2023-24 North Carolina Sports Network
NC Basketball Spotlight, 10-Year Snapshot:
East Carolina

By Ben McCormick
North Carolina Sports Network

School: East Carolina

Location: Greenville, N.C.

NCAA Division I Member Since: 1965-66

Conference: American Athletic Conference (AAC)

AAC Member Since: 2014-15

AAC Ranking Among 32 Leagues (KenPom): 8th (2023), 8th (2022), 7th (2021), 7th (2020)

NCAA Tournament Bids: 2 (1972, 1993)

Conference Titles: 2 (1972 in SoCon; 1993 in CAA)

Conference 1st-Place Finishes: none

Head Coach: Mike Schwartz (47 years old, 2nd season at ECU)

As A Player: Sonoma State (1996-98), Texas (1998-99)

Record as Head Coach (Through Dec. 8): 22-20 in 1+ seasons

Previous Head Coaching Experience: none

College AC Experience: UTSA (2004-05), Miami (2007-11), Fresno State (2011-15), Tulsa (2015-16), Tennessee (2016-22)

Assistant Under: Tim Carter, Frank Haith, Rodney Terry, Rick Barnes

2022-23 Record: 16-17, 6-12 (9th in 11-team AAC)

2023-24 Preseason Prediction (Coaches): 5th in 14-team AAC

2023-24 Record (Through Dec. 8): 6-3, 0-0 AAC

2023-24 Midseason Ranking (KenPom): #202 nationally (12th in AAC)

Upcoming Schedule Highlights: South Carolina (12/9), vs. Florida (12/14) in Lakeland, Fla., ETSU (12/29)

AAC Opener: at No. 11 Florida Atlantic (1/2)

In his second year at the helm in Greenville, East Carolina coach Mike Schwartz has an experienced group.

Returning four starters may prove paramount for the Pirates as they look to have their first winning record in American Athletic Conference play since they joined the conference in 2014-15.

Preseason expectations are much higher for ECU than in years past. Even according to the AAC’s head coaches (preseason poll), the Pirates may have a legitimate chance at finishing in the top five of the conference.

The returners are headlined by preseason second-team All-AAC pick RJ Felton, the Pirates’ leader in total points from last season. Ezra Ausar, a freshman standout for ECU last year, and junior Brandon Johnson are back at the forward positions as well. Johnson is currently third in the AAC in rebounds per game.

“Of the eight returners, seven of them have started games,” Schwartz said. “A lot of people like to say we have four or five returning starters; we have seven of the eight (who have) started games.”

ECU lost Javon Small to Oklahoma State in the transfer portal. Despite missing about half of last season after suffering a leg injury in mid-January, the talented point guard put up nearly 16 points and six assists per game for the Pirates in 2022-23.

Of course, sometimes the portal takes players, but sometimes the portal gives back.

The Pirates landed Kansas transfer Bobby Pettiford Jr., best known at KU for hitting a game-winner at the buzzer against Wisconsin at the Battle 4 Atlantis last year. He’s already fulfilled his quota for sensational game-winners in Greenville as well. The 6-foot guard drilled a shot from mid-court to beat Kennesaw State on Nov. 21 as time expired.

“Bobby brings a sense of true leadership,” Schwartz said. “He is a true point guard. He understands the position; nothing to do with putting the ball in the basket, nothing to do with statistics. He understands what it is to be a point guard.”

The Pirates also landed LSU transfer and former NC State player Cam Hayes from the portal. However, the NCAA recently denied Hayes a transfer waiver for immediate eligibility.

Even without Hayes, the Pirates have a solid backcourt to go along with a pair of experienced forwards in Ausar and Johnson. They do lack size, though. Of the players seeing 10-plus minutes per game, the tallest is 6-foot-8.

It’s been an up-and-down start for ECU. The Pirates already have suffered three losses, including to 281st-ranked USC Upstate (KenPom). Yet they’ve also captured a win over UNC Wilmington, which won at #12 Kentucky just last week.

If the first month of the season is any indication, Pirates faithful should be in for an interesting season.

2023-24 East Carolina Pirates
(6-3, 0-0 AAC; through Dec. 8)

Starters

PG Bobby Pettiford Jr., Jr.. — 29 mpg, 9 ppg, 2 rpg, 50% FG, 75% FT, 35% threes, 35/12 ATO, 0 blocks, 8 steals
(6-0/196); Kansas transfer (reserve); from South Granville HS and Durham, N.C.

G RJ Felton*, Jr. — 32 mpg, 16 ppg, 7 rpg, 47% FG, 81% FT, 38% threes, 10/12 ATO, 6 blocks, 18 steals
(6-3/209); 14 ppg in 2022-23; 3x all-state prep star; from Aiken HS and Aiken, S.C.

G Quentin Diboundje*, Jr. — 26 mpg, 10 ppg, 4 rpg, 42% FG, 53% FT, 30% threes, 5/11 ATO, 3 blocks, 6 steals
(6-5/221); 2022 Tennessee transfer (reserve); from Montverde Academy and Montpellier, France

F Brandon Johnson*, r-Jr. — 30 mpg, 15 ppg, 8 rpg, 40% FG, 84% FT, 35% threes, 13/11 ATO, 4 blocks, 7 steals
(6-8/222); 2021 Brunswick CC transfer; from Rolesville HS and Raleigh, N.C.

F Ezra Ausar*, So. — 27 mpg, 14 ppg, 6 rpg, 62% FG, 61% FT, 60% threes (few), 13/18 ATO, 3 blocks, 10 steals
(6-8/247); 2023 AAC All-Rookie; from Liberty Heights Athletic Institute and Atlanta, Ga.

Key Reserves

G Jaden Walker, Jr. — 25 mpg, 7 ppg, 4 rpg, 46% FG, 53% FT, 21% threes, 17/14 ATO, 3 blocks, 8 steals
(6-5/200); 2022 Iowa State transfer (reserve); from Core 4 Prep and Lawrenceville, Ga.

G Kalib LaCount, So. — 18 mpg, 5 ppg, 1 rpg, 34% FG, 89% FT, 14% threes, 23/9 ATO, 0 blocks, 5 steals
(5-8/148); 2022 California all-state; from King/Drew HS and Los Angeles, Calif.

G Benjamin Bayela, Sr. — 14 mpg, 3 ppg, 2 rpg, 27% FG, 100% FT (few), 25% threes, 1/3 ATO, 1 block, 6 steals
(6-6/200); 2022 South Plains College transfer (2-year starter); from Le Chesnay Rocquencourt, France

*—returning starter (started at least 50% of current team’s games last season)

East Carolina Pirates
10-Year Snapshot

Season — Overall, League (Place), Postseason

2022-23 — 16-17, 6-12 AAC (9th), no postseason (Mike Schwartz)
2021-22 — 15-15, 6-11 AAC (9th), no postseason (Joe Dooley)
2020-21 — 8-11, 2-10 AAC (11th), no postseason (Joe Dooley)
2019-20 — 11-20, 5-13 AAC (11th), no postseason (Joe Dooley)
2018-19 — 10-21, 3-15 AAC (11th), no postseason (Joe Dooley)
2017-18 — 10-20, 4-14 AAC (11th), no postseason (Jeff Lebo)
2016-17 — 15-18, 6-12 AAC (9th), no postseason (Jeff Lebo)
2015-16 — 12-20, 4-14 AAC (9th), no postseason (Jeff Lebo)
2014-15 — 14-19, 6-12 AAC (7th), no postseason (Jeff Lebo)
2013-14 — 17-17, 5-11 CUSA (12th), CIT 1st Round (Jeff Lebo)

*—conference champion

NOTE: Please visit the North Carolina Sports Network’s 2023-24 profiles and 10-year snapshots for all 19 Division One men’s basketball programs in North Carolina.

Appalachian State Mountaineers, Sun Belt Conference

Davidson Wildcats, Atlantic-10 Conference

High Point Panthers, Big South Conference

UNC Wilmington Seahawks, Coastal Athletic Association

Western Carolina Catamounts, Southern Conference