Photo: Andrew Hale / The Bona Venture
BY: WILL NUNN; CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, SPORTS EDITOR
In today’s age of college basketball, the once-sparse transfer from Division II to Division I is becoming increasingly popular. Even still, many of those who decide to make the jump up to the highest level of collegiate basketball struggle to make an immediate impact; Cayden Charles is an exception.
St. Bonaventure’s senior guard transferred in from the University of North Georgia, who competes in the Peach Belt Conference at the Division II level, and has provided the Bonnies with an instant jolt of energy.
Growing up in Kennesaw, Ga., Charles played high school hoops at Allatoona High School, where he was quickly introduced to elite-level opposition.
“It started in high school,” said Charles. “I played against guys like Scoot Henderson and Isaiah Collier, NBA guys, so I was exposed early to that.”
After highly successful high school careers in Georgia, Henderson and Collier each became first round picks in the NBA Draft.
After high school, Charles enrolled at North Georgia, where he made 22 appearances in his freshman year, averaging 6.0 points and 2.9 rebounds per game.
Despite not seeing the playing time he had hoped for, Charles recalls the change in mentality he needed to understand the game from a different perspective.
“My freshman year, I didn’t play the first nine games,” said Charles. “That was probably the biggest thing that I look back and I’m thankful for because it really taught me how I can impact the game outside of scoring, outside of whatever it is.”
Charles’ role increased dramatically during his sophomore season, starting 32 of the Nighthawks’ 33 games, and averaging 11.7 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. It was in his junior season that Charles began to put his name on the radar of Division I programs.
Charles averaged 14.7 points and 6.9 rebounds per game, shooting 46.3% from the floor during his junior season, a year in which he led the Nighthawks to the Elite Eight and was named the MVP of the NCAA D-II Southeast Regional.
Charles credits his time at North Georgia–and their tournament run–with helping him to grow into the competitor that he is now.
“As a player, when you’re playing tough competition, you learn how to be a professional in that way,” said Charles. “Coming in, the guys that were seniors, they taught me what it means to work, what it means to prepare. Then we had a few runs, especially to the Elite Eight, and learning how to win, preparing every single day, really helped me.”
The under-appreciated level of competition in Division II basketball is another facet of the growth that Charles experienced during his tenure with the Nighthawks.
“A lot of people don’t know about D-II and the competition there, but it’s great,” said Charles. “The great coaching staff that I came from definitely prepared me for being here.”
After his junior season, Charles has attracted the attention of a number of Division I programs, and he decided to enter the transfer portal.
When his phone rang, and Adrian Wojnarowski was on the other end of the line, it became a quick and easy decision for Charles. Wojnarowski, the General Manager of the St. Bonaventure men’s basketball program, is a former senior NBA insider at ESPN, and has contacts in every corner of the NBA world.
“When Woj called me, I was just like, ‘let’s do it,’” said Charles. “We kind of got it done pretty quickly, within like 36 hours.”
Charles was grateful to be given the opportunity to play at a school with a storied basketball history such as Bonaventure.
“I had heard about St. Bonaventure throughout the years and their rich history,” said Charles. “So it’s just an honor to even be considered to come here, it’s just been great.”
Throughout his first five games in Brown and White, Charles has made a significant impact on the court. The 6-foot-3 guard has averaged 14.4 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, shooting 48.9% from the field. He has also had an influence on the defensive end, averaging a team-high 1.8 steals per game.
Charles noted how much different playing in front of a packed house at the Reilly Center is than what he became used to at North Georgia.
“The Reilly Center is a different animal,” said Charles. “I’m not even able to hear myself talk. It’s a great atmosphere and we really feed off of it. I know we have a lot more big games to go, but that was just a taste and I’m really excited.”
Coming from the lower ranks of collegiate basketball, Charles is hungry to make a name for himself. This mentality is evident through his play on the court, but he carries it into every aspect of his life as well.
“There’s always going to be a chip on my shoulder,” said Charles. “Coming from Division II, I always felt like I’ve been overlooked throughout my career, but the main thing for me is being the best version of myself every single day. Everything off the court too, my classes, whatever it is, just making sure I’m the best I can be, so when game day comes, it just clicks.”
Charles would advise players at the lower levels to remain faithful and employ the same mentality if they want to climb the ranks.
“Just trust God and work hard,” said Charles. “It isn’t always the easiest, it doesn’t feel good, but over time if you’re continually getting in the gym and watching tape, doing that over and over again, you’ll start to see the results.”
It is this hard-working, blue-collar mentality that Charles hopes will resonate with the Bonaventure community.
“I’m a hard worker. I’m not perfect, but I play hard every single time I’m out there,” said Charles. “I know the community here, it’s easy to tell that it’s bigger than basketball. I know I’m playing for something bigger than myself, so I’m gonna go out every night and give it my best, and I gotta live with the results.”
Whether it’s diving on the floor for every loose ball, jumping into the lane to draw a charge or continually being an uplifting presence to his teammates, Cayden Charles embodies everything that St. Bonaventure basketball–and the community that loves it dearly–stands for.
