Schroyer signs quality quintet to boost McNeese basketball roster

LAKE CHARLES – McNeese Cowboys head basketball coach Heath Schroyer was grinning ear to ear after announcing his 2020 signing class, and for good reason.

Schroyer landed two Division I transfers – 6-foot-8 forward Keyshawn Feazell from Mississippi State and Harwin Francois, a 6-4 guard out of Southern Illinois; 6-8 shooting forward Carlos Rosario of Pensacola State; Braelon Bush, a 5-7 guard from Silsbee High School; Jordan Henderson, a 6-7 forward from The Village High School.

“I couldn’t be more excited about this recruiting class,” said Schroyer. “I give all the credit to my staff (John Aiken, Jalen Courtney, Mike DuBose, Matt Taylor). They have been creative and diligent through this pandemic and continued to work tirelessly morning, noon and night.

“We added not only quality players, but quality people. We were able to address our needs and improve our roster.”

Feazell played three seasons at Mississippi State, and this past season, appeared in 24 games. In his three seasons with the Bulldogs, he appeared in 74 games while playing behind two NBA players.

A native of New Hebron, Mississippi, Feazell prepped four seasons at Lawrence County HS where he scored 1,293 career points with 869 rebounds, 170 blocks, 151 assists and 97 steals.

He was named the No. 2 prospect in the state of Mississippi and was recruited by Alabama, Baylor, Iowa State, Pitt and Texas.

Schroyer on Feazell: “I’m so excited about Keyshawn. He’s a big, strong, athletic kid who is extremely skilled. He has the ability to play inside and out. He was caught in a numbers game (at Mississippi State) and played behind two NBA guys. He’s a tremendous kid and will have an immediate impact on our team.”

Francois played in 31 games making six starts at Southern Illinois last season. The incoming junior scored a season-high 14 points against Southern Miss.

Prior to SIU, the Fort Myers, Florida native played one season at Daytona State where he averaged 10 points, four rebounds and two assists and shot 48 percent from three-point range while garnering first team all-conference honors. His 3FG percentage ranked 17th nationally.

Schroyer on Francois: “I was the first person to offer Harwin last year when we recruited him when he went to Southern Illinois. He really fits how we play. He’s a big, strong and extremely skilled wing who can really shoot it. He’s a Class A human being and when he’s able to step on the floor, he’ll have an immediate impact.”

Rosario, a native of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, was highly sought after in high school, fetching offers from Loyola Marymount, Mississippi State, Boise State, and Washington State, among others.

He opted for the JUCO ranks and ended up at Pensacola State where he started in 28 of 29 games this past season, leading the team in both scoring (15.0) and rebounding (7.0) while sinking 60 percent of his shots en route to first team all-conference honors. He averaged 17.6 points and 8.1 rebounds in 12 conference games.

Schroyer on Rosario: “Carlos is a young man we targeted early in this process. He was one of the best bigs in junior college this year. He’s a tough, hard-nosed, blue collar guy and really knows how to use his body on both ends. He has a grit and toughness that we desperately need. He will have a great two years here and will make in immediate impact on our program in a lot of ways.”

Bush became Silsbee High’s all-time leading scorer this past season with over 3,000 career points scored. He averaged 33.2 points per game with 131 three-pointers made, both state records. He also set records with 12 threes in a game and hit 20 of 20 from the free throw line in a single contest.

He’s a four-time district champion, two-time state champion, three-time all-state honors, three-time all-region, two-time regional all-tourney team, three-time Super Gold first team, 2020 District Player of the Year, 2019 first team all-district, 2018 offensive MVP, and 2018 district newcomer of the year. He also played for the Houston Hoops AAU team as the starting point guard, playing against some of the best talent in the region.

Bush was recruited by several Southland Conference schools in addition to a few others from around the region.

Shroyer on Bush: “Braelon is a young man who has played with a chip on his shoulder his whole life and played against some of the best competition on the EYBL AAU circuit. He’s a jet who can really score and make plays with the ball. He’s a great teammate and makes guys around him better. He will bring a dimension to our team that we haven’t had the last two years.”

Henderson is coming off a successful season that saw him help lead Village High School to a 25-9 record and the program’s highest finish in district play in school history. He earned VYPE Aldine ISD Holiday Hoops Classic all-tourney team honors after helping his squad to the consolation finals win after scoring 27 points.

He earned first team all-district and second team all-state honors after averaging 16.2 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.0 blocks, 2.0 steals and 2.0 assists per game his senior season.

Schroyer on Henderson: “Jordan is a young man who oozes with potential. I thought it was important to get a talented, young big in the program and Jordan is it. His upside is off the charts and because he’s a great kid and an extremely impressive student, his upside is through the roof.”

Feazell and Francois will have to sit out a season due to D1 transfer rules unless the NCAA approves a one-time waiver for transfers. That vote is scheduled to happen in the coming months.

“All of these kids are goal oriented and excited to help us take the next step in building this program,” said Schroyer. “The key every year in coaching college basketball is to reconcile short term needs and long term goals, and I think we did that.

“I’m really excited about the guys we will have returning and the new kids coming in. I’m more excited than ever to get everyone here and get to work.”

2020 McNeese Cowboys Basketball Signees

• Braelon Bush, G, 5-7, 150, Fr., Silsbee HS/Silsbee HS

• Keyshawn Feazell, F, 6-8, 225, Sr., Mississippi State/Lawrence County HS/New Hebron, Mississippi

• Harwin Francois, G, 6-4, 190, Jr., Southern Illinois/Daytona State/Cape Coral HS/Fort Myers, Florida

• Jordan Henderson, F, 6-7, 200, Fr., The Village School/Houston, Texas

• Carlos Rosario, F, 6-7, 215, Jr., Pensacola State College/Redemption Prep/Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic