SOU Men's Basketball Signs Five Recruits For 2012-13 Season
ASHLAND – Five players have agreed to join the Southern Oregon men's basketball program for the 2012-13 season, SOU head coach Brian McDermott announced.
A pair of local players signed to stay in the Rogue Valley, as both Jordan Brown-Moore and Derek Mautz will graduate from North Medford High School this year. Another high school senior, Cade Knutson, signed out of Nevada, while David Sturner will transfer from NCAA Div. II Oregon State and Jordan West will give the Raiders their first international recruit.
"We are very pleased with this years recruiting class," McDermott said. "We stayed with the same formula we have been using for the last few years - get a high percentage of high school kids and find a transfer to provide more immediate help, and make sure they are all exceptional students who can shoot the basketball."
Browne-Moore, a 6-3 power forward originally from Escondido, Calif., is a three-year letterwinner at North Medford. He earned second-team all-conference recognition as a senior after helping his team to a third-place finish at the 6A state tournament. He averaged 10 points and seven rebounds per game and plans to major in biology at Southern Oregon.
“Jordan's impact on games can rarely be found just in the box score,” McDermott said. “His great effort is what sets him apart. He will always get that loose ball or that extra offensive rebound when you need it. Every team needs a player like Jordan, and we are very excited that we will have him for the next four years.”
Mautz is a 5-9 guard and a native of Medford. He is a three-year letterwinner and two-time team captain at North Medford, and during his senior season he broke the school's three-point and steals records in a season. He earned first-team all-conference recognition after averaging 13.5 points, three assists and three steals per game while helping lead North Medford to a 24-4 record and third-place finish at the state tournament. He plans to major in marketing at SOU.
“Derek is a gym rat who just makes plays,” McDermott said. “Whatever you need, he is willing to give. He shoots with range and finds the open man. He will be comfortable in an up-tempo style of play and should provide immediate depth at the guard positions.”
Knutson, a 5-11 point guard from Fernley, Nev., is a four-year basketball letterwinner at Fernley High School. He finished his prep career earning numerous accolades, including league MVP as a senior and first-team all-state recognition. Knutson is Fernley's all-time leading scorer (1,479 points) and all-time leading three-point shooter (229 career threes), and he is a three-time all-league and all-state honoree.
Beyond basketball, Knutson is a four-year letterwinner in track and field. He qualified for state all four years and was the state runner-up in the men's pole vault in both his sophomore and junior years. He holds the school record for men's pole vault at 14 feet. His athletic prowess extends to the golf course, where he has hit a hole-in-one, and the bowling alley, where he holds a 221 average.
“Cade is a very good pick-up for us,” McDermott said. “He will give us more depth at the point guard position and has a chance to be a really good player at our level. He is an excellent ball handler and is unafraid to go to the basket and take a few hits. He shoots the ball very well, which will be a big plus over the next few years as we anticipate our bigs attracting a lot of double teams.”
Sturner will transfer from Oregon State, after spending the last three years with the Beavers basketball team. A native of Philomath, Ore., Sturner is a 6-9 post player who earned all-state recognition as a senior at Philomath High School. He averaged 20 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks per game as a senior in high school, and he appeared in 13 games for the Beavers during the past couple seasons. He will have two years of eligibility remaining.
“David will give us another very versatile big man who can step outside and shoot the three, but can also go inside and get the tough rebound,” McDermott said. “He is extremely long, which helps him close down the lane as a shot blocker. At OSU he was more of a small forward, but for us he will play the four and the five. He will immediately be a top rebounder and shot blocker in our league.”
West will come to Southern Oregon all the way from Australia. A 6-8 post player, he is a native of Gymea Bay, New South Wales, which is south of Sydney. His signing is a landmark for SOU as the Raiders' first international recruit. He was the Most Valuable Player on the Sutherland U18 Men's squad that won the New South Wales gold medal.
“Jordan's greatest asset is his big motor,” McDermott said. “He is like an energizer bunny, he runs and runs and runs. He is a physical player, using skills learned while playing Australian rules football, and he is not afraid to mix it up inside. He has just scratched the surface of his ability, and having him for four years is going to be a lot of fun.”
As a whole, McDermott believes the 2012 recruiting class will fill several areas of need for the SOU program and help push the team towards the top of the Cascade Collegiate Conference standings in the coming years.
"These guys will all fit in nicely with a great group of returners that should put us in the hunt with the elite teams of the league," McDermott said. "Our greatest need was to find another big to go with Eric, and we were unbelievably fortunate to sign two very high quality bigs in David Sturner and Jordan West. Our second biggest need was to provide depth at the point guard position, and with Cade Knutson and Derek Mautz we have done that. The last need was to add more toughness, and with Jordan Browne-Moore's physical play and Jordan West's experience playing Australian Rules Football, we have added a great amount of toughness to our freshman class."