Franklin Regional grad Cam Rowell injects energy into Washington & Jefferson men’s basketball team
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After a down year, the Washington & Jefferson men’s basketball team entered the current season hoping to get back on track.
In 2022-23, the Presidents of coach Ethan Stewart-Smith went 20-7 overall, 16-4 in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference and reached the conference tournament semifinals. But W&J took its lumps last season, going 9-16 (8-12) and missing the PAC Tournament.
If W&J was going to return to winning, Stewart-Smith knew he was going to need big contributions from his freshman class. One of those freshmen was Franklin Regional grad Cam Rowell. The athletic, 6-foot-4 swing player came in with a reputation for playing sound defense and finishing around the rim.
Those traits have translated nicely to the college level. Rowell, after Wednesday’s 90-68 win over Allegheny, was averaging 9.9 points and 3.9 rebounds and shooting .599 from the floor.
Stewart-Smith has been pleased with Rowell’s contributions, calling him “edgy” and someone who plays “with a chip on his shoulder.”
“In all honesty, I came in not really knowing much about the program,” Rowell said. “But I know last year (they) weren’t doing too hot. So I came in with the mentality of kind of like, if we’re not doing too good here, I have a chance to put myself in the rotation and give us a better opportunity to play in big games.”
Rowell has played in every game, and his performance has shown an uptick of late. He has scored in double figures in seven of the past eight games, including 19 (on 6-of-6 shooting from the field and 7-of-8 shooting from the free-throw line) in a narrow loss to PAC leader Chatham on Jan. 22.
The next game, a win over Westminster, Rowell shot 7 of 11 en route to 17 points. He had 21 in a Feb. 1 win over Bethany, and that string of performances helped him earn back-to-back PAC Newcomer of the Week honors.
Rowell has started just four games, but he plays nearly 21 minutes per game and makes the most of them.
“When I get in the game, it’s my turn to get out there and shine,” he said. “And that’s what I’ve been doing. That’s the mentality I’ve been keeping all season.”
Rowell’s contributions extend beyond points. He ranks second on the team and eighth in the PAC at 2.0 steals per game. Four times he has had at least five steals in a game. He also is averaging nearly four rebounds.
On top of all that, Stewart-Smith said, Rowell can guard every position on the floor.
“He just doesn’t have off days in practice or games,” said Stewart-Smith, in his 10th season at W&J. “He’s such a high-energy, competitive player. … His instincts and his ability to read plays is absurd.”
Fellow freshmen Michael Plasko (South Fayette) and Quinton Burlenski also have risen to the challenge. Burlenski moved into the starting lineup after four games and hasn’t left. He averages 9.0 points.
Plasko, like Rowell, comes off the bench to provide a spark. Plasko averages 10.4 points. Plasko and Burlenski also have earned newcomer of the week awards, and, with Burlenski’s honor Feb. 10, Rowell (twice) and Burlenski took the award in successive weeks.
“They’re just so polished,” Stewart-Smith said. “They all have a winning background and pedigree. They come in and, just their demeanor in general is not that of a freshman. They just don’t get rattled.”
Rowell said he, Plasko and Burlenski have fed off each other throughout the season.
“It’s all new to all of us,” he said. “None of us were kind of expecting to come in and just kind of start playing big minutes for our team. Now that we all are kind of playing those similar amount of minutes, it’s a big role we all have.”
As he continues to get on-the-job training in the college game, Rowell is working to expand his offensive repertoire. At Franklin Regional, he was rarely asked to shoot from the outside, relying instead on scoring around the basket and finishing on the break.
He still lives off high-percentage shots, but Rowell is trying to elevate his 3-point shooting to a level that forces defenses to respect it. He has made only 5 of 25 this season (20.0%), but Stewart-Smith is confident that percentage will increase with more work.
“We don’t need him to necessarily stretch the floor as much,” the coach said. “He’s a better shooter than his percentage would indicate. Over the long term, we envision him being 30% from 3.”
As a team, the Presidents don’t shoot a lot of 3s. They have attempted the third-fewest 3-pointers in the PAC. Instead, W&J likes to get out in transition, a philosophy that blends perfectly with Rowell’s style.
It has served the Presidents well this season. W&J is in position for a high seed in the PAC Tournament, entering the weekend 13-5 in the PAC (17-6 overall) and in third place. W&J is out to regain the conference title after a two-year hiatus.
Chatham, the 2022-23 champion, will head into the PAC Tournament as the team to beat, and if the Presidents need any proof they are legitimate contenders, they need only look at their two meetings with the Cougars this season: Chatham won both by a combined four points.
Saint Vincent also has been a thorn in the Presidents’ side, winning both meetings.
Rowell said his team has as good a shot as anyone come the postseason.
“On any given night, we can come out and beat any given team in this conference,” he said. “I feel like when it comes down to the end of February, we’re going to be a really polished team. We’re going to be ready to go.”