LaDontae Felton admits he had some good, convenient help in choosing the college where he’d extend his basketball playing career.
The 6-foot-2, 175-pound combo guard — formerly of Aiken High, and now at South Aiken — committed to East Carolina on Friday. If hearing the name “Felton” and “East Carolina” sounds familiar to CSRA basketball fans, that’s because LaDontae’s older brother — and Aiken High alum — RJ Felton is a sophomore with the Pirates.
Despite that, his choice of East Carolina was hardly a slam dunk. But more than anything, the younger Felton is excited at the prospects of playing with his brother, as well as being rid of the recruiting drama ahead of his senior season in high school.
As this week’s Athlete Spotlight, LaDontae talks more about the recruiting process, how he came to choose ECU, his brother’s role in helping him make the decision and how he’s looking to improve in his last go-round in high school.
STOVALL: What were some of the other schools you were looking to choose from, and what was it about ECU that stood out and made you want to choose them?
FELTON: “Some other schools I had in mind instead of ECU would’ve been UCF, Miami-Ohio, and Tulsa. What made me choose ECU was how comfortable I felt in their presence. Like, they gave a great home vibe every step of the way, and it was also about how great of a coaching staff they have. They push you to the fullest, and I love that.”
STOVALL: How has the recruiting process been for you, and how relieved are you to finally be able to make your college choice?
FELTON: “The recruitment process has been very hectic in a lot of ways. A load of high-major colleges were on the boarderline of offering me, but were being indecisive at times. Also, when you get offered by a college and then another one is in the process of offering you again, then you have the relationships you’ve built with the coaches, and that can kind of stress you out soon as the time comes for you to commit. But more, so I’m extremely relieved to be done with the entire recruitment process. Reason being, the indecisiveness from some schools and coaches, and more so, the emotional roller coaster that it takes you on.”
STOVALL: Though you’ve transferred to Aiken from South Aiken, how did your time at South Aiken prepare you to play at the next level?
FELTON: “My first two years of playing at Aiken have prepared me significantly for the next level because I was coached by some of the best coaches in the state, and they put me in the right position to understand the game and bring that ‘dog mindset’ out in my game and style of play, and also teaching me the reads and the right plays to make for me to be successful.”
STOVALL: Now that you’re with your new team and embarking on a new season, what are some things you’ll be looking to improve upon with regard to your game this season?
FELTON: “This upcoming year at South Aiken, I look to improve on being a more vocal leader on the floor and making sure I communicate on what’s going on. I also want to improve on my reads and shooting from behind the 3-point arc and more so just my overall craft in the game of basketball.”
STOVALL: I know your brother RJ plays for ECU. How much did his being there influence your decision? How was he helpful in you making your choice?
FELTON: “RJ influenced me more by telling me what it’s like playing for coach [Michael] Schwartz and how dope it would be for me to be playing with him again, because the last time we played together on the same team when was when I was in 9th grade and he was at Aiken. But RJ was helpful in making me choose ECU because he wanted me to go somewhere where I felt the most comfortable, and of course he was already there, so he told me what it was like being a Pirate and it just made me want to go.”
STOVALL: How did you get started playing basketball, and what was the moment you knew you were good enough to play at this high a level?
FELTON: “It all started out when I was, like, a little kid and my dad was the head coach of Aiken [High School], and everyday I was at his practices watching and being nosy, and I just fell in love with it, and ever since then my dad has been my trainer. The moment I knew I’d be a high-level player was my freshman year on varsity during Covid time, and the majority of the starters had to sit out just in case they’d caught Covid. So it was a couple games in a row where I had 30 points on varsity and was just getting after it, and that’s when I knew I’d be something special when I was surrounded by the right people.”
