In Donovann Toatley, Monmouth hopes it has floor general and leader

Donovann Toatley finally arrives for Monmouth after sitting out last season, and should help Hawks fill void left by Ray Salnave. (Photo by University of Tennessee-Chattanooga Athletics)

Last season, the man who was perhaps the most potent weapon in Monmouth's deep and talented arsenal of guards did not even have a chance to display his value, restricted to a spectator after the NCAA denied a waiver for his immediate eligibility.

At 5-foot-9, it may be easy for the casual fan to miss Donovann Toatley on the hardwood, but what he lacks in stature, he more than compensates for in both drive and scoring punch. And after a year of learning the ropes and preparing himself for a return, the redshirt sophomore is eager to prove that good things not only come in small packages, but also to those who wait.

“Donovann can do a lot of things,” King Rice said of his new floor general, one who will assist incumbents Samuel Chaput and George Papas in helping replace Ray Salnave, who transferred to DePaul in the offseason. “I’m so anxious to have him on our team in games, because we could not guard him at all last year in practice.”

In his one season at Chattanooga, Toatley averaged 11.4 points and three assists per game coming primarily off the bench, but the Maryland native did start eight of the 27 contests he played in for the Mocs. And while his height and immediate impact may bear a slight resemblance to Monmouth legend and two-time Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Player of the Year Justin Robinson, it is Toatley’s experience as a high school teammate of Deion Hammond that is sure to excite Hawks fans more than any comparison to the program’s all-time leading scorer, as Monmouth's senior leader has already praised Toatley effusively.

“He can score pretty much at will,” Hammond told Steve Edelson of the Asbury Park Press about Toatley. “And for his size, that’s pretty impressive. He knows how to get guys the ball, he knows how to facilitate, and me and him have a chemistry already, so that should be interesting.”

“It was very frustrating for our guys when we would work on our traps and all our stuff, and we just couldn’t get the kid slowed down,” Rice gushed. “So I’m anxious to see how he does when the lights turn on. I’m excited because I know how much he scored in high school, and then he averaged 10 as a freshman.”

Toatley enters his first of three seasons in West Long Branch with the relief of not being expected to carry the bulk of the offense, as Hammond will be counted on to shoulder the majority of the load for the Hawks. Regardless, the shortest player on the floor will no doubt be one who leaves one of the strongest impressions by the final buzzer.

“He’s definitely ready,” said Rice. “He and Deion played together in a lot of games, so they know each other well, and that young man can really do a lot of things on the basketball court. We’re super happy that we have Donovann able to go this year.”