EUGENE, Ore. – Northwest Christian University head men’s basketball coach Luke Jackson has announced his first signee for the 2014-2015 squad, sophomore transfer Michael Loomis.
Loomis, a 6-6 guard from Tualatin, Oregon, will transfer to NCU after a highly successful season at NCAA Division II Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, Idaho where he was named the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year. Loomis played in all 26 games for the Crusaders (7-19 overall, 5-13 GNAC) and averaged 12.2 which was third best on the team. He led the team and GNAC in free-throw percentage at 90.9 percent and was No. 2 on the team in 3-point field goals with 59, hitting 39.9 percent of is attempts from beyond the arc (59-of- 148).
Second-Year Head Coach Luke Jackson said, “Michael is a great signee for us at NCU and we are very happy to add him to our program. He is a very skilled player that can shoot the ball well and play multiple positions if need be. Not only is he a shooter, he is also a basketball player with an incredible will to win, and that is something you can’t teach.”
Loomis played his prep basketball at Horizon Christian where he was teammates with fellow Beacon Calvin Anderson. He was a four-year starter with a 100-24 record over his career, leading Horizon Christian to three Oregon 3A state championships and one second-place-finish. He was a two-time 1st team all-state selection and the 3A Player of the Year as a senior. During his final year he averaged 24 points and 10 rebounds per game and was the first player from the 3A level to ever be selected to participate in the Oregon vs. Washington Senior All-Star game.
“Not only is Michael a great player but he is also an excellent student and he brings those smarts to the court,” said Jackson. “The first time I saw Michael play in high school I liked the way he played and how he competed. Seeing a left handed 6’6’’ shooting guard with fire in his belly reminded me of a player I used to know.”
Michael comes from a great basketball pedigree with both his father and grandfather playing at the NCAA DI level. Michael's grandfather Terry Dischinger is a former All-American at Purdue. He was drafted by the Baltimore Bullets and was named NBA Rookie of the Year in 1963. Dischinger was a three-time NBA All-Star, and was also a part of the 1960 Olympic team with Oscar Robertson, Jerry West and Jerry Lucas.
Northwest Christian University is coming off an 18-14 season that saw the Beacons finish fourth in the Cascade Collegiate Conference, earning their first ever appearance in the NAIA Division II National Championship tournament.