Vandals add 3 to huge recruiting class
Come this fall, Don Verlin will never had this much youth. And, according to him, never this much talent. The Idaho men's basketball coach announced the signing of three more recruits today to go along with the six signees that have already been announced. The nine-playing incoming class includes four true freshmen, a sophomore, and four JC transfers. Meanwhile, Tyler Egbert will be a redshirt freshman this season. "We’re younger than we’ve ever been, but I also think in time it will be our most talented group," Verlin said.
Only three returners who saw playing time last season -- Stephen Madison, Connor Hill and Joe Kammerer -- are back with the team. Madison and Hill are the only regulars returning. Point guards Denzel Douglas and Robert Harris have left the program.
Today's additions are 6-foot-10 Robert Asencio, a transfer from Des Moines Area Community College; 6-3 guard Patrick Ball of Franklin High in Seattle; and 6-6 small forward Jordan Scott of Lewis-Palmer High in Colorado Springs.
The full details on the new signees are below.
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Here's the full UI release:
MOSCOW – University of Idaho men’s basketball coach Don Verlin has strengthened his roster for the 2013-14 season with three additions. Roberto Asencio, a transfer from Des Moines Area Community College, Patrick Ball, a freshman from Franklin High School in Seattle and Jordan Scott, a freshman from Lewis-Palmer High School in Colorado Springs, Colo., will join the Vandals this fall.
Asencio, a 6-foot-10, 245-pound center, averaged 2.9 points and 3.9 rebounds per game for DMACC as a sophomore in 2012-13. He shot 47.9 percent from the field, and added 0.5 blocks and 0.6 assists per game.
“We’re excited to have him,” Verlin said of Asencio. “He’s a big, strong, physical guy who will add an immediate presence around the basket for us. Roberto is a developmental guy who, once he gets the feel of Division I basketball, can contribute to us right away.”
Ball, a 6-foot-3 guard, was an All-League and All-State selection at Franklin High, where he was also an honor roll student.
“Patrick played at a very good high school program, one of the best high school programs in the state of Washington that has had a number of NBA guys go through there,” Verlin said. “Patrick is a young man who can play either the small forward or the shooting guard. He can really shoot the basketball. He’s a long, athletic kid and another very good kid.”
Scott, a 6-foot-6, 200 pound small forward, averaged 18 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game as a senior at Lewis-Palmer High School in Colorado Springs, Colo., in 2012-13. He led his team to back-to-back Colorado 4A State Championships and a 52-4 record in that time. Scott’s older brother Josh plays basketball at the University of Colorado and both of his parents were student-athletes at Air Force, his mother playing basketball and his father playing football.
“I’m very excited to add Jordan to our roster,” Verlin said. “He played at a very good high school program at Lewis-Palmer that won back-to-back state championships, and he was a big part of that, he averaged a nearly a double-double in high school. Jordan can really drive to the basket, he’s a very good rebounder for his position and he’s a very good student, so were happy to add a quality guy like Jordan late in the period.”
The three are part of a nine-player incoming class joining the Vandals this fall, along with Paulin Mpawe, Mike Scott, Bira Seck, Sekou Wiggs, Ayodele Ojo and Perrion Callendret. Idaho’s recruiting class includes four true freshmen and a sophomore, and one redshirt-freshman, Ty Egbert, will return as well.
“We really went with the youth movement this year,” Verlin said. “The reason why we did that is going into the Big Sky we really wanted to have some young guys developed. I also think we were able to get some quality kids with this freshman class, so I was really happy with the way this recruiting class turned out. We’re younger than we’ve ever been, but I also think in time it will be our most talented group.”
The Vandals will compete a final season in the Western Athletic Conference in 2013-14 before moving to the Big Sky starting in 2014-15.