You love basketball. I love the Southland. You miss the Southland. Here’s your weekly Southland update.
Abilene Christian adds two players
Abilene has added two strong pieces to its depth chart for the 2017-18 season. Tevin Foster will join from Division II powerhouse Drury University as a graduate transfer, along with Tobias Cameron out of Australia. Cameron is the son of Pero Cameron, former New Zealand pro basketball player and coach. Cameron will be around for four years and will enter as a guard. Foster will play point guard and will be a factor in leading the offense.
UIW signs 3-star center
Jeremiah Allen, the 48th-best center in the country according to ESPN, has officially signed his National Letter of Intent to join UIW next year. The three-star recruit is a huge get (literally) for UIW, which is looking to make a name for itself in its first season of tournament eligibility.
UIW fans: your 2017 class includes an @ESPN top 50 position player, @J_hooper14 ranked the 48th best C in America. https://t.co/2gzm3i3HPw pic.twitter.com/y4OFFOCjKF
— John A. Smith Jr. (@CoachJohnASmith) May 5, 2017
Lamar adds graduate transfer
Da’Shawn Robinson, a graduate transfer from Louisiana Tech, announced that he will join Lamar for the 2017-18 season. Guards as graduate transfers are great options for coaches because they add quick experience and depth to the roster with a player immediately eligible.
New Orleans finalizes roster with JUCO guard
Ezekiel Charles, a guard out of Barton Community College, will join New Orleans for his final two seasons of college eligibility. Charles had two successful seasons at the JuCo level, averaging 12.3 points per game. He will be a nice addition to the backcourt and will have the opportunity to compete for a starting spot.
Brandon Hutton signs to play 3 years at Northwestern State
Brandon Hutton, a four-star recruit coming out of high school, has signed to play his final three years at Northwestern State. Hutton originally committed to Iowa as a freshman, but redshirted. Following his freshman year, he transferred to Indian Hills Community College, where be played for one year. In his year at Indian Hills, he helped lead his team to an impressive 29-5 record as well as an NJCAA tournament championship. He is the eighth and final piece to the Privateers’ 2017 class.
Sam Houston State finalizes 2017 class with forward Manny Gatkek
Manny Gatkek will join Sam Houston State from Caprock High School in Texas. In his senior season, he averaged a double-double, with 14 points and just over 10 rebounds per game. As a forward who loves playing around the basket, he will be a great asset in post scoring and rebounding.