CANTON, Ohio – The Malone University men's basketball team has added 12 recruits to the 2025-26 class in Isaac Cherry, Damon Folds, Jailin Johnson, Emmanuel Oladeru, Josiah Pierre, Nic Williams, Tate Aljancic, Crew Cain, DeLan Davis, Austin Niekamp, Leo Perettie, and Nick Wigton.
 
"We are excited about this group, as both players and people," said Head Men's Basketball Coach Charlie Wallrapp. "We are looking forward to building on the success of last season after winning the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) Tournament Championship and playing in the NCAA Tournament."
 
Cherry is a 6'7 forward that attended Grove City College. This past season, Isaac averaged 11.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 56.7% from the field. He averaged over three offensive rebounds per game. Cherry had season-highs of 31 points and 18 rebounds in separate games this year. "Isaac is someone that is extremely athletic and can defend multiple positions on the floor," Coach Wallrapp said. "He plays with a high motor as evidenced by his offensive rebounding numbers. We are looking forward to his effort impacting our program."
 
Folds comes to Malone as a transfer from Curry College. The 5'10 guard averaged 3.5 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game in 13.9 minutes per game as a true freshman for the Colonels. "Damon is a great person who fits Malone and already has a year of college experience under his belt. We are looking forward to adding his character, competitiveness, and playmaking to our team."
 
Johnson, 5'11 guard from Everett Community College, averaged 10.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game while dealing with an injury. In his freshman year, he averaged 13.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.3 steals per contest while making the North Region All-Defensive Team and led his team to a 19-11 record. "Jailin has an elite burst of quickness that he uses to get into the paint to score or find others. He has an unselfish team-first mindset and his playmaking will be important for us. He also loves to defend, which fits our program."
 
Oladeru will join the Pioneers from former conference foe Davis & Elkins College. The 6'8 forward averaged 8.2 points and 4.5 rebounds per game while shooting 54.9% from the field in only 17.7 minutes per game. "Emmanuel has elite athleticism and we expect him to be a force on the interior on both ends of the floor for us. He fits our defensive scheme and we think that he has room to grow offensively."
 
Pierre is a 6'5 swingman that has collegiate playing experience at Edmonds College. This past season, he averaged 14.7 points and 6.1 rebounds per game while shooting 50.8% from the field and 37.5% from deep. Pierre was named a National Association for Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-American and was a two-time Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC) All-North Region selection. He has scored 913 total points in his two years at Edmonds while leading the Tritons to a combined 41 wins. "Josiah is a versatile and multi-faceted player. He can score from the perimeter, on the inside, and guard multiple positions defensively. On top of that, he is a solid rebounder on both ends of the floor. He helps us get bigger, longer, and more athletic."
 
Williams previously attended Bay College in Escanaba, Michigan. The 6'3 guard averaged 13.6 points, 3.0 assists, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.0 steals per game for the Norse while shooting 53.8% from the field, 47.4% from three, and 83.9% from the free throw line. Williams has had back-to-back seasons of finishing in the Top five in the nation in three-point field goal percentage. In 2024-25, he was named Michigan Community College Athletic Association (MCCAA) Second Team All-Northern Conference and to the All-Defensive Team. Dating back to his junior year of high school, Williams has an overall record of 102-19. "Nic is someone that I have monitored for several years. The first trait that everyone knows about him is that he is a winner. He also fits what we do on both ends of the court and is a highly intelligent player. We can't wait to have him in our program."
 
Aljancic helped lead Louisville High School to the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) Division III State Championship and a 24-5 record his senior year. The 6'5 swingman scored a team-high 17 points in the State Championship. This past season, Aljancic averaged 12 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. He was named OHSAA Division III Honorable Mention All-Ohio, Second Team All-County, First Team District 4, and Second Team All-Northeast Inland. "Tate is a winner. He does all of the little things well and plays both ends of the floor. He has the talent to be a successful two-way player in the G-MAC. He is an excellent all-around athlete as he was the starting quarterback for the football team and will also be playing baseball at Malone."
 
Cain is 6'2 guard from North Canton Hoover High School. He averaged 15.0 points, 4.0 assists, and 3.0 rebounds per game and was named OHSAA Division II Special Mention All-Ohio, Second Team All-Federal League, First Team All-District, First Team All-Northeast Inland, First Team All-County, and a District 4 All-Star. He led the Vikings to a 15-8 record his senior year. "Crew has an extremely quick burst to the rim. We are excited about his ability to get downhill to the paint and finish with either hand. We look forward to having another productive player from the area be a part of our family."
 
Davis, a 6'1 guard that graduated from Marian Catholic High School, averaged 14.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.1 steals per game and was named Honorable Mention All-Conference. He led Marian Catholic to a 26-8 record his senior year. "DeLan is a guard with good size, strength, and skill. He comes from a respected program in the Chicago area. He has the ability to defend multiple positions and to utilize ball screens effectively. We are thrilled with his game and how it has room for growth."
 
Niekamp is an alum of Marion Local High School. This past season, the 6'8 forward averaged 17.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game. He was named Division VI First Team All-Ohio, First Team District 8, and First Team All-Midwest Athletic Conference (MAC). Niekamp led Marion Local to the OHSAA Division VI State Championship Game and a 26-3 record his senior year. "Austin was our first signee in this class. We are looking forward to working with his tremendous skillset. There are not too many players at his stature that have his footwork, shooting, and passing ability. Austin was also the valedictorian at Marion Local and is used to excelling in everything that he does."
 
Perettie will come to Malone after a successful career at Grosse Pointe North High School. The 5'11 guard averaged 17.1 points, 6 assists, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.6 steals per game. He was named All-State, All-Region, First Team All-Conference, League MVP, and Detroit Free Press Second Team All-East. Perettie led Grosse Pointe North to a 20-6 record his senior year. "Leo is a talented guard that controls the game as a true PG. He can make plays for himself and for others. We are looking forward to helping him recover from a late-season injury and developing him in our program."
 
Wigton is a 6'3 guard from Berlin Hiland High School. This past season, he averaged 17.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game while shooting 51% from the field and 45% from beyond the arc. Wigton was named Division VI Second Team All-Ohio, District 5 Player of the Year, and First Team All-Inter Valley Conference (IVC). He led Hiland to a 21-3 record his senior year and to the OHSAA Division IV State Championship Game his junior year. "Nick comes from a winning program. He understands team basketball on both ends of the floor and knows what a strong culture is. He is an excellent shooter and has good positional size on the wing. We are excited to work with him."