University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Morrell Announces Addition of McLaurin to Class of 2020
04.20.2020 | Men's Basketball
ASHEVILLE – UNC Asheville men's basketball head coach Mike Morrell has announced the addition of BJ McLaurin to the incoming class of 2020.
McLaurin, a native of Fayetteville, North Carolina, comes to Asheville after spending his freshman season at Division II Chowan University.
"We are extremely excited to welcome BJ into our program," Morrell said. "He had a tremendous freshman campaign at Chowan and is going to be a great addition to our program. BJ is a multi-faceted player who will fit our style of play extremely well. Bulldog fans will love BJ's game!"
A versatile 6-7 forward, McLaurin earned distinction as the Conference Carolinas Freshman of the Year and was named Second-Team All-Conference.
McLaurin averaged a double-double during his first collegiate season, leading Chowan in scoring with 16.6 points per game and rebounding with 11.2 boards per contest. He became the first player in program history to average a double-double for the season, and his 292 rebounds set a program single-season record.
A product of Seventy-First High School, McLaurin finished as the only player in Conference Carolinas with double-digit rebounds per game, averaging better than two rebounds per game more than second place in the league. He ranked fourth in Division II in rebounds per game, third in defensive rebounds per game, 14th in total rebounds and 14th in double-doubles.
McLaurin finished seventh in Conference Carolinas in scoring, and his average jumped up to 17.7 points per game during league play, ranking sixth in the conference. He scored in double figures in 21 of 26 games during the year, including 18 of 20 conference contests.
A starter for 22 of Chowan's 26 games, McLaurin recorded double-doubles in 14 of those contests, including a stretch of five-consecutive double-doubles from January 25 through February 8. He recorded eight 20-point outbursts during the season, with seven coming during conference play.
He scored a career-high 27 points against regular-season Conference Carolinas champion King College, starting a string of three straight 20-point efforts. He earned the conference's Player of the Week Award, January 20, for his subsequent performances in road games against Limestone and Lees-McRae, averaging 22.5 points and 15.5 rebounds per game during the week.
McLaurin hit nearly 50 percent of his shots from the field (.497, 160-of-322) during the season, while sinking 77 percent from the free throw stripe. Though he didn't shoot from distance often (11-of-28), he knocked down better than 39 percent from beyond the 3-point arc.
While prepping at Seventy-First High School, he helped the Falcons to a 26-4 overall record – including a league title and an appearance in the fourth round of the NCHSAA 4-A Playoffs – while scoring 17.6 points per game during his senior season. He averaged 13.8 points per game as a junior.
McLaurin, a native of Fayetteville, North Carolina, comes to Asheville after spending his freshman season at Division II Chowan University.
"We are extremely excited to welcome BJ into our program," Morrell said. "He had a tremendous freshman campaign at Chowan and is going to be a great addition to our program. BJ is a multi-faceted player who will fit our style of play extremely well. Bulldog fans will love BJ's game!"
A versatile 6-7 forward, McLaurin earned distinction as the Conference Carolinas Freshman of the Year and was named Second-Team All-Conference.
McLaurin averaged a double-double during his first collegiate season, leading Chowan in scoring with 16.6 points per game and rebounding with 11.2 boards per contest. He became the first player in program history to average a double-double for the season, and his 292 rebounds set a program single-season record.
A product of Seventy-First High School, McLaurin finished as the only player in Conference Carolinas with double-digit rebounds per game, averaging better than two rebounds per game more than second place in the league. He ranked fourth in Division II in rebounds per game, third in defensive rebounds per game, 14th in total rebounds and 14th in double-doubles.
McLaurin finished seventh in Conference Carolinas in scoring, and his average jumped up to 17.7 points per game during league play, ranking sixth in the conference. He scored in double figures in 21 of 26 games during the year, including 18 of 20 conference contests.
A starter for 22 of Chowan's 26 games, McLaurin recorded double-doubles in 14 of those contests, including a stretch of five-consecutive double-doubles from January 25 through February 8. He recorded eight 20-point outbursts during the season, with seven coming during conference play.
He scored a career-high 27 points against regular-season Conference Carolinas champion King College, starting a string of three straight 20-point efforts. He earned the conference's Player of the Week Award, January 20, for his subsequent performances in road games against Limestone and Lees-McRae, averaging 22.5 points and 15.5 rebounds per game during the week.
McLaurin hit nearly 50 percent of his shots from the field (.497, 160-of-322) during the season, while sinking 77 percent from the free throw stripe. Though he didn't shoot from distance often (11-of-28), he knocked down better than 39 percent from beyond the 3-point arc.
While prepping at Seventy-First High School, he helped the Falcons to a 26-4 overall record – including a league title and an appearance in the fourth round of the NCHSAA 4-A Playoffs – while scoring 17.6 points per game during his senior season. He averaged 13.8 points per game as a junior.
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