Carleton’s men’s basketball roster will feature more local talent during the upcoming 2012-13 season as highly recruited Ottawa native Jean Pierre-Charles announced his commitment to the Ravens program.
Pierre-Charles said the decision to join the Ravens was not an easy one.
In order to garner interest from NCAA basketball programs in the United States, Pierre-Charles transferred to Maine Central Institute (MCI) last year for an additional year of high school, after playing for four years at Ashbury College in Ottawa.
However, following his year at MCI, the 6’8” small forward said he chose Carleton and the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) route over a number of NCAA Division 1 and Division 2 offers.
“I know a bit more about what I’m getting into and I really trust the coach and the program,” said Pierre-Charles. “At the end of five years, if I’ll have aspirations to keep on playing, I know that Carleton [prepares you] very well.”
Pierre-Charles said even though he was playing in the U.S., he never wanted to dismiss the possibility of coming back home to play for the Ravens.
“It was a fun year and I played against good competition. I always kept Carleton in the picture just because it’s a great school,” he said. “It’s better than a lot of Division 1 schools.”
While in high school, Pierre-Charles also played for the Ottawa Guardsmen Basketball Club, led by Ravens head coach Dave Smart. He said his experience with the program helps him know what to expect this upcoming fall.
“I’ve seen Dave coach and I’ve seen what they’ve done with a lot of players. I know they’re a defense and rebounding team first. You can be pretty skilled offensively or talented but if you don’t give effort, I don’t think you’re going to see the floor much.”
Pierre-Charles’ style of play should help him fit right in with the team, according to his former coach at Ashbury, Ian MacKinnon.
“He’s arguably one of the best basketball players, if not the best player to come through the Ashbury system,” said MacKinnon, who noted that one of Pierre-Charles’ greatest assets is his versatility.
“What Dave’s getting is potentially a defensive stopper and a good rebounder. He can cover one through five and he rebounds with a lot of energy. If they put a guard on him, he could be effective in the post and if they put a post on him, he could take them outside,” he added.
MacKinnon said that in order to flourish at the CIS level, Pierre-Charles will have to work on improving his offensive game the most.
Following his year at MCI, Pierre-Charles said he has already bolstered his athleticism and is ready to help the Ravens defend their eighth CIS championship over the past 10 seasons.
“Playing for a team that’s a defending champion, I know they’re not going to want to let up,” he said. “I know they’re still hungry and they know what it takes to get there so it’s going to be way easier to buy in.”
