Men's Basketball Reloads, Begins Preparation for Region Title Defense
The FSCJ men's basketball team completed a historic turnaround during the 2023-24 season: earning its first national tournament appearance in school history, tying the most wins in school history (26), and combining for more wins than the previous four seasons combined. The 2024-25 roster features nine returners and 10 newcomers.
The team returns 1st Team All-Conference guard Alex McCray, Region 8 All-Tournament Team guards Aiden Fletcher and Jordan Smith, along with sophomore guards Abraham Garjah, Eddie Mitchell, and Gary Anderson. The team also returns guard Bennie McDuffie, a Jacksonville native and transfer from Hagerstown Community College (MD), who sat out last season for eligibility purposes. Diego Dionisio—who was named to the NJCAA All-Academic First Team—and Marcus Click both redshirted in 2023-24 and return for FSCJ.
Apart from just their success on the court, the returners for FSCJ combined for a 3.44 grade point average in the spring semester. Dionisio was named to the FSCJ President's List, and Anderson, Click, Garjah, and McCray were all named to the FSCJ Dean's list.
"Our returners all played a significant role in our championship season last year. They now know what it takes to compete at the highest level in not just Region 8 but nationally," says second year head coach John Putyrski. "Not one returner is satisfied with just making it to the national tournament and winning a game; they're dedicated and excited to compete for more."
Advancing to the second round of the national tournament after an upset victory over 15th nationally ranked Howard Community College (MD), the men's team got a taste of the competition level and what it will take to again compete for a national championship. The size and athleticism of the country's top teams stood out.
Enter newcomers. FSCJ added size, athleticism, and experience to their new-look 2024-25 roster with some key additions. The list of 10 newcomers includes 6'6 redshirt-sophomore Joshua Barnett from Tampa, Florida and transfer from College of the Canyons (CA). 6'9 redshirt-sophomore forward Marquez Ray, a Jacksonville native and Andrew Jackson High School alum, joins the team after stops at Claflin University and South Georgia Technical College. 6'8 forward Keenan Johnson, West Nassau High School alum and another Jacksonville native, signed on after redshirting his freshman year at Erskine College (SC). True freshmen additions to the frontcourt include two more Jacksonville locals in 6'6 forward Alex Collier from Creekside High School and 6'6 forward Isaiah Bunso from Harvest Community School, along with 6'6 international forward Shaquille Furlonge from Manchester College (Manchester, United Kingdom).
"From a talent level, we felt we were right there watching and competing with some of those top teams," says McCray. "We weren't afraid to match their size with our speed, but now we feel we have the size and speed to be one of the best. It's a major advantage."
FSCJ didn't just bolster their frontcourt but made strong additions to their backcourt as well. 6'1 sophomore guard Chrisean Oree joins the Manta Rays after a productive freshman season at Spartanburg Methodist College (SC). 6'2 guard Devontae Powell from Sebring, Florida transfers in after redshirting his freshman season at Edward Waters University. 6'2 Mandarin High School standout guard Dylan McCleod and 6'3 Andrew Jackson High School guard Albert Laguerre round out the backcourt and roster for your 2024-25 FSCJ Manta Rays.
"Sustainable success in college basketball stems from recruiting character. I'm proud to have done that again with this new group," says Coach Putyrski. "The fact we kept—and brought back—so much of the top talent from the Jacksonville area is exciting. It's a team the campus and community can truly rally around, and I know they're all proud to represent their college and city."
View the team's complete roster here and follow us on Instagram and X @FSCJMBB for more exclusive updates.
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