August 16, 2010

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LAURINBURG, N.C.—St. Andrews Presbyterian College head coachRichie Schueler has announced the addition of five recruits to the Knights men’s basketball roster that will start practicing this fall.

"We did what we set out to do last fall, and that was to boost our perimeter depth,” said Schueler. “My assistant, Wes [Pifer], did a good job of attacking the positions that we needed in order to be more competitive in our guard-heavy conference. Every one of our incoming recruits comes from championship-caliber program. We're excited to add these pieces to our core of returners."

The young St. Andrews squad only graduated three players last season allowing Coach Schueler and Coach Pifer to concentrate more directing on specific needs. The Knights ranked highly in most statistical categories attributed to post play within the conference including blocks per game and rebounding percentage. However, SAPC struggled in the bottom third of the conference in many perimeter oriented categories including three-pointers per game, three-pointers allowed, and turnovers.

This season’s recruiting class boasts five student-athletes that can play in the backcourt and could contend for immediate playing time. The quartet includes three junior-college transfers and two freshmen spread across three states.

The 2010/11 St. Andrews men’s basketball recruiting class (listed alphabetically) includes:

Jordan Baber is a six-foot, four-inch freshman guard from Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Baber played for private school powerhouse Riverdale Baptist under Coach Louis ilson. Baber averaged 12.4 points and four rebounds for an 18-13 squad while earning First Team All-conference accolades in Maryland. Baber was named the MVP of the fifth annual Roundball Classic hosted by Hagerstown Community College. “We were able to sign Jordan late in the recruiting period. He brings more strength around the perimeter with his length and shooting ability. He's from the D.C. area, which is a hotbed for talent. I think Jordan has a strong career ahead of him."

Darian Cahill is a six-foot, two-inch freshman guard from Goldsboro, North Carolina. Cahill was a three-year varsity starter for Coach Rob Salter at the Greenfield School in Wilson, N.C. The two-time First Team All-Conference and Third Team All-County honoree is a 1,000-point scorer and offensive team MVP. The multiple all-tournament award winner helped the Greenfield Knights to the CPIC regular and tournament championship and a runner-up finish in the NCISAA State Championship game. “Darian had a strong career at Greenfield School, on one of the top teams in North Carolina. Once Darian learns to play the game at college speed, I expect him to compete for playing time at both guard positions. He's a fine ball handler and shooter.”

Keith Davis is a six-foot, four-inch combo guard from Orlando, Florida. Davis transfers to SAPC after playing at Cape Fear Community College under Coach Ryan Mantlo. Davis averaged 13.1 points and was a Second Team All-Conference selection his rookie year. In his second season, Davis helped the Sea Devils to a 23-3 record, a national top-25 ranking, and a Region X regular season championship. “We had our eyes on Keith all last season. He brings the unique mix of age, experience, and abilities to the table. We really like his unselfish play with the ball in his hands. He's a guard with size, which can translate well into our league."

Michael Dunkins is a six-foot, three-inch shooting guard from Biscoe, North Carolina. Dunkins comes to St. Andrews after playing two years locally at Sandhills Community College under Coach Aaron Denton. Dunkins shot 34-percent from three-point distance while averaging 10.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.0 assists, and 0.8 steals in 25 games last season. The Flyers went 14-11 last season. “Michael had a terrific high school career before getting injured in junior college. He can do a lot of different things with the basketball, but I also believe he could be a very good on-ball defender. We were excited to sign him in May.”

Ryan Streater is a six-foot, five-inch forward/guard from Charlotte, N.C. Streater is a junior transfer who played under Coach Phil Gaffney at Guildford Technical Community College. Streater was the No. 2 ranked Juco player in the state in 2008, averaging 19.5 points, eight rebounds, 1.5 assists. Streater earned Second Team All-Region for a Titans squad that finished the season 22-6. “We've been recruiting Ryan for two and a half years, so it'll be good to see him in uniform. Ryan was high school teammates with Chris Sumski (current guard) before playing junior college ball. I really like his versatility to play different positions on the floor.”