By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Over the next several weeks, we'll be taking a dive into getting to know the members of the 2023-24 Tennessee Tech men's basketball team. Head coach John Pelphrey's roster will feature 17 student-athletes for the second straight year, with 10 newcomers and seven faces already familiar to Golden Eagle fans.
New to the crew for 2023-24 campaign are sophomore guard Brandon Brown (Bristol, Tenn. / Lees-McRae), sophomore guard Nick Choate (Livingston, Tenn. / Livingston Academy), sophomore center David Craig (Johannesburg, South Africa / Mercer), sophomore guard Josiah Davis (Kitchener, Ontario / West Virginia), junior guard David Early (Logan, W.Va. / Marshall), sophomore forward Daniel Egbuniwe (Memphis, Tenn. / Little Rock), junior forward Rodney Johnson Jr. (Bryan, Texas / Weatherford College), freshman guard Kyle Layton (Birmingham, Ala. / Mountain Brook HS), freshman forward Rylee Samons (Pikeville, Ky. / Pikeville HS), and junior guard DeSean Woods (Lexington, Ky. / Southern U.).
Today we'll begin with the seven returning members of the 2022-23 squad, a team that placed second in Ohio Valley Conference and advanced to the league's tournament championship game for just the fourth time in program history.
Back for the Golden Eagles in 2023-24 are Diante Wood, Grant Slatten, Grant Strong, Erik Oliver, Jayvis Harvey, Bogdan Zimonjic, and Jerome Beya.
#1 Diante Wood | Guard/Forward | 6-4 | 210 | Sr. | Anniston, Ala.
A team captain each of the past two seasons, Wood returns for his senior season after dazzling Golden Eagle fans in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament in March. Named to the OVC All-Tournament Team, the Anniston, Ala. native dropped a career-high 24 points in the title game, including the game-tying, buzzer-beater to force overtime.
Missing 11 games throughout the season due to various injuries, Wood produced all over the court when healthy, averaging 6.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game while racking up 15 steals and 11 blocks.
The senior boasts the longest tenure in the purple and gold on this year's roster, transferring to Tech from Jacksonville halfway through the 2020-21 season. After redshirting the second half, he has competed for Coach Pelphrey's crew each of the past two years.
Majoring in interdisciplinary studies, he is a two-time member of the Athletic Director's Honor Roll.
#10 Grant Slatten | Guard | 6-5 | 195 | Jr. | Sparta, Tenn.
A local product from Sparta, Slatten made his debut with the Golden Eagles last season after transferring in from Ole Miss. In his first season donning the purple and gold, the guard showed flashes of brilliance throughout the year.
On of just three Golden Eagles to play in all 33 games, he averaged 4.0 points and 3.0 rebounds in a little over 14 minutes of action per game and added 24 assists and 22 steals while playing strong defense and shooting 73.8 percent from the charity stripe. He erupted for a double-double with 10 points and 15 boards in a win over Kentucky Christian.
He hauled in 10 rebounds in just 20 minutes of action in a huge, overtime win at UT Martin during the season and helped Tech clinch the No. 2 seed in the OVC Tournament with 12 points and seven boards in the season finale at Eastern Illinois.
An interdisciplinary studies major, he was named to the Athletic Director's Honor Roll in the fall.
#11 Grant Strong | Guard | 6-6 | 185 | So. | Celina, Tenn.
Another local Grant, Strong put together a very solid rookie campaign, after dominating the prep levels at Clay County High School. The two-time Mr. Basketball winner captured OVC Freshman of the Week honors twice during his first season in Cookeville.
Making 11 starts and playing in 31 of the team's 33 games on the year, Strong averaged 4.3 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 14.0 minutes of playing time per game. He shot an impressive 81.8 percent from the charity stripe on the year.
The youngster dropped a whopping 22 points on 9-for-12 shooting in Tech's win over Kentucky Christian, adding five boards and six dimes. He was a key cog in Tech's second-place-clinching victory at Eastern Illinois to close the regular season, delivering 14 points on 5-for-6 efficiency in just 19 minutes of play.
Majoring in exercise science and physical wellness with a concentration in pre-physical therapy, he is a two-time member of the Athletic Director's Honor Roll.
#12 Erik Oliver | Guard | 6-1 | 195 | Sr. | Cheyenne, Wyo.
Adding more veteran depth to the Tech squad for 2023-24 is Oliver, a key contributor for last season's squad before a lower-body injury against Lindenwood ended his season in mid-February. A transfer from South Dakota, he immediately established a role with the Golden Eagles, providing good 3-point shooting and court awareness.
Prior to his season-ending injury, Oliver averaged 6.4 points, 2.6 boards, and 1.1 assists per game, shooting 29 percent from distance in 22.0 minutes of action per game. He knocked down 3-of-4 tries from distance on his way to 19 points in a huge win over Tennessee Wesleyan.
The senior scored in double figures seven times during the year, including 13 in Tech's double-overtime loss at Southeast Missouri. He flirted with a double-double in the team's big win over in-state rival ETSU, turning in eight points and seven rebounds.
An interdisciplinary studies major, he was named to the Athletic Director's Honor Roll both semesters in his first season in Cookeville.
#13 Jayvis Harvey | Guard | 6-5 | 210 | Sr. | Durham, N.C.
One of the toughest more productive players from last year's squad, Harvey makes his return after battling through a number of injuries last season, causing him to miss four games during the non-conference slate.
He bounced back and endured while starting every conference contest, going on to average 12.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists while playing 31.1 minutes per game, the second-highest rate on the squad. Harvey finished second in the OVC in 3-point field goal percentage, firing at an insane clip of 43.9 percent, the fourth-best showing in school history.
Helping the 2022-23 squad snap the program's 3-point field goal record, which had stood for over 20 years, the senior turned in 20 double-digit scoring performances, highlighted by a career-high 24 points on 6-for-8 shooting from distance against Little Rock. Harvey also drained 5-of-7 attempts from deep in road wins at UT Martin and Southern Indiana.
Majoring in interdisciplinary studies, he earned Athletic Director's Honor Roll honors during the fall semester last season.
#33 Bogdan Zimonjic | Guard | 6-5 | 225 | Jr. | Belgrade, Serbia
A transfer from Florida Atlantic University, Zimonjic provided valuable depth off the bench for the purple and gold throughout the season, offering tenacious effort on defense and the glass. He became just the second player from Serbia to ever suit up for the Golden Eagles, joining former fan-favorite Aleksa Jugovic.
Competing in 17 of the team's 33 games, he averaged 1.4 points and 1.0 rebounds in 7.0 minutes per game during the season. He turned in season-highs of seven points in wins over Tennessee Wesleyan and Kentucky Christian.
The junior hauled in four big rebounds in 10 minutes of work in Tech's victory over Lindenwood down the home stretch of the regular season.
A two-time member of the Athletic Director's Honor Roll, he is majoring in business with a concentration in information and technology.
#35 Jerome Beya | Forward | 6-9 | 225 | So. | Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Despite suffering a lower-body injury during summer practice, Beya returned to court for the beginning of the season, providing critical depth in the front court for Tech in his rookie season. He showed flashes of brilliance during the year, using his elite athleticism to dazzle fans with a team-high 16 dunks during the season.
Named OVC Freshman of the Week once during the year, Beya averaged 1.9 points and 1.3 rebounds in 8.6 minutes of action per game, blocking 13 shots and shooting better than 65 percent from the floor. He contributed a season-high six points four different times during the season.
He became the first player from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to suit up for the Golden Eagles and the fourth from the continent of Africa.
The sophomore is majoring in international business.
Fans are encouraged to check back in the coming weeks as we continue our dive into the 2023-24 roster and take a look at the newest members of the Golden Eagles.
Photos by TTU Sports Information
