DeWayne Russell Reportedly Transferring from Northern Arizona

Word came out this afternoon that Northern Arizona star guard DeWayne Russell would be leaving the program. Needless to say, assuming it is true (the school is expected to put out a press release soon), it’s a huge loss for the Lumberjacks and head coach Jack Murphy. I’m not sure the reason for the departure, as it comes as a total surprise to me. I am not sure who had the news first.

As a true freshman last season, Russell averaged 14.4 points, 3.2 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. At times, he looked like he had the makings of being a star in the Big Sky, and they were expected to rely heavily on him this season.

Russell had a decent outside shot (34% from three-point range), and one of the quickest first steps in the conference. He had quick hands defensively, even if he was still a work in progress on that end of the court. It is unfortunate to see him leaving the Big Sky, as the conference and the Lumberjacks are weakened by his departure.

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Northern Colorado and North Dakota Get Key Wins

It was a game that Northern Colorado had to have, and they responded with a solid all-around effort in a 76-68 victory over Northern Arizona, who was right above them in the Big Sky standings heading into the day. They did it even though they didn't necessarily play their best.

"I think we took another step tonight and did what good teams, maturing teams, growing teams do, which is find a way to win when you play bad, when you play ugly. When you give up 56 percent, you turn it over 18 times and you get outrebounded, you shouldn't win. But these guys withstood a heck of a run in the second half, fought back and made free throws down the stretch and found a way to get it done. That's what growing teams do. That's what good teams do."

The key was this... at the half, UNC led 35-26. Within the first two minutes of the second half, NAU went on a 9-0 run to tie the game. It was gut check time for the Bears, and they responded, scoring a quick eight straight points to get the lead back, and they never gave it away after that. They were led by three guys offensively in this game. Tevin Svihovec (24 points, 4 assists), Derrick Barden (21 points, 6 rebounds), and Tate Unruh (17 points, 5 steals) were all huge, which I imagine is about what BJ Hill expected for this season.

The Lumberjacks got DeWayne Russell contributing again, scoring an efficient 15 points and looking like the guy that was so good early in the season. Gabe Rogers also had a big day, leading the team with 23 points. But nobody else was over seven points, and that lack of diversity offensively hurt them.

Both teams are now tied for seventh in the Big Sky at 6-9. The Bears will have another chance to take a big step forward on Saturday night, when they host Sacramento State.

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Sacramento State will want to forget Thursday, a night where they lost 49-48 to North Dakota in a game that they had chances to win. The Hornets shot 33% from the floor, and seemed to miss a ton of easy shots in this game. It is their fourth one-point conference loss of the season, which is remarkable to think about.

Down the stretch, both teams gave a how-to on what not to do at the end of games. With UND clinging to a three point lead, they missed the front end of a 1-and-1. Hornets got the ball, and scored. UND inbounded with about 18 seconds left... and Aaron Anderson dribbled the ball a bit before throwing it away. Fortunately for UND, the Hornets then dribbled the ball away, having to foul Lenny Antwi, whose ensuing miss dropped him to 5/12 on the year from the line. The Hornets got the ball back, and while they didn't have a lot of time, Dylan Garrity gave a late pass to John Dickson, whose desperation 30 footer missed the mark. Even though there isn't a lot of time, Garrity has to take the ball strong to the basket in that situation.

Troy Huff led the way again for North Dakota, with 13 points and 10 rebounds. It was not a pretty game by any means (UND didn't get a field goal in the last ten minutes), but sometimes that happens. Brian Jones will take the ugly game if it means a victory any day.

UND is now 8-7 and tied for third, while Sac State is 7-8, tied for fifth, and all of a sudden they are not too far off from the cut line between making and missing the tournament.

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Big Sky Freshmen Rankings

Normally, there might be a few freshmen that earn enough time to make a significant impact, and usually they are guards. Last year, the three freshmen with the biggest impact were Dylan Garrity of Sacramento State, James Douglas of Northern Arizona, and Tevin Svihovec of Northern Colorado.

This year, there are four guys that stand out as having a big impact, and two of them are freshmen. What's more, the big men are really good, and at least a couple of the freshmen have a chance to be all-conference players. The top three in particular you could put in any order and be able to make a case. Further, a freshman leads the conference in scoring, rebounding (Jois and Bolomboy are one and two), blocked shots, and second in steals. The guys up top are having great seasons.

Let's rank them.

1. Venky Jois (Eastern Washington) - 13.1 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 2.3 BPG
All he has done so far in his first season is shoot over 50%, score 13 per game, and lead the Big Sky in rebounding and blocked shots. He has a good handle for a big man, which allows EWU to do a lot of things through him. He scores well on the low block, plays a ton of minutes, and looks to me like he will be the emotional leader of the team for his four years. All in all, you can't really ask for a better debut season than what Jois has brought so far.

2. DeWayne Russell (Northern Arizona) - 16.3 PPG, 3.3 APG, 2.4 RPG, 2.0 SPG
After a blistering start, he has cooled down a bit but is still a very productive player. He leads the conference in scoring, as he is already really good at getting to the FT line and shooting 37% from long range. He presses at times, but that is not unexpected for a freshman who is being asked to do as much as Russell is doing. Defensively, he has quick hands, and he is second in the conference in steals. He is a great building block for Jack Murphy.

3. Joel Bolomboy (Weber State) - 7.5 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 1.9 BPG
On a per minute basis, it's tough to argue that Bolomboy has been the best freshman in the Big Sky. He is third in the country in DR% (29.0) and 18th in OR% (15.8). He has simply been incredible on the boards. He is second in the Big Sky in rebounds per game. His block rate is a superb 7.7% as well. So why is he only third? Here is the percentage of their team's minutes played for the top three:

Jois - 84.2%
Russell - 81.5%
Bolomboy - 54.9%

Through no fault of his own, he doesn't get the minutes the guys above him get. That puts him third on the list, though I could see him moving up by the end of the year.

4. Marcus Colbert (Montana State) - 5.5 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 2.1 APG
It's rare to say this about a freshman, but I think he has been a calming influence at the PG spot for the Bobcats. While Antonio Biglow was suspended, Colbert got more playing time, and the team went 4-1 and turned around their season. He is an unselfish player, and I think that rubs off on the rest of the team. He doesn't put up big numbers, but he doesn't take bad shots and has a good grasp of the offense.

Honorable Mention: Thomas Reuter (Eastern Washington), Daniel Hill (Eastern Washington), Greg Tucker (Northern Colorado)

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Random Big Sky Thoughts on Thursday Night

I was at the Northern Colorado/Montana State game last night, so I didn't actually get to watch any of the other games... but here are some thoughts based on the box scores and things I read about them.

- It was a good night for freshmen. Joel Bolomboy for Weber State got perhaps his biggest role of the year in a win over Southern Utah, and he made the most of it. He had 13 points (on three FG attempts), 17 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Venky Jois for Eastern Washington is leading the conference in rebounding, and had another big day, going for 14 and 14 in a win over Northern Arizona. It wasn't DeWayne Russell's fault that NAU lost - he had 17 points on 5/11 shooting, and grabbed seven steals to boot. Did I mention these guys are all freshmen?

- On Monday night, Southern Utah's opponent (Sacramento State) shot 55 free throws. Yesterday, their opponent (Weber State) only shot 49 free throws. I guess that's progress?

- I said that if I had to pick a midseason all-conference team, Jackson Stevenett would likely be on it. He made that prediction look good, scoring an efficient 29 points in the Thunderbirds loss.

- Even with a 3-0 Big Sky start, I (and I'm not alone here) have been slow to buy in on Southern Utah this year. But, they were impressive in defeat. At this point, you have to say they are a very legitimate contender for the third spot in the conference.

- Gabe Rogers finished 3/15 for Northern Arizona, and is shooting 30.6% from the field. That is why, even though NAU is much improved from last season, they are going to struggle to make the Big Sky tournament in Jack Murphy's first season. You just wonder where they are going to get enough offense night in and night out.

- Collin Chiverton with 22 points in 20 minutes (and four rebounds, three assists, two steals, three blocks). When he is on, not many guys in the Big Sky are capable of matching his scoring prowess. It is good to see him fully back into things, and he makes the Eagles a dangerous team.

- He only played 13 minutes, but interesting to see that Andy Martin got the start for Montana in their win over North Dakota. You get the sense that Wayne Tinkle is open to anything up front. Mathias Ward was the star of that game, scoring 27 points on 11/16 shooting. I don't know that there is a better midrange shooter in the Big Sky.

- North Dakota looks really limited offensively with the exception of Troy Huff. They have their work cut out for them if they want to make the conference tournament, because they really are not playing good basketball right now.

- I will see Montana in person on Saturday and I am excited for that. Even though they are 5-0 there are questions. Who gets the tough rebound for them when it matters? Who can they count on for production other than Cherry/Ward/Jamar?

- Portland State has not exactly been known for their three point shooting the last couple years, but it was key for them in a home win over Sacramento State. They hit seven of them over a three and a half minute stretch, and finished the game 12/18 from deep. Combine that with the nice inside duo of Aaron Moore and Renado Parker, and slowly things are coming together for the Vikings.

- The Hornets have to be wondering what has happened to Joe Eberhard. He was quietly one of the best players in the Big Sky last season, but his scoring has dropped four points per game and his shooting has dropped 10 percentage points. They need him.

- As always, the logjam after Montana and Weber State is still there. I hope everyone at the Big Sky is familiar with the tiebreaker rules, because I have a feeling there will be a lot of logjams in the 3-11 spots at the end of the season.

Anything else you saw?

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Midseason All-Conference Picks

A site called College Hoops Daily put out their midseason all-conference picks for every conference in the country, so I thought it'd be fun to take a very brief look at what they are thinking for the Big Sky.

BIG SKY
G: Dewayne Russell (Northern Arizona)
G: Justin Crosgile (Eastern Washington)
G: Kareem Jamar (Montana)
F: John Dickson (Sacramento State)
F: Venky Jois (Eastern Washington)

They bolded Justin Crogsile of Eastern Washington as the best player in the conference so far, an award which he obviously wouldn't win since he is no longer on the team.

It's tough to take a crack at it without going too deep into it, but here is my quick selections for what I would say is the all-conference team at midseason.

G: DeWayne Russell (Northern Arizona)
G: Kareem Jamar (Montana)
G: Jackson Stevenett (Southern Utah)
F: Davion Berry (Weber State)
F: Venky Jois (Eastern Washington)

Ask me again tomorrow, and it's possible I have different picks!

I would love to hear where everyone agrees or disagrees...

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Northern Arizona Surpasses Last Season Big Sky Win Total

A season ago, Northern Arizona was 1-15 in the Big Sky. After three games this year, they are 2-1 and in the top four of the Big Sky. Well done, Jack Murphy and staff.

Victory number two came via grinding out a home win over Sacramento State, 57-50. The Lumberjacks overcame the fact that they were outrebounded and didn't shoot well, as they forced 20 turnovers and got an all-conference type of game from DeWayne Russell.

Russell had struggled a bit in the past couple of contests, but he was brilliant in this game. He scored 25 points, and seemed like he was one of the few sources of offense late for them. One thing I noticed was his aggressiveness going to the rim, which helped him get to the line often. He was 11/12 from the stripe, and it's something Coach Murphy noticed as well.

"DeWayne Russell getting to the foul line in the second half was huge and knocking down the free throws was even bigger," said Murphy. "We struggled shooting the ball once again but we had a lot of open looks at the rim."

Russell also had five assists, four steals, and just one turnover, keying them on both sides of the ball.

I thought Sac State's post players would be able to win the game for the Hornets, but NAU did a good job on them. John Dickson and Konner Veteto combined to shoot just 5/18 from the floor, finishing with 17 points between them. NAU will take that any day.

With the win, Northern Arizona improved to 2-1 in the Big Sky, while Sacramento State dropped to 1-2.

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Northern Arizona Falls to BYU

It is never easy to go into BYU and win a game, and Northern Arizona found this out on Thursday night. The Cougars jumped out to a huge first half lead and never looked back, winning the game 84-54.

For the Lumberjacks, senior guard Michael Dunn was the only one producing. He finished with 17 points on 7/9 shooting. Nobody else scored in double figures.

DeWayne Russell had about as good of a start as you could ever hope for from a freshman, but has cooled down a bit in his past few games. He was just 4/14 from the floor, with 9 points and 4 turnovers. Those kind of nights will happen.

What has to be more concering for head coach Jack Murphy is the play of senior guard Gabe Rogers. He is among the Big Sky leaders in scoring, but don't let that fool you - he has struggled this season. He finished 2/13 on the night (0/6 from downtown), and had 10 turnovers. He was shooting 31% from twos and 32% from threes, and that was before the game. He doesn't create offense for others with his low assist rate, shoots a ton (18 highest shot percentage in the country), and has been extremely inefficient when he has shot. That is a bad combination all around.

For the game, NAU had 24 turnovers, and had no answer for Brandon Davies down low, who was 13/16 from the floor. They drop to 4-8 on the season.

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Northern Arizona Starts 1-0 in Big Sky Play

Last season, Northern Arizona won just a single Big Sky game, finishing with a 1-15 mark in the conference. This year, they have matched that mark after just one game.

Northern Arizona started fast and held on for an 87-80 victory over Montana State in head coach Jack Murphy's first career Big Sky game. Surprisingly, it wasn't the guard play that was the difference, but the play of big man Max Jacobsen. He came into the game averaging 5.9 points and 4.1 rebounds per game on the year.

Against the Bobcats, he was good for 22 and 9, icnluding 9/12 shooting from the court. He also had a couple blocks for good measure. He was the difference with key post points when MSU was making their second half surge (it was an 18 point game at half, but the Bobcats cut it to as low as five in the second frame). Jacobsen was a star, and if he continues that, NAU is a legit threat in the Big Sky.

DeWayne Russell was solid but not spectacular. He had 12 points at the break before finishing wiht 16 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists. All five NAU starters finished in double figures. Senior PG Stallon Saldivar picked up his 400th career assist in the game as well.

For Montana State, they drop to 2-6 on the year, and they didn't look great in this game. They struggled in a major way defensively, and only looked good offensively in spurts. Antonio Biglow had 15 points, but they need him to be a guy that gets easy baskets for others as well. He had three assists compared to two turnovers. Xavier Blunt and Jamie Stewart are other guys with the talent to take over stretches and get others good looks, but they didn't do that in this game.

It's a big year for Brad Huse, but I have a feeling he still doesn't know what he has in his team. On the other side, we know what Jack Murphy has - a program on the rise.

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Big Sky Poll - Who Will Lead The Conference in Scoring?

The Big Sky has a poll out there asking the question, "Of the league's five leading scores, who is the most likely end the season as the Big Sky's scoring champion?"

It lists the current top five options, along with an other category. Of the options, here are my thoughts:

DeWayne Russell (NAU) - He was my pick. He is the current leader in scoring, and has looked like an all-conference player. He is efficient, with a 112.8 ORtgm sgiitubg 53% from twos, 43% from threes, and almost automatic from the stripe. His usage should get higher too as he gains more experience.

Gabe Rogers (NAU) - He is currently third, but has a great chance to lead the conference in scoring thanks to a high volume. He takes 35.9% of his team's shots when he's on the court, the ninth highest rate in the NCAA. He is only shooting 33% from twos and 32% from threes, but he takes so many shots that he could lead the Big Sky if he just improves those percentages a little bit.

Justin Crogsile (EWU) - He should have a good shot because he plays PG for a team that likes to get up and down the court and take a lot of threes. The Eagles play a faster pace than anyone else in the conference, which is big. His numbers could take a hit though when Collin Chiverton returns. Chiverton has missed the past few games dealing with personal issues, after losing both his mother and best friend this year.

Kareem Jamar (MT) - He hasn't taken a ton of shots, but has been excellent when he has. He has a 119.3 ORtg, a testament to the fact that he does everything well. The burden to carry the offense will be taken off when Will Cherry returns, but Jamar doesn't really take bad shots, so he should continue at a similar clip to now, where he is at 14.9 PPG.

John Dickson (SAC) - He is currently second in the conference, but I think that could drop a little bit. Nothing against Dickson, but he is playing a little over his head shooting wise, which I expect will drop closer to his career averages. Plus, the Hornets have good balance and a lot of scoring options, which could further push his average down a bit.

Others - Chiverton was my pick before the year, but as mentioned he has been dealing with quite a few personal issues. Will Cherry has the ability to lead the conference, but I am not sure he will quite get there. Another darkhorse is Jackson Stevenett. He is tenth in the conference with 13.4 PPG, but he has been struggling with a shoulder injury. That average should slowly increase.

Go vote in the poll here.

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Freshman Reigning in the Big Sky

It is early in the season, but an interesting trend is starting to emerge in some statistical categories in the Big Sky. Here is a look at some numbers as of the end of Tuesday, December 10th.

In scoring, DeWayne Russell leads the conference at 17.1 points per game. Venky Jois is ninth with 13.6 per game.

In rebounding, Jois is leading the conference at 9.3 per game. Joel Bolomboy is second at 8.5 per contest. Bolomboy's is astounding because he is playing just over half the minutes for the Wildcats (21.8 per game), and is still putting up those numbers. He has a DR% of 30.5, which is good for fourth in the country (and his offensive rebounding percentage is top 200 nationally).

Russell is also fourth in the conference in assists (3.9 per game), tied for first in steals (2.0 per game), and third in free throw percentage (94.1%).

If you haven't picked up on it right now, all three of these guys are freshmen. The Big Sky is having a down year so far (though I do think things will pick up), but the future looks bright, in part because of guys like these three.

If you follow the Big Sky, these are three names that you are going to be hearing an awful lot for the next four years.

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Excellent DeWayne Russell Article

DeWayne Russell has been one of the most pleasant surprises of the early Big Sky season, as the true freshman has been playing at an all-conference level to begin the season.

Now, the Northern Arizona website has a great article up on him. Russell has originally committed to USC (much like Gelaun Wheelwright, a key piece for Weber State), but then changed his mind.

However, Russell, who moved to Arizona from Philadelphia, Pa. at nine years of age, had a change of heart. USC started recruiting another guard, he didn't feel comfortable about going anymore and his family thought that maybe USC wasn't the best situation for him.

Enter Murphy and the retooling Lumberjacks.

"Through the decommitment process, I met Coach Murphy and he was so real with me and my family thought that it would be good if I stayed close to home," Russell said. "I came up here for a visit and fell in love with the campus and the people and I love it here. Ever since I moved here I've loved the state. I loved playing at my high school, Peoria High, and I thought it would be good to stay close to home."

With a senior trio of guards – Michael Dunn, Gabe Rogers and Stallon Saldivar – Russell joined his Lumberjack mates this fall with a lot of leadership and experience to draw from in the backcourt. While he's just seven games into his collegiate career, Russell has shown to be a blend of all three of his mentors, showcasing the scoring prowess of Rogers, the innate passing ability of Saldivar and the aggressive perimeter defense of Dunn as evident by his team-leading 16.3 points, 3.6 assists and 1.7 steals per game. Despite standing at just 5-11, Russell even has collected the third-most rebounds on the team.

He is worth the price of admission.

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Northern Arizona Falls to Jacksonville State

Northern Arizona is much improved this year, but they still have a ways to go to be a contender in the Big Sky. They showed that on Friday, with a tight, 50-48 loss to Jacksonville State in Las Vegas.

Jacksonville State would snag the lead right back two minutes later, but a pair of free throws by freshman DeWayne Russell inched the Lumberjacks back within one with eight seconds remaining, 49-48. After JSU's Tarvin Gaines made just one-of-two from the line on the ensuing possession, the Lumberjacks pushed the ball down the court for final possession. However, Rogers' pass to a wide-open Gaellan Bewernick under the basket was deflected as time expired, sealing up the 50-48 victory for the Gamecocks.

NAU held Jacksonville State to 33% shooting, but they were done in by 19 turnovers, allwoing the Gamecocks to shoot 28 free throws, and the lack of a third scoring threat.

Gabe Rogers led the Lumberjacks with 22 points on 6/15 shooting, his second consecutive 20 point game. DeWayne Russell chipped in 10. Beyond that, big man Ephraim Ekanem had eight points, but he is not a guy that will create shots himself. That third guy to take the pressure off was missing. Nobody else had more than four points.

Northern Arizona falls to 1-3, and they will travel to take on Arizona next week.

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Dylan Garrity and DeWayne Russell Are Co-Big Players of the Week

Both Dylan Garrity of Sacramento State and DeWayne Russell of Northern Arizona have played some excellent basketball this year, so it makes sense that they are named Co-Big Sky Players of the Week.

Garrity, a 6-2 sophomore point guard from Huntington Beach, Calif., averaged 20 points, six assists, and one steal per game as the Hornets picked up victories over Cal State Bakersfield and Utah. He shot 69.2 percent from the field, 62.5 percent from 3-point range, and 94.4 percent from the free-throw line.

Russell, a 5-11 true freshman guard from Peoria, Ariz., scored a career-high 25 points as Northern Arizona snapped its 18-game losing streak with an 85-82 road win over UC Davis.

Russell is a name all Big Sky fans should get to know, and they hopefully already know about Garrity, who was the best freshman in the conference last season.

It is beginning to be fair to say that they are not just two of the best young guards in the conference, but two of the best guards in the conference, period.

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Get To Know The Name DeWayne Russell

Northern Arizona got their first win of the year, snapping an 18 game win streak with an 85-82 victory over UC Davis. Gabe Rogers led the team with 27 points, but it was a coming out party for DeWayne Russell.

Russell had an efficient 25 points, shooting 8/12 from the field (5/8 from downtown, 4/4 from the FT line), grabbing four rebounds, dishing out six assists, and adding two steals to boot. He scored 21 in the first half.

"DeWayne was unconscious in the first half," said Murphy. "He had 21 at the half and had 25 points on 12 shots. Do you know how difficult that is to do in a Division I basketball game? This is only his third game. He is a special player and is exactly who we thought he was when we recruited him."

Russell was a great scorer in high school, and that has translated quite nicely to the college level. I said he has a chance to lead the Big Sky in scoring at some point in his career, but he is more prolific early in his career than I even thought he would be. Before the year, it was clear that he was talented, but it was tough to see where he would get a ton of time because of the people in front of him. Now, it's clear to see that he will be a big factor for NAU all year long.

It's a time where NAU is rebuilding, and Russell is a great building block for Jack Murphy's program.

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A Look At Northern Arizona's Rotation

In both the coaches and media poll, Northern Arizona is being picked to finish last in the Big Sky. Regardless of whether that seems too low (we will get to that in time), there is no denying the fact that NAU has the potential to be one of the most entertaining teams in the conference this season.

For one thing, the roster will be very guard-oriented, which can lead to an exciting style of play in the right system. It appears that new coach Jack Murphy wants to play that system. He told Blue Ribbon that the philosophy would be to, "Score early, get the ball up quick, and I'm not opposed to early shot - especially ones that are open, really an attack mentality. Defensively, we're going to have to play some different ways to promote that offense."

This is good on three fronts. One, players love playing in that type of system, and so it could help in recruiting. Two, they don't really have the personnel this year to be competitive playing a more traditional type of game (we will get to that), so an up-and-down style is probably their best chance to win this year. Three, Flagstaff is over 7,000 feet, so they could have a built in advantage there.

In the backcourt, they are led by two seniors in Gabe Rogers and Stallon Saldivar. Two years ago, Rogers was one of the best shooters in the conference. He struggled after returning from a shoulder injury last year. If he is back to 100%, he can be a very good scorer. Saldivar is one of the two or three best passers in the conference, and should have a great understanding of getting guys shots in his senior year.

Behind those two guys, there are some interesting options. The most intriguing is freshman DeWayne Russell, who led the state of Arizona with 27 ppg last year as a high school senior. The rest of his stat line was also impressive - over five assists, four rebounds, and four steals per game. He should be a big-time performer from the get go, and it wouldn't shock me to see occasional sets with Rogers, Russell, and Saldivar in the game.  

Michael Dunn should also get time in the backcourt, as he made 22 threes last year. Blake Hamilton and Bryce Gosar are two more freshmen that could get time in the frontcourt, but they could also be redshirt candidates.

Upfront, their best player is Gaellen Bewernick, who stands at 6'6''. He may have been their best rebounder last year. In Murphy's system, I would suspect that he will play a lot at the four again, though it wouldn't surprise me if he started games at small forward. Ephraim Ekanem, Ben Olaynika, and Max Jacobsen will all have chances to get time at the four and five spots, and all are more traditional big men returning to the roster. Len Springs was brought in as a JUCO recruit, and he could be a presence defensively.

The more interesting option up front could be Jordyn Martin, who was Murphy's first recruit. He is 6'7'', and averaged 11 and 9 last season. With the team likely building for the future, it would make sense that Martin could see a lot of time.

There are a lot of unknowns with a new coach and some new players, but NAU should be consistently entertaining. Not a lot of Big Sky teams try to pick up the pace a lot, so it would be a welcome change if the Lumberjacks do. They seem to have the personnel to make a lot of things interesting if they can push the temp.

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Northern Arizona Roster Moves

Jack Murphy has been busy in his first few weeks as head coach of Northern Arizona. Slowly word has been coming in about the new additions to the roster, and NAU's official website has details on five new players for Northern Arizona.

Northern Arizona will have three scholarship signees, one walk-on, and one transfer, it has been announced.

Forward Jordyn Martin of Palo Verde High School in Las Vegas, forward Blake Hamilton of Pasadena (Calif.) High School and guard DeWayne Russell of Peoria (Ariz.) High School have signed National Letters-of-Intent to attend NAU this fall. Murphy also got commitments from former Tempe McClintock standout forward Cameron Forte, a transfer from Texas Tech University, and Sunnyslope guard Bryce Gosar.

We have talked a bit about Jordyn Martin, who is the big man of the class at 6'7'', and who should have a chance to step in from day one with NAU's lack of size. He averaged nine rebounds per game last season.

Blake Hamilton is 6'5'', but he may be called upon to play in the frontcourt a bit as well, if his high school numbers are any indication. He averaged 16 PPG, 11 RPG, and 4 BPG last season. His cousin (Jordan Hamilton) is in the NBA, and his father played college basketball as well, so obviously he comes from a very strong athletic background. Murphy said he called him on his first day as NAU head coach, and he could be a nice player for the Lumberjacks as early as next season.

DeWayne Russell is a 5'10'' that led the state of Arizona in scoring last season at 27 PPG. He also averaged over five assists per game, as well as almost four rebounds and four steals per contest. He originally committed to USC in January, but decommitted after the season (rumors are that he may have had academic issues, or USC may have lost some interest). He had a few other Division I offers after leaving USC, and it appears that he could step in and get immediate minutes.

Cameron Forte led the state of Arizona in scoring two seasons ago, when he averaged a robust 36 points per game. He spent last season at Texas Tech, but will transfer to NAU. He also averaged 12.7 PPG, and stands at 6'6''. He should have all four years of eligibility remaining, if I am understanding it all correctly. He could be a big coup for the Lumberjacks, as he has the potential to be an elite scorer in the Big Sky.

The last signee is Bryce Gosar, who was invited to walk-on at Northern Arizona. He stands at 6'1'', and averaged 21.6 PPG last season. Both of his parents played for Northern Arizona, which officially helped in convincing him to come aboard even if they don't have a scholarship for him at this time. He could contribute early as well.

For many Big Sky teams, they sometimes have to take on a few junior college guys to fill out their roster, especially late in the spring. That Murphy was able to get four freshmen and a DI transfer in such a short period of time is extremely impressive. The future that seemed a bit bleak a few weeks ago suddenly looks a lot more rosy.

Not everything is rosy though. We already talked about Colin Gruber transferring, and it seems that James Douglas will leave also (his name is no longer on the roster). He was one of the best freshmen in the Big Sky last year after leading the Lumberjacks in scoring with 11.8 PPG. He had the potential to be a really dynamic offensive player, especially as NAU got more talent and he was not asked to do as much. It will be interesting to see where he goes.

Thoughts?

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