POUGHKEEPSIE, New York – Marist head men's basketball coach
John Dunne has announced the addition of four newcomers for the 2020-21 season: Hakim Byrd, Javon Cooley, Raheim Sullivan, and Ricardo Wright.
Byrd, Cooley, and Wright are incoming freshmen with four years of eligibility. Sullivan is a junior college transfer with two years of eligibility starting with the coming season.
"We are very excited with our new additions," Dunne said. "We strongly believe we have addressed team deficiencies while enhancing our overall talent. These four young men complement each other extremely well; while, at the same time, complementing our returning group. The new players, along with the experience of our returners, will help our program take the necessary step toward sustainable success."
Byrd shined scholastically at Neumann-Goretti High School in Philadelphia. In his high school career, his team won four district championships, two state titles, and one Philadelphia Catholic League crown.
In his senior season, Byrd earned First Team All-Catholic League and Class 3A Second Team All-State honors as he averaged 14.6 points, 3.1 assists, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game for a team which went 24-4. Byrd built off a junior season in which he averaged 12.5 points per game while shooting 47 percent from the field and 36 percent from three-point range. He was a Second Team All-Catholic selection who boasted a 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Cooley is a tough, athletic wing with the ability to knock down a shot from long range. He played a post-graduate season for Bosco Institute in Indiana in 2019-20. There, he displayed a solid all-around game with averages of 13.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.3 steals, and 1.2 blocked shots per game while shooting 49 percent from the field and 45 percent from three-point range.
He previously had played at St. Rita in Chicago under the direction of legendary coach Gary DeCesare. As a senior, he averaged 15.2 points per game. DeCesare said that Cooley "worked really hard at becoming a good shooter" and believes that going to Marist "is a great situation for him."
In the 2019-20 season, Sullivan starred at McCook Community College in Nebraska. He averaged 16.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game. He shot 46 percent from the field, 37 percent from three-point range, and 74 percent from the free-throw line. An exciting playmaker, Sullivan had at least nine assists in four of his last five games of the season, and scored at least 20 points in seven games this past season. He was named First Team All-Conference, Third Team All-Region, and Omaha World Herald Honorable Mention All-Midlands. He played the 2018-19 season at Moberly Area Community College.
Sullivan played scholastically at Central Technical School in Toronto. In his senior year, he led his team to the best overall record in the National Preparatory Association, which won the bronze medal at its national tournament. He led the team in scoring (18.7 ppg), assists (7.9 apg), and steals (2.7 spg). Sullivan was a leader on and off the court, as he also received academic honors and made the Honor Roll.
Wright averaged 21.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.6 steals per game as a senior. He led The Villages to the district championship and state regional semifinals, as the Buffalo went 21-7 in the 2019-20 season. A talented scorer, Wright set a school record with a 40-point game in December of his senior season.
Wright was selected to play in the Florida Athletic Coaches Association North vs. South Game as a senior, which consists of the state's top 24 seniors. He was named Class 4A Second Team All-State, and First Team All-Area by the Daily Commercial.
The 2020-21 season will mark Dunne's third as head coach of the Red Foxes, and 15
th as a collegiate head coach.
