LAKE CHARLES — Bill Armstrong has added two more former four-star prospects to the McNeese men’s basketball roster.
Armstrong announced Wednesday the signing of 6-foot-5, 195-pound shooting guard Carl Cherenfant from New Mexico State. Cherenfant appeared in 20 games last season, with five starts, and averaged 2.1 points and 1.9 rebounds per game.
He was a four-star high school standout out of Calvary Christian Academy in Florida, he was rated as the No. 76 overall player in the 2023 class and the 28th-best small forward.
“Carl embodies everything we look for in a student-athlete to represent our university,” said Armstrong. “He’s a high-character young man who values winning and plays with purpose. Defensively, his length and athleticism allow him to make a significant impact — he can pressure the ball for 94 feet and brings great versatility in the half-court. Offensively, he has an excellent feel for the game. He is constantly in attack mode using his length and athleticism to make plays.”
Cherenfant signed with Memphis out of high school and was named the preseason AAC Co-Rookie of the Year by league head coaches. He appeared in 18 games as a freshman for the Tigers. He chose Memphis over LSU, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Kansas State, Virginia Tech, and St. John’s.
Cherenfant is the second player in the past week that McNeese has signed out of the NCAA Transfer Portal.
He also signed Larry Johnson from Creighton. A 6-foot-4, 200-pound redshirt freshman transfer who will have four years of eligibility remaining. Johnson signed with the Blue Jays out of high school over others such as St. Johns, Oregon, Missouri, Illinois, and Mississippi State.
“Larry is an exceptionally talented guard with elite athleticism and the ability to score at all three levels,” said Armstrong. “He’s a high-level finisher with a rate ability to convert with either hand through contact. He’s a dynamic athlete and impactful defender and will bring energy on both ends of the floor.”
Johnson joins two other former four-star recruits and transfers that have signed with the Cowboys, which includes 6-foot-7 forward Jacolb Fredson-Cole from Oklahoma and 6-foot-10 forward Jerrell Colbert out of SMU.