SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. - Head coach Bobby Gonzalez announced today that four Seton Hall students have been named walk-ons for the 2008-09 men’s basketball season. Matt Cajuste, Darnell Gatling, Pete Peregrin and Jason Simmons will be added to the current roster.
Matt Cajuste is a 6-foot-7, 230-pound sophomore forward from Old Westbury, N.Y. and played four years of basketball at Jericho High School. A four-year starter and team captain, he led his team to three consecutive conference championships and an 83-8 record during his tenure. A three-time All-State performer, he was named the conference Player of the Year in 2006-07 and has averaged at least 14 points and 13 rebounds per game his last three seasons at Jericho.
Darnell Gatling is a 5-foot-9, 160-pound sophomore guard from Brooklyn, N.Y. and played four years of basketball at the High School for Law Enforcement and Public Safety. A three-year starter, he is a defensive specialist. Named to his conference’s All-Defensive Team, Gatling is his school’s all-time steals leader. A player for Brooklyn USA and the New York Gauchos, he received MVP and All-Star honors at the Dunker’s Delight Basketball Classic.
Pete Peregrin is a 6-foot, 165-pound junior guard from South Plainfield, N.J. For two seasons, he starred for St. Vincent’s de Paul CYO Basketball in Sterling, N.J. Averaging over 20 points per game his junior and senior seasons, Peregrin led his team to the 2006 Diocesan and CYO State Championships. Named 2006 Player of the Year, he received MVP honors following his 29-point performance in the Diocesan Championship Game.
Jason Simmons is a 6-foot-7, 193-pound junior forward from Cliffwood, N.J. A Matawan High School standout, he transferred to Seton Hall from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. In High School, Simmons scored 1,136 career points while averaging better than 18 points his senior year. A strong rebounder, he averaged a double-double for his career and burst out with a career-high 33 points against Manasquan in 2006.
