The reigning Big South champion Radford men’s basketball team is reloading for another title run with the addition of Kansas State graduate transfer Mawdo Sallah, Virginia Commonwealth University transfer Lewis Djonkam and Josiah Jeffers, head coach Mike Jones announced Tuesday afternoon.
Sallah and Jeffers will be immediately eligible to play for the Highlanders in 2018-19 while Djonkam will have to sit out one season due to NCAA transfer rules.
Standing at 6-8 and weighing 235 pounds, Sallah gives the Highlanders another athletic post player to pair with rising junior Devonnte Holland next season. He averaged 7.7 minutes played, 1.8 points and 1.9 rebounds while shooting 53.6-percent across 21 games in his lone season at Kansas State. He also contributed seven blocks, four assists and two steals towards the Wildcats’ run to the Elite 8 in the NCAA Tournament.
Prior to his time in Manhattan, Sallah was a standout for Mount St. Mary’s from 2014-17. He saw the floor in 51 games including 38 starts, helping the Mountaineers capture the Northeast Conference regular season and tournament titles as a redshirt sophomore in 2015-16.
Jones on Sallah: “Maw fits an immediate and important need for our team with the graduation of Randy Phillips. He has four years of college basketball experience playing for two very good programs. With that experience, Maw provides our team with vital intangibles that lead to team chemistry and success. His length and skills will be impactful right away.
Djonkam, a 6-9 245-pound power forward, makes his way to the New River Valley after one year with the VCU Rams. Praised for his high motor and toughness, he posted 14 points and eight rebounds across 20 games of relatively limited playing time.
He was a three-star prospect according to 247 Sports Composite coming out of Hargrave Military Academy where he averaged 11 points and seven rebounds. Before Hargrave, Djonkam played for West Springfield High School where he averaged 14.7 points and 10.4 rebounds enroute to First Team All-Fairfax County and VHSL 6A All-State Second Team selections.
Jones on Djonkam: “Big Lew will become a crowd favorite because of his blue-collar mentality. He’s an energizer with a strong body and he can impact a game with his effort alone. We will have a year to help him continue to develop because he is a transfer. Knowing how hard he works, it will be a fun year!”
A 6-1 guard hailing from Burlington, North Carolina, Jeffers starred in the backcourt at the Burlington School. He led the Spartans to North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association (NCISAA) state championships in 2015 and 2017, averaging 11 points, five assists and two steals as a junior. He also played soccer and ran track while excelling as an honors student in the classroom.
Jones on Jeffers: “We are fortunate that a high character, talented point guard like Jo was available late in the spring. Having recruited him last season, we knew exactly what kind of player he was. When you combine his character, basketball IQ and work ethic with his competitiveness and tenacity, you get a player that will fit in well with our players and culture. We are excited to have him in our program.”
The trio joins Cle’von Greene and Devin Hutchinson, who signed their national letters of intent last fall. Radford looks primed to compete for a second consecutive Big South championship with much of its roster returning from last season including Ed Polite Jr., Carlik Jones, Donald Hicks and many others.
In other roster news, guard Devin Cooper and center Darius Bolstad have left the program in mutual agreement with the Radford men’s basketball coaching staff.
–RU Athletics
