combo guards who can score and distribute the basketball, and Nelly will be a perfect fit for our system. Nelly is a high octane offensive weapon who averaged over 23 points per game in high school. When left open, he is a deadly shooter and when guarded closely, he blows past his defender and gets to the basket with ease. What impressed me most about Nelly, is his work ethic and leadership ability. Nelly wakes himself up at 5 a.m. every single morning and gets his day started with a couple-mile run, and a rigid basketball workout.
"That type of work ethic and commitment to his goals will give him instant credibility when he arrives at Bowling Green. I've always believed the point guard is an extension of the coaching staff on the court, and during his recruitment, it was evident Nelly shared the same vision as my staff and I. He has the ability to lead vocally and by example, which are traits that are hard to teach. Our fans will love his ability to stuff the stat sheet, his defensive intensity, and his 40-inch vertical leap. I'm excited to have Nelly as part of our program over the next four years and truly believe he will be a great representation of BGSU and the men's basketball program."
Joniya Gadson, a 6-11, 245-pound center, hails from Fort Lauderdale, Fla. and attends Dillard High School. Last season, he averaged 10.0 points and 8.0 rebounds, as Dillard won the Class 6A state championship during Gadson's junior season.
Gadson's high school team went 23-7 last season, and finished the year ranked No. 23 in the nation according to MaxPreps. Dillard finished the year ranked No. 2 in the entire state of Florida, only behind nationally-acclaimed Montverde Academy. Gadson, who plays AAU basketball for the Florida Vipers, was featured by USA Today for shattering a backboard during an AAU practice.
"I am happy to welcome Joniya Gadson to our program. Joniya is a kid I have watched for a few years dating back to my time at the University of Miami," said Huger. "He has always been extremely outgoing and polite, and will bring a terrific personality to our program. Standing 6-11 with a 7-2 wingspan, Joniya will be one of the biggest players in the MAC, and will give us another true center on our roster. Coming to us from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Joniya is a seasoned defender who has a knack for blocking shots and being a high-volume rebounder. His offensive game has developed tremendously over the past few years, and he hasn't even scratched the surface of his potential yet.
"Our fans will love the size, athleticism and toughness that Joniya will bring to our team, and they will enjoy watching his monster dunks and big time blocks. Post depth was a need for us in this recruiting class, and we are very fortunate Joniya chose BGSU. Joniya has a bright future ahead of him, and I couldn't be happier to have him wearing a Bowling Green uniform for the next four years."
Derek Koch, who is a native of West Salem, Ohio and Northwestern High School, stands 6-9. Koch dominated the high school circuit last season, and averaged 21.7 points and 15.5 rebounds. The big man also averaged 4.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game at Northwestern High School.
Koch led his team all the way to the district finals, and after his highly-successful junior season, he hauled in several big-time awards and honors. He was named first team All-Ohio across Division III, and was also named the Northeast Inland District Player of the Year.
"I am thrilled that Derek Koch decided to become a Falcon," said Huger. "We had our eyes on Derek since we first arrived at Bowling Green, and I couldn't be happier that he will be wearing Orange and Brown next season. Derek is an excellent student and has a blue-collar work ethic on and off the court. A highly recruited, 6-9 stretch power forward who can play inside and out, Derek will have the chance to be a big contributor on our team from day one. In our offensive system, we need forwards who can pick and pop and shoot the three-point shot, post up to score on the block, and have the ability to drive to the basket. Derek can do all of those things and has even more in his arsenal.
"He is a high-volume rebounder and a big-body bruiser down low. Derek has a reputation as a hard worker and our fans will love the grit, energy and production he brings to the floor. He has a great deal of potential and will bring us some much-needed size and depth in the post. The power forward position is one of the most important ones in our offense, and Derek is the perfect fit for what we want to do. I am extremely excited to get Derek on campus this upcoming summer and begin working with him."
Daeqwon Plowden, a 6-5 wing/forward, hails from Philadelphia, Pa. and attends Mastery Charter North School. Last season, he led Mastery Charter North to the PIAA Class 2A state championship game, where he scored 24 points and hauled in 11 rebounds.
While leading his school to a 24-7 record, he averaged 15.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and 2.0 steals per game, while shooting 54 percent from the floor, and 42 percent from three-point range. Last season, Plowden was named second team All-State, first team All-Public League, and was also tabbed as the divisional MVP.
"I would like to welcome Daeqwon Plowden to our Falcon family. From day one of his recruitment, Daeqwon has impressed me with his positive attitude and high character," commented Huger. "He truly cares about his academics and caries over a 3.0 GPA. Coming to us from Philadelphia, Daeqwon has only been playing basketball for five years and already has a great skill set and tremendous amount of upside. He comes to Bowling Green having great length, standing 6-5 with a 6-9 wingspan. He has great athleticism and a quickly-developing game. Daeqwon plays as hard as anybody I've seen every single time he touches the floor, and he's is a proven winner. His motor, aggressiveness and relentless desire to win will fit perfectly into our system.
"He is a multi-dimensional offensive threat with the ability to score the ball in transition, on the wing and in the post. Our fans will love his ability to fly above the rim and throw down big-time dunks, spot up and hit three-point shots, and block shots in transition. A dynamic defender who can guard all five positions, Daeqwon has a world of potential and I am very excited to coach him the next four years."
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