By Jim Hague
When David Cherry was a senior at Roselle Catholic High School in Union County, N.J., he had a handful of NCAA Division I schools actively recruiting him, schools like Marshall and Stony Brook. He also received scholarship offers from New Jersey NCAA Division II schools like Bloomfield and Felician.
But when it came time to make a decision as to where he would attend college, Cherry always remembered the coach who came calling the most and was there from the start _ Rutgers-Newark head coach Joe Loughran.
“Coach Loughran was the first one to recruit me and he was there a lot from the beginning,” Cherry said. “He pursued me more than any other coach. He recruited me the hardest of anyone and paid me the most attention.”
In this case, persistence paid off, because Cherry pledged his allegiance to Loughran and the rapidly-improving Scarlet Raiders program.
“I was actively recruiting him throughout his senior year, but when he received the D-I offers, I honestly didn’t think we had a shot,” Loughran said. “I knew that he was thinking of the higher level and I understood that. But I just told him to come and visit the school and see if he liked it.”
It also helped that the Scarlet Raiders already had a familiar face on their roster, namely high school teammate and friend Afolabi Ajumobi.
“With Afolabi already being here, I think it gave David a chance to see that this could be a good situation for him,” Loughran said.
“Afo came here the year before me and it was good to have someone here that I know,” Cherry said. “But that wasn’t the reason why I decided to come here. It was Coach Loughran.”
“I was definitely interested, but I didn’t want to be overbearing,” Loughran said. “I think he appreciated that I was there. But I knew getting someone like David meant a lot to our program.”
As it turned out, the recruitment of Cherry might have been Loughran’s best achievement to date, because the 6-6 junior has been nothing short of brilliant in his time with the Scarlet Raiders.
Cherry has made a positive impact from the first time he stepped onto the floor in a Scarlet Raiders uniform, scoring a total of 19 points in the two games of the John K. Adams Tip-Off Classic two years ago.
“I felt good getting those minutes as a freshman,” Cherry said. “I knew I belonged.”
Cherry averaged 4.3 points and 2.8 rebounds per game as a freshman, playing in all 28 games, but that wasn’t good enough for him.
“Between my freshman and sophomore years, I worked hard in the off-season,” Cherry explained. “I lifted weights to get stronger and played in college leagues at Bloomfield College and in Englewood with a lot of Division I players. That got me ready.”
So when Cherry came back to start his sophomore season with the Scarlet Raiders, he was poised to take the leap among the elite players in the New Jersey Athletic Conference.
He amazingly also grew three inches during the year, going from 6-3 to 6-6, so his stature matched his status in the NJAC.
As a sophomore, Cherry’s production improved to 12.6 points and 6.6 rebounds, helping the Scarlet Raiders to an 18-11 record and a berth in the ECAC Division III tournament. For his efforts, Cherry earned honorable mention All-NJAC honors.
Now, as Cherry has begun his junior season at R-N, he is firmly entrenched as one of the most versatile performers in the league. He has excellent perimeter skills and goes to the basket with reckless abandon.
However, Cherry is also a fine defender, playing a variety of roles in the Scarlet Raiders’ defensive schemes.
“I take a lot of pride in defense,” Cherry said. “I always have to cover the other team’s best player and limit them to as few points as possible, as few touches. I believe that defense turns to offense.”
“He injects some energy into our defense, especially our press,” Loughran said. “He’s just stepped up his entire game. He’s one of the most mature kids I’ve ever coached and he’s gradually growing into the role of being a leader. He has to step up in that role and he knows it. He’s just a pleasure to coach. He comes from a solid family and a solid background. He’s really matured into a full-grown man.”
Cherry, who had a monstrous offensive rebound dunk against John Jay last week to end the first half with authority, relishes his role with the Scarlet Raiders.
“It’s exciting,” Cherry said. “When you make a play like that, it keeps the momentum going and keeps us on a good run. Everyone likes to make a play like that. This is my third year and I have perhaps the most experience on the team. We have a lot of underclassmen who look to me, so I have to be more vocal. I have to be a leader and get everyone on the same page.”
“That’s just part of growing up,” Loughran said. “He’s really matured.”
Cherry, who is averaging 10.2 points and 6.2 rebounds thus far for the 3-2 Scarlet Raiders, feels like this could be his best season to date.
“I believe this has to be my breakthrough season,” Cherry said. “I have to be able to step up and get us to 20 wins. Our goal is a trip to the NCAA (Division III) Tournament. That’s what I think about. That’s what I thought about in the summer when I was working out. We definitely have to get it done this year.”
Cherry is majoring in finance at Rutgers-Newark, with a hope of someday being as much of a success in the business world as he already is on the basketball court.
Loughran is glad he was as persistent as he was with the recruiting of Cherry a few years ago.
“No question, he was a find for us,” Loughran said. “He’s not the normal athlete you see at this level. We’re fortunate to have him.”
