Larry Penkava
Staff Writer
RAMSEUR —
James Cannon will take his “unlimited” basketball talents to Rockingham Community College next season.
The Eastern Randolph High School senior thinks he’ll be a shooting forward for the Eagles. At 6-6, he was the starting center for the Wildcats, but RCC has a 6-10 All-Region center that Cannon has played against.
With offers from Methodist, Louisburg, Barton and Chowan, Cannon said he chose Rockingham because he “like(d) the campus and the coaches and the offense they ran.” He said he also met some of the players as well.
Having played just two years of high school ball, and much of that with injuries, Cannon has developed quickly in his limited time. Having to go through a coaching change also was a challenge.
“It was hard with the coaching changes,” he said last Thursday after signing his letter-of-intent to play at Rockingham. About Coach Seth Baxter who took over this past season, Cannon said, “He’s cool. He stayed on me.”
And with Baxter listening in, he quipped, “But he wouldn’t let me play point guard.”
Looking forward to joining the Eagles, Cannon said he expects to work hard “but it’s going to be fun.”
He said he thinks his strength is “driving to the basket and playing in the low post.”
After two years, Cannon said, he hopes to transfer to a four-year program for more basketball and a degree in sports management. He’d like to eventually become an agent for athletes.
His mother, Juanita Cannon, said she’ll “stay on him to study. That’s got to be the main thing.”
Baxter called Cannon “a young man who really developed. His potential is unlimited. He took everything we said and became a dominant force in the paint.
“I’m proud of him for taking on his grades,” said Baxter. “He’s a great kid. I look forward to him continuing to do well.”
During the past season, Cannon was honorable mention All-Conference and received Eastern Randolph’s Wildcat Award. He averaged 15.1 points per game, 7.5 rebounds and 1.2 steals.
