2005 HL Recruiting

[Big D]

A little update on a couple of prospects that WSU went after pretty hard last year that went the prep school route:

Glibert Brown (6-6, SG) is headed to South Kent Prep for 2005/06. He has already committed to play his college ball at Pitt. He is ranked the 32nd best SG and 127 overall in the class of 06 by Rivals.
rivalshoops.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?Sport=2&pr_key=39260

Armon Bassett (6-1, PG) is also headed to prep school. He is ranked the 23rd best PG and 120 overall in the class of 06 by Rivals. He is choosing between Arkansas, Auburn, Illinois, Indiana, Nebraska, Ohio State, Purdue, and Tennessee.
rivalshoops.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?Sport=2&pr_key=25231

WSU has no chance anymore at either one of these guys, but it is nice to see our coaches were recruiting both of them before they became such high rated recruits.

[Big D]

July 20, 2005
New Mexico State Transfer Byron Davis Joins YSU Program
Youngstown – Youngstown State Head Basketball Coach Jerry Slocum announced on Wednesday that point guard Byron Davis (Detroit, Mich.) has transferred into the program from New Mexico State.
Davis, a 6-2, 180-pound guard, spent the past two years at New Mexico State playing in 57 games while starting 35 contests for the Aggies. In his two campaigns, he scored 334 points, grabbed 154 rebounds and dished out 105 assists. Per NCAA transfer rules, he will have to sit out the 2005-06 season and will have two years of eligibility remaining beginning in 2006-07.
"We are excited to add a player of Byron's caliber to our program," Slocum said. "He brings quickness and athleticism to our point guard position. He is a quality young man who will help fill our needs for our basketball program's future."
In 2004-05, Davis averaged 6.2 points and 3.2 rebounds per game for the Aggies. He played in all 30 games, making 19 appearances in the starting lineup. He started the final eight games for NMSU. On seven occasions he scored in double figures and recorded a season-high eight rebounds against Central Florida.
In 2003-04, Davis averaged 5.4 points and 2.1 rebounds per game. He started 16 of 27 games for the Aggies, including the final 13 of the year. He scored a career-high 16 points against North Texas and had seven rebounds on two occasions -- at Western Kentucky and at Middle Tennessee State.
Davis joins junior college guard Keston Roberts and Poland High School guard Chad Fender as newcomers to the Penguins' program this fall.
www.ysu.edu/sports/mens_bball/200506/davissign.htm

[Big D]

July 27, 2005
Slocum Adds Maryland Post Standout Jack Liles to Program
Youngstown – Youngstown State Head Basketball Coach Jerry Slocum announced on Wednesday that Maryland prep forward Jack Liles (Laurel, Md.) has signed a national letter of intent to play for the Penguins.
Liles, a 6-8, 225-pound forward, is coming off a season where he averaged 10 points and eight rebounds a game for National Christian High School. He helped lead Coach Trevor Browne's squad to a 20-11 overall mark as a senior. A McDonald's All-America nominee, Liles' senior class was only 27 members in size.
"I felt Youngstown State was a place I could really blossom and grow as a person and a player," Liles said. "The coaches made me feel right at home and I felt like they would take care of me."
Liles said he selected YSU over interest from Akron, Illinois State, Coppin State and Norfolk State.
Slocum said landing a big man with Liles' potential is a key step in the program's growth.
"We are very excited to have Jack Liles become part of our program," Slocum said. "He is a great inside scorer and will give us a solid post presence. He helps fill a great need we have with our interior play."
Liles joins New Mexico State transfer guard Byron Davis (who is not eligible until 2006-07), junior college guard Keston Roberts and Poland High School guard Chad Fender as the Penguins' signees this offseason.
www.ysu.edu/sports/mens_bball/200506/jacklilessign.htm

[Big D]

Late addition for UIC:
NEW PLAYER: The Flames added 6-foot-9, 230-pound forward Jovan Ignjatovic to the roster during the summer. Ignjatovic joins fellow Serbs Jovan Stefanov and Danijel Zoric on the team for the 2005-06 season.

Ignjatovic averaged 17.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists for Whitney Young as a senior last season. He is also a quality three-point shooter.

One of his better games was Jan. 15 at the Martin Luther King Shootout where he had 19 points and 10 rebounds against Minneapolis Patrick Henry.

Before last season, the Chicago Sun-Times quoted his coach Ron Branch in their prep basketball preview: “He is one of the most fundamentally sound kids that you'll ever see play basketball.”

geocities.com/uicflamesbasketball/news.htm

[Big D]

Loyola lost recruit Damien Lolar, who asked out of his LOI. He averaged 16.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.2 steals as a sophomore at Cowley CC

[Big D]

August 6, 2005

Lolar changes direction

By RAMA PEROO
Cowley College
Having a change of heart, Arkansas City native Damien Lolar, who led Cowley's men's basketball team in points, assists and steals this past season, recently was granted a release from his scholarship to NCAA Division I University of Loyola Chicago and will instead be playing basketball for NCAA Division II West Texas A&M in Canyon.

Lolar signed with Loyola Chicago in May, but had second thoughts soon after the signing.

"I really didn't want to go to Loyola, so I decided I needed to go somewhere where I feel comfortable," Lolar said. "The coaches at West Texas have been very supportive, and really worked hard to get me a scholarship."

Kara Pridey and Priscilla De Souza, who helped lead Cowley's women's basketball team to a 30-2 record this past season, signed to play basketball for West Texas A&M's women's team. Lolar and Pridey forged a close friendship during their time at Cowley.

"Having Kara there will be great," Lolar said. "We have a lot of players from Cowley down there, and the facilities are awesome. I am really excited."

West Texas A&M has had some strong teams in recent years. Despite going just 16-14 last season, the Buffaloes won the Lone Star Conference Tournament in 2001 and 2003.

West Texas assistant coach Justin Ashley is eager to have Lolar as part of next season's team as Lolar averaged 16.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 2.2 steals for the Tigers this past season.

"This is a great opportunity for him to get his education and play basketball," Ashley said. "He has a chance to be a great player for us in this system. He comes from a great program in Cowley, and we expect him to come in and contribute immediately."

Lolar had shoulder surgery after this past season and has recently started shooting a basketball again. His workout regimen consists of lifting weights two times a day and doing shooting drills twice a day.

Lolar will be expected to see playing time as a shooting guard or a small forward, and will leave for West Texas A&M on Aug. 24.

"I will do whatever to help the team win," Lolar said. "I plan on going there and being successful."

Above: Arkansas City native Damien Lolar, left, decided against playing for Division I Loyola Chicago and will continue his career at Division II West Texas A&M.

www.arkcity.net/stories/080605/spo_0001.shtml

[Big D]

Posted Aug. 12, 2005
College basketball: McKee ineligible to transfer to UWGB

By Rob Demovsky
[e-mail]

Junior college transfer Ontario McKee won’t play for the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay this season because he failed to complete his associate’s degree.

The Milwaukee native, who played the last two seasons at Southwest Missouri State-West Plains, was supposed to have finished his junior college requirements this summer at UW-Parkside.

“He had one class to take, and he didn’t (pass) it,” UWGB coach Tod Kowalczyk said on Thursday. “So we can’t take him.”

McKee averaged 13.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists as a junior college sophomore last season.

Though incoming freshman Simon Farine was the early favorite to start at point, the 5-foot-11 McKee was expected to back up Farine and junior guard Ryan Evanochko. However, Kowalczyk said he feels like he has enough depth in the backcourt even after losing last year’s starting guards, Javier Mendiburu, Brandon Morris and Matt Rohde, to graduation.

“I think our depth is fine,” Kowalczyk said. “We have returning guys like Ryan Evanochko and Ryan Werch, who I feel good about. Plus, we have incoming guys like Simon Farine, Ryan Tillema, (redshirt freshman) Terry Evans and Cordero Barkley.”

Kowalczyk also has a commitment from a backcourt player for the next recruiting class. Milwaukee King guard Troy Cotton, who will be a high school senior this fall, is expected to sign with UWGB in the fall.

It’s too late for Kowalczyk to find a player to replace McKee for this season. Instead, he can bank that scholarship for the next year, when he had no more scholarships available.

It’s possible that scholarship could go to Ashwaubenon’s Adam Koch, who had been invited to join the team as a preferred walk-on for the 2006-07 season. Koch, whose stock rose after his junior season last year, also has offers from several other Division I schools.

www.greenbaypressgazette.com/sports/archive/sports_22165342.shtml

[wsu97]

Green Bay is going to suck next year. They already lost 4 starters from last season and now they lost MCKee. If Kowalczyk wasn't such a dickhead, I'd feel sorry for them.

[Big D]

interact.fansonly.com/recruiting/searchrecruit.cfm?sport=basketball&dbyear=04&school_name=semo

Oklahoma transfer Brandon Foust will attend SW Missouri St. He settled his legal problems this summer and was offered a scholarship. WSU had been interested last spring before Foust was arrested.

[Big D]

Sept. 8, 2005
Men's Basketball: Finland Product Mikko Niemi Joins Team
Youngstown – Youngstown State Head Basketball Coach Jerry Slocum announced the addition of Finland native Mikko Niemi to the Penguins 2005-06 roster on Thursday.
Niemi, whose name is pronounced (ME-ko Knee-em-ME), is a 6-2, 180-pound freshman point guard from Kangasala, Finland. He played for the Finnish Under-20 National Team and attended Sammon Lukio High School. Niemi is a 20-year-old freshman having recently served a year in the Finnish Military. As a member of the Under-20 Team, he helped Finland place eighth out of 20 teams at the European "B" Championships in Bulgaria.
Slocum said Niemi fits a key backcourt need for his team.
"He is a great addition for us and gives us some much-needed help at the point-guard position," Slocum said. "He has great international experience. Overall, he has a solid total game and is exactly what we needed in terms of backcourt help."
Niemi becomes the first Finnish player to become part of the Penguins since Kimmo Heinonen (Laitila, Finland) was a member of the program during the 1991-92 and 1992-93 campaigns.
Niemi said he picked Youngstown State for a variety reasons.
"It seemed like a very good program," he said. "There is a new staff here and a lot of new players. The town seemed good because it isn't too big or too small. And the school is academically really strong."
Also, guards Brian Williams (Columbus, Ohio) and Craig Wellman (Masury, Ohio) have joined the program as walk-ons.

www.ysu.edu/sports/mens_bball/200506/niemisign.htm