Skip to Main Content

Greensboro Swarm Announce Opening Night Roster And Coaching Staff Additions

By Greensboro Swarm Staff /November 8, 2019

The Greensboro Swarm, the NBA G League Affiliate of the Charlotte Hornets, today announced its opening night roster and coaching staff additions for the 2019-20 season. Greensboro begins the season at the Erie BayHawks on Saturday, November 9, at 7:00 p.m.

The Swarm’s roster includes two-way players (Robert Franks, Kobi Simmons), affiliate players (Joe Chealey, Josh Perkins, Thomas Welsh), returning rights players (Joel Berry II, John Dawson, Donte Ingram, Tyler Nelson), 2019 NBA G League draft picks (Demajeo Wiggins, Max Montana) and tryout player (Mike Davis, Jr.).

The 13-player roster, with Jalen McDaniels on assignment from the Hornets, was finalized with the Swarm waiving Durrell Summers.

The training camp roster is below.

2019-20 GREENSBORO SWARM OPENING NIGHT ROSTER
No.NamePos.Ht.Wt.DOBSchoolClassification
18Joel Berry IIG6-019504/01/95North CarolinaReturning Rights
13Joe ChealeyG6-319011/01/95CharlestonAffiliate
4Mike Davis, Jr.G6-220005/22/96Queens UniversityTryout
22John DawsonG6-220504/12/95LibertyReturning Rights
3Robert FranksF6-823012/18/96Washington StateTwo-Way
8Donte IngramF6-621508/15/96Loyola ChicagoReturning Rights
5Jalen McDanielsF6-1020501/31/98San Diego StateAssignment
9Max MontanaF6-921001/11/96San Diego StateDraft
6Tyler NelsonG6-318508/09/95FairfieldReturning Rights
1Josh PerkinsG6-319008/25/95GonzagaAffiliate
2Kobi SimmonsG6-518007/04/97ArizonaTwo-Way
54Thomas WelshF7-025502/03/96UCLAAffiliate
7Demajeo WigginsF6-924008/10/97Bowling GreenDraft

Additionally, Head Coach Joe Wolf has added Jeff Lebo, James Maye and Nicholas Saenz to his coaching staff for his second season at the helm. Andre Mattson has been named the Strength & Conditioning Coach as well. Also, Nick Friedman, in a hybrid role with the Hornets, is a Player Development Coach.

Lebo, a former standout and teammate of Wolf’s at the University of North Carolina, brings a wealth of experience to the sidelines. The former head coach at East Carolina University (2010-18), Auburn University (2004-10), the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (2002-04) and Tennessee Technological University (1998-02) began coaching in 1990. He has also been an assistant at the University of South Carolina (1993-98), Vanderbilt University (1992-93) and East Tennessee State University (1990-92). The Carlisle, Pennsylvania, native played four seasons (1985-89) for Dean Smith at UNC before playing in the NBA as a member of the San Antonio Spurs (1989-90).

Maye returns to coach in Greensboro after an illustrious career at UNC Greensboro (1998-03). The Amityville, New York, native graduated from UNCG as the program’s all-time scoring leader and earned several All-Southern Conference honors. He went on to play in the G League (2006-07 with the Dakota Wizards in Bismarck, North Dakota) and internationally on six different continents for over 14 years (2003-17). Most recently, Maye was an assistant with the Capital City Go-Go (Washington Wizards affiliate) in 2018-19.

Saenz comes from an NBA/G League player development background, dating back to 2002 when he was a member of the San Antonio Spurs organization as a player assistant. Before joining the Hornets organization in 2018 as a video coordinator, he held positions with the Dallas Mavericks (2015-17) and Rio Grande Valley Vipers (2017-18), the Houston Rockets affiliate. Saenz graduated from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas, in 2010 and then earned a master’s degree from the University of Incarnate Word in 2015.

Mattson graduated from Sonoma State University in 2014 and earned a master’s degree from Point Loma Nazarene University in 2016. His strength and conditioning, and player performance experience includes the New York Knicks, West Coast Elite Under Armour, the University of Washington and Point Loma Nazarene.

Friedman will split time in Charlotte and Greensboro, focusing on the player development of the two-way players and Hornets players on assignment. He came to the organization from the Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Houston Rockets affiliate) where he served in player development and video coordinator roles. He has also been with the Maine Red Claws (Boston Celtics affiliate) and Northern Arizona Suns (Phoenix Suns affiliate). Prior to his work in the G League, Friedman worked under the coaching staff at the University of Miami. The Massachusetts native attended Bates College where he was a member of the basketball team.

Returning to the Swarm in their roles from last season are Cam Twiss (General Manager), Daniel Goose (Manager of Player Development & Basketball Operations) and Tyler Lesher (Athletic Trainer).