Courtesy of Jordan Honeycutt

Sun Journal

VANCEBORO — Many NCAA Division-I basketball players take the JUCO or junior college route prior to joining a D-I program.  West Craven guard Demetres Abrams is hoping to travel down that very road.  Abrams signed with Cape Fear Community College in Wilmington Thursday in the library at West Craven High School. Abrams is supremely gifted with natural talent as a shooter, passer and ball-handler.  He makes many facets of the game seem effortless with his play.  

"I'm just really excited and happy to be getting another chance and to get to play at a level above high school," Abrams said.  "For my major I want to go into computer engineering at Cape Fear and if I transfer to a D-I school. I know there are some things I could have done better in high school from my freshman year and all, but I am very focused on going to Cape Fear, playing good ball and getting my grades up."

No one will praise Abrams' abilities any more than West Craven coach Bryan Goehring.  "I think Cape Fear is a great fit for Demetres," Goehring said.  "He is a D-I talent right now and would be a steal for any junior college. He has matured a lot since his freshman year, and I think that Cape Fear is just far enough away from Vanceboro and still close enough for him to see his family often."

West Craven associate head coach Robert Browning added that one of the biggest benefits for Abrams will be playing against better competition.  "He'll be down there with guys more on his level athletically and in a structured environment where he can eat right, get on a good workout program and be pushed by good players," Browning said.

Abrams was joined at his signing by his two younger brothers, Malik and Darious who are football players at West Craven, and his mother Nausha and daughter Aubrey.  "I'm very proud of him," Nausha Abrams said. "I'm happy that he is not going far away like Texas or Kansas and he's staying fairly close to home. I'm going to be behind him 100 percent."

The Sea Devils play in the Carolinas Junior College Conference, and are coached by Ryan Mantlo. They were 19-12 last season.  Cape Fear hotly pursued Abrams. Assistant coach Mark Lane was at every home playoff game.  "Coach Lane told me after the first time they came to watch me play that they liked me a lot and that I was his type of player," Abrams said.  "I just want to go down there and keep getting better. I'm going to really apply myself with late-night studying and stay on top of things school-wise."

Abrams averaged 16 points, eight rebounds and eight assists this past season for the Eagles and was a First Team All-Sun Journal selection.  He scored more than 1,700 points in his high school career.