James Douglas Struggling Post-Northern Arizona

One interesting thing about Idaho State's loss to Cal State Fullerton last night was another look at former Northern Arizona guard James Douglas.

Douglas was one of the best freshmen in the conference last year, scoring 11.8 games for the Lumberjacks. He made 38% of his threes, and played 29.1 minutes per game. This year for the Titans, he is playing a lot less (about 14 minutes per game), and not really showing that he should be playing a lot more. His ORtg has dropped from 96.9 to 77.9, partially because his turnover rate has more than doubled. There may be some sample size issues, but it is still a rough beginning.

Douglas is a talented guy, and I am sure he will go on to have a fine career for the Titans. In the end, this may work out for the best. Douglas wouldn't have had the same role this year as he did last year, and judging by the recruiting classes brought in by new head coach Jack Murphy, he is probably not losing any sleep over the transfer.

The lesson though, I think, is that life is always better in the Big Sky.

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James Douglas Winds Up At Cal-State Fullerton

Last year, James Douglas for Northern Arizona was one of the best freshmen in the conference, and he looked like he had the potential to one day lead the conference in scoring. He averaged 12.2 points per game, and shot 38% from downtown for a Lumberjacks team that did not have a lot of other offensive options.

However, he transferred after the season and the coaching change, and has wound up at Cal State Fullerton. He will presumably be sitting this season out, per transfer rules.

We wish him the best as he continues his career.

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Top Departing Players #8: James Douglas

 

With the throes of the offseason all around us, I thought it would be fun to take a look at the 20 best players that are departing from the Big Sky, either due to graduating, declaring for the draft, or transferring.

It was a rough season for Northern Arizona. Their best player missed a lot of the year due to injury, their head-coach resigned/got fired, and they lost their final 16 games en route to a last place, 5-24 (1-15) finish in the Big Sky. One of the bright spots was true freshman James Douglas, who led the team in scoring with 11.8 points per game. However, following the coaching change, he has decided to transfer from the school.

His efficiency stats do not look good, but I think that was more of a function of the fact that he was the focal point of the offense and main facilitator of the offense, which is a big role for a true freshman. He shot 44% from two-point rang,e and 38% from downtown. He made 74% of his free throws, but he was not great at getting to the line.

He did show nice athleticism going to the hoop, and that combined with a nice outside shot gave you the feeling that he could have had the chance to lead the Big Sky in scoring at some point in his career. His talent level was that good.

He was not a great creator yet, but he could get some open shots for teammates. He had a 17.7 assist rate (2.2 assists per game), but he was certainly a scoring point guard first. He had 35 steals on the season, and that number could have gone up with more seasoning and coaching.

James Douglas was one of the most promising young players in the conference last year, and it was between him and Dylan Garrity for freshman of the year... unfortunately, we will not get to see his career progress in the Big Sky, since he will be moving on.

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Rumor: Gabe Rogers, James Douglas, and Colin Gruber May Transfer From Northern Arizona

I am not reporting this as a fact at all, but as a rumor that I heard as being possible.

There is a chance, depending on who the new head coach will be, that Gabe Rogers, James Douglas, and Colin Gruber could transfer away from Northern Arizona.

It would obviously be a huge loss if it happens... Rogers was one of the best shooters in the conference two years ago, Douglas was one of the best freshmen in the conference last season, and Gruber showed promise in fairly limited time as a freshman. Whoever the new head coach will be, this could be his first recruiting job - convincing the current players to stick around.

This would further make it so that NAU should act quickly to hire a head coach. They have known that they will need one since last December, when Mike Adras resigned/was forced out, so they arguably shouldn't have waited this long. They will need to make a decision soon to stop some of the bleeding that is going on with the basketball program right now. This isn't like an alternative business loan that takes care of itself, someone should be acting to fix this.

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Big Sky Freshmen Rankings

Back in Mid-December, I created my first rankings of the freshmen in the Big Sky. With the season near the end, it's time to take another look at things (and we probably will at the end of the year too). As always, top five in the conference.

1. Dylan Garrity (Sacramento State) - 7.8 PPG, 6.8 APG, 2.5 RPG, 1.0 SPG
Garrity continues to lead the conference in assists, he is sixth nationally, and highest among all freshmen in the country. He has come in and led the team from day one, and that is impressive to do. His assist rate is eleventh in the country, and he has logged a ton of minutes for the Hornets. It is clear what he needs to do to get better - cut down on turnovers (three per game), improve his outside shot (31%), and bulk up a bit - but it is also clear that Sacramento State has a very nice leader for their offense.

2. Tevin Svihovec (Northern Colorado) -10.9 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.1 SPG
The last time I did this list he didn't even make the top five, which shows how much he has gotten better as the year has gone on. He is the Bears' go to player offensively, and usually has the ball in his hands if it is late in the game. He has been a very efficient scorer, as he shoots 80% from the stripe, 50% inside the arc, and 43% from downtown. Those are great numbers. He is going to be a great player for UNC by the time he is done there.

3. James Douglas (Northern Arizona) - 12.1 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 2.2 APG, 1.2 SPG
He has had to shoulder a lot of the offensive load, as Gabe Rogers has not returned to be the offensive threat he was before he hurt his shoulder. Douglas has struggled at times and been more of a volume scorer, but has shown a lot of ability. He has good range on his jumper, and solid quickness off the dribble. He could be one of the leaders scorers in the conference as early as next year, depending on what type of system a new coach brings in.

4. Parker Kelly (Eastern Washington) - 4.4 PPG, 1.1 RPG, 41.% 3PT
Kelly has come on of late and hit a lot of big shots, most notably against Northern Colorado and Northern Arizona. He is an excellent shooter, and at this point in his career that is about all he does. Still, for a walk-on freshman he has had an impressive season, and is a nice piece for a team that will lose a lot of talent this year. He is Jim Hayford's type of player - smart, doesn't make a lot of mistakes, and can knock down shots.

5. Gaellen Bewernick (Northern Arizona) - 5.7 PPG, 5.1 RPG
Bewernick is an undersized forward in the mold of Chehales Tapscott of Portland State. He is a great rebounder for his size (and has very nice rebound percentages), scores efficiently down low (shooting nearly 60%), and can make some things happen defensively. Whoever the new coach of Northern Arizona is, the cupboard should not be bare, despite the poor record. They have some solid, young talent.

Also Considered: Gary Winston (Portland State), Tim Huskisson (Northern Colorado), Gelaun Wheelwright (Weber State)
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Northern Colorado Outlasts Northern Arizona in Overtime

It wasn't always pretty, but UNC doesn't care about getting style points when it comes to road victories in the Big Sky Conference.

In a tight, back and forth game, Northern Colorado prevailed for a big win, beating Northern Arizona 64-62 in OT.

UNC led 54-45 with 3:49 to go, when the Lumberjacks went on an 11-0 run, taking the lead with 20ish seconds left. After a Stallon Saldivar missed FT, Tevin Svihovec went the length of the court to make one in the lane, tying it up. James Douglas committed and offensive foul, and Svihovec was blocked by Durrell Norman to send the game to an extra session.

This was the story at the end of overtime:

In overtime, the teams exchanged the lead five times before Svihovec put the Bears up by one with a layup. NAU had two chances to tie the game or win in the final 10 seconds. Saldivar missed a jumper in the lane with seven seconds left and UNC's Mike Proctor grabbed the rebound. Tim Huskisson hit the first free throw to extend the lead to two points but missed the second, giving NAU a final chance. James Douglas' jumper from the right side was off the mark as time expired.

A few takeaways from this game:

- About a month ago, it seemed like Tate Unruh and Paul Garnica were the underclassmen guards that were the future of UNC's backcourt. But suddenly, a new contender has emerged. Tevin Svihovec scored 30 against Idaho State, and had another important game for them. He only had 11 points on 5/13 shooting, but he made big shots for them. He made the running layup near the end of regulation to give send it to overtime, and he hit the go-ahead basket. He is an excellent outside shooter and crafty, efficient offensive player. His star is bright. I am hoping to write a bit more about him in the next couple weeks.

- Another guy that has gotten better and better is Emmanuel Addo. I called him one of the breakout sophomores of the conference before the year started, and he is fulfilling that promise. He scored 28 against ISU, and last night threw in 17 points and 5 rebounds, and doing it very efficiently. He is a guy that looks to score around the basket, and does it well. There are not a lot of big men athletes like Addo in the Big Sky, and UNC has to be very excited about his future.

- I would be remiss if I didn't mention Tate Unruh finding his stroke again, draining four threes.

- James Douglas showed why he has supplanted Gabe Rogers as the go-to guy in Flagstaff. He played all 40 minutes, and had 22 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists. He showed some nice athleticism and the ability to get to the basket.

- With Northern Arizona trailing by 1 in overtime, they had the ball at midcourt with 25 seconds left. I thought they might give it to Stallon Saldivar, so he could create for somebody else (8 assists on the night). Instead, he took it himself, and missed a runner in the lane. Did not really like that call, because that is not his game. I would rather have seen the ball go to Douglas to see if he could create something.

What is everyone else's impressions of the game?

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Weber State, Northern Arizona Start 1-0

I didn't have a chance to write about the games, but wanted to quickly talk about the two Thursday night games.

In the first game, Northern Arizona held off Sacramento State in an entertaining contest, with a final of 73-64. It was an interesting battle of contrasting styles, as NAU has no real post game, while Sac State tried to pound it down low.

For NAU, the star was freshman guard James Douglas, who had 22 points, including 4 treys. He seems to benefit from the addition of Gabe Rogers, who is a guy that defenses must account for at all times. Rogers had an inefficient 17 points (5/16 shooting), but you can bet he is a big help to the offense just by his presence out there.

Stallon Saldivar had 2 points and 5 assists, but it is apparent to me that he is clearly the best passer in the Big Sky. I know Dylan Garrity is leading the conference in assists, but I would take Saldivar over him at this point. Finally, even though he is 6'4'', Durrell Norman is the de facto big man for NAU a lot of the time, and I love watching him play. He is a definite scrapper, finishing with 15 points and 9 boards. He uses his body well.

For the Hornets, they might have been undone by their FT shooting, where they were an abysmal 8/21 from the stripe. Konnor Veteto had a nice 17 and 8 game, but was just 1/6 from the line. With a little better shooting, this would have been a different game. It is a tough road loss for the Hornets in a game that was very tight throughout the second half, but in the end they are in the familiar position of being on the wrong side of .500.

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In the other game, I expected Weber State to blow out Idaho State, and it kind of played out that way. The game was never really in doubt, with a 78-64 final, but ISU kept it competitive thanks to the great game by Chase Grabau.

Grabau was 9/13 from the field and 10/11 from the line, scoring a career-high 31 points to go with 7 rebounds. He has been their best all-around player this year, but this was certainly the best performance we have seen from him. He single-handedly kept them close, and hopefully they can build on that.

For Weber State, there were two stars. One was Damian Lillard, who was right at about his average, scoring 26 points in this game to go along with 3 assists. As usual, it was a very efficient night, as he was 8/13 from the field and 8/8 from the line. He makes great decisions and runs the offense very well. The big key for them was Scott Bamforth's play. He has been struggling a little bit at different times this year, but he got open and knocked down some shots, scoring 21 points. If he can become a reliable #2 scorer, Weber State is the best team in the Big Sky.

For Weber State and Northern Arizosna, 1-0 is a beautiful thing.

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Northern Arizona Stuns Arizona State

Photo courtesy of Northern Arizona News.

About 10 days ago, Northern Arizona was sitting at 2-7. They hadn't beaten a Division I team, and they were coming off of a 49-40 loss to Pepperdine. Their long-time coach Mike Adras was about to resign in a situation where all of the details still aren't known. They would promote the 70 year old radio announcer to be the head coach, and it seemed like they were the best candidate to finish last in the Big Sky.

It is funny how things change. In the first two games since the chance in coaching, Northern Arizona finally beat a Division I team with an 80-67 win over Cal State Bakersfield. Amazingly, they topped that last night, with a 69-68 victory over Pac-12 Arizona State, getting a buzzer beater from Stallon Saldivar to shock the Sun Devils.

"I had planned that we would hit it to win it and told them that," said Interim Head Coach Dave Brown of the final play. "The guy was going to miss one free throw and we were going to get our chance. That is one thing we try to do to reinforce confidence. It is important and we want shooters to shoot."

If you haven't heard the audio of the game-winner, click here.

For NAU, a couple big storylines in this game. First, was simply the brilliance of Stallon Saldivar. The junior guard's performance was sublime in this game. He shot 7/12 (and 6/8 from downtown), finishing with 24 points. He always displayed his normal solid decision-making, finishing with 9 assists compared to 2 turnovers. To top it off, he pulled down 5 rebounds. He has been counted on to the stabilizing force for them this year, and in this game he looked like one of the best players in the conference. This is certainly a game he will remember for a long time.

The other big story was the return of Gabe Rogers from injury. He didn't have a huge impact in this game, shooting 2/7 for 4 points in 15 minutes, but the mere fact that he is back on the court is huge for the Lumberjacks. He was expected to be their leader and best player this year, but then he suffered a preseason shoulder injury. If Rogers can get back to full health, he is one of the best shooters in the Big Sky (and in the country) and a huge difference-maker for NAU.

Not long ago, NAU was looking like a pushover. Now, suddenly, a three-guard lineup with Saldivar, Rogers, and James Douglas is something that no Big Sky team is going to want to face. Can they keep this up? I'm not sure, but for the first time this year, this are signs of life in Flagstaff.

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Who Has Been The Best Freshman In The Big Sky?

It is hard to be a freshman and be a huge contributor in the Big Sky, and we are seeing that this season. We have seen some nice performances by guys, but we have seen a lot of up and down play from the freshmen. So, the race for Freshman of the Year is still very wide open right now, and anyone can jump in and steal it.

But without further ado, here are my top 5 freshmen in the Big Sky, to be updated semi-regularly for the rest of the season.

1. Dylan Garrity (Sacramento State) - 5.6 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 6.1 APG, 86.1 ORtg
No freshman has been asked to do as much for his team as Garrity, who has been the primary ballhandler for the Hornets from the opening tip. He has struggled mightily with his shot and his assists numbers have gone down a bit in recent weeks, but he played 86% of the team's minutes. His assist rate is 44th in the country, and if he goes down, they don't have anyone else behind him.

2. James Douglas (Northern Arizona) - 12.4 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 2.5 APG, 90.9 ORtg
It is hard to choose between Garrity and Douglas, because he has meant similar things to the NAU offense. He is leading the team in scoring, and has had to handle the ball a lot of the time also. He needs to be a little more selective with his shots, but that will come with time.

3. Gaellen Bewernick (Northern Arizona) - 5.8 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 116.3 ORtg, 9.5 OR%, 18.3 DR%
Bewernick's raw stats don't look great, but he has been an extremely efficient player. He is scoring at a nice clip, and he is becoming an excellent rebounder even though he is only 6'6''. His excellent block and steal rates suggests he is a bit of a poor man's Chehales Tapscott, and that is a compliment. Tapscott is a first-teamer and Bewernick looks to have that potential for the Lumberjacks down the road.

4. Tim Huskisson (Northern Colorado) - 7.8 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 1.1 APG, 118.7 ORtg
Huskisson is another guy that has been extremely efficient though he is not playing a ton of minutes. He has been excellent offensively in what he has been asked to do, as he is taking high quality shots and making them. Defensively, he is very athletic, which also helps him be a solid rebounder. He has a bright future in Greeley.

5. Gary Winston (Portland State) - 7.0 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 1.3 APG, 103.8 ORtg
Winston has been a nice spark for the Vikings, as he has been a solid outside shooter on a team that doesn't have a lot of them. He will continue to get extra minutes if he can keep playing well, as the team can't be too pleased with the play of Lateef McMullan. He will have a big role in the future of Tyler Geving's program.

Also Received Consideration: Tevin Svihovec (Northern Colorado), Colin Gruber (Northern Arizona), Billy Reader (Montana), Garrett Swanson (Idaho State)

Anyone else you think deserves some considerations?

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Northern Arizona and Idaho State Take Care Of Business

Picture from Idaho State website.

Northern Arizona and Idaho State had a couple of easy ones on Friday, and thankfully they went out and took care of business in games they should have and did dominate.

The Lumberjacks got their first win against Arizona Christian, winning 103-42. The game was never in doubt, as the Lumberjacks took a 27 point lead into halftime and dominated the second half even more. It is not a game that will boost any resumes or look impressive, but sometimes it is good to just get that first win and to experience playing well to boost confidence. Five players posted double figures, including Stallon Saldivar (with a career-high 17 points and 9 assists) and freshman James Douglas (with 18 points).

They should have another easy win on Tuesday as they take on Northern New Mexico, an NAIA team that has been throttled by both Weber State and Montana State this season.

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Meanwhile, Idaho State took out Colorado Christian 93-66, though it was only a 9 point game at halftime. The Bengals had 6 guys in double figures, led by 16 points from Andre' Hatchett. It was a very nice offensive performance, but Coach O'Brien wasn't super pleased with the first half defense:

“The first six minutes we played like we had been practicing and played with a lot of intensity on the defensive end of the floor,” O'Brien said. “That resulted in some running and easy shot opportunities. They were really frustrated with what they were going to do offensively. They were having a hard time handling Chase, Kenny and Andre's pressure. The last 12 minutes of the half we backed off defensively and started lining up between the ball and the rim. All we did was give up lay ups and commit fouls.”

Still, they figured it out in the second half and coasted for an easy victory. The win improves them to 1-2.

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Guest Post: Northern Arizona's Hellish Weekend in San Francisco

We have a guest blogger on today, going by the initials MP. We will probably see a post a week from him, as he brings another viewpoint and a little more coverage to the blog, which is always a nice thing.


The college basketball season (for most teams) is merely only 4 days old. So how low can things get in that time span? Well, if you ask the young Northern Arizona Lumberjacks, pretty low.

Granted, the college basketball season is a marathon, not a race. And in small-conference basketball, non-conference games don’t have as much of an impact as it does for the big boys. That being said, NAU kicked their season off in a somewhat disturbing fashion in the Hilltop Challenge in San Francisco.

Heck, before the season even started, the Lumberjacks received bad news when their leading returning scorer, Gabe Rogers suffered an injury that will keep him out for at least two months.

The Challenge featured a round-robin three game set between Northern Arizona, University of San Francisco, Louisiana-Lafayette and North Dakota State.

It was a tournament filled with teams who are expected to perform marginal, at best, in their respective conferences. That meant Mike Adras’ squad had a chance to make an early splash on the 2011-2012 season.

In game one, the Lumberjacks tipped-off against Louisiana-Lafayette (or University of Louisiana, if you’re new-school), it was a sloppy affair. And NAU found themselves down 40-27 at the break. The Ragin’ Cajuns 6’9 JUCO transfer Kadeem Coleby (by way of the Bahamas) was a force in the paint all evening long, scoring 16 points--but more astonishingly--blocking 8 shots. A young Lumberjack was led offensively by freshman James Douglas who scored 21 points, but the most frustrating stat for Adras’ squad in the 83-66 loss was the 24 turnovers they gave up.

On Saturday evening, in the second game, the ‘Jacks faced the host school of the Hilltop Challenge, the San Francisco Dons. Twenty turnovers and a 35% shooting performance later, NAU was trounced 69-50.

In the third and final affair, the turnovers were restricted (12), but the North Dakota State Bison were able to shoot an unconscious 60% from the floor, which paced them to a 21-point lead at the break, and after a second half which saw Northern Arizona pick up the pace, the Bison left the Lumberjacks 0-for-San Francisco with a 70-58 victory.

An 0-3 start isn’t necessarily reason to hit the panic button for the faithful in Flagstaff, Arizona. But it raises a question of how will this young team be able to turn the corner in time to be a competitive factor in conference play?

Those close to the Lumberjack program hope Rogers (the junior who averaged 13.1 points) is going to be available by mid-January, shortly after Big Sky play begins. But, what’s to say he will be able to play a major role on this team immediately after his return? Or what if his timetable gets pushed back to early-February, and the Lumberjacks aren’t contending at the top of the standings? Wouldn’t the wiser move be just to redshirt him at that point?  [Editor's Note: From my understanding, Rogers redshirted his first year, so this option is unfortunately unavailable for the Lumberjacks]

The Lumberjacks (excluding Rogers) return only three contributors from last season, two of which played a big role (assist-extraordinaire Stallon Saldivar and Durrell Norman). That means there is a pressing need for this team to figure out their individual roles during non-conference play. The major problem though, is do they have anyone that can create their own shot?

Cam Jones was a special talent, who could create for himself as well as score from all places on the floor. The hole he left in his graduation is gaping for this program. Not only did Jones graduate, but so did Eric Platt and Shane Johannsen, two of the top-four scorers from last year’s Big Sky Tournament semifinal team.

With such inexperience, some young guns are going to have to grow up quick. And without any real size inside to speak of, that young help will come in the form of guard-play. Namely, point guard James Douglas, long-range shooter Danny Cheek and Colin Gruber. All three guys were just at their high school senior prom just months ago.

It might be a scary thought for Lumberjacks fans, but the keys of the program are being handed over to three 19-year old kids until reinforcements arrives. And those three kids will dictate whether Northern Arizona is a team that is strictly preparing for future seasons, or if they are ready to make an impact this season.

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On The Loss of Gabe Rogers

In case you missed it, Northern Arizona Guard Gabe Rogers will miss at least the first couple months of the season, and maybe more, as he has a torn labrum.

Junior guard Gabe Rogers, who averaged 13.1 points per game last season, had surgery Monday to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder.

"You never know when life's going to deal you a crooked hand and you're going to have to figure something out," NAU coach Mike Adras said. "It's unfortunate, but it'll make Gabe better. ... We're going to have to figure out what to do now, that's just the reality of where we're at -- somebody else will have to figure it out now and grow up a little quicker than expected."

Rogers is one of the best shooters in the Conference and in America, and I thought he could be a first team All Big Sky performer. He was going to be a huge part of what the Lumberjacks did, as he was the leading returning scorer after the graduation of Cameron Jones.

So, how does Mike Adras replace Rogers until he returns? (Rogers is shooting for a return at the beginning of the conference slate). Here are a few key things to watch for:

- James Douglas and Danny Cheek will have to grow up fast. I thought Cheek could get a lot of time and Douglas would play a more limited role as a freshman, but both could see a lot of minutes early. James Douglas has reportedly looked excellent so far this year, and Danny Cheek was very highly touted. If those two can gain valuable experience, NAU will be that much more explosive when Rogers returns.

- Stallon Saldivar could lead the Big Sky in assists. He posted one of the highest ARates in the country last year, and should handle the ball even more without Jones or Rogers to control the offense. He won't score much, but he creates a lot of opportunities for other guys..

- It will be a balanced attack. Northern Arizona's roster consists of 10 guards and 5 forwards, so they will be a run and gun attack one would assume. With no stars, a lot of guys should see time, and they will need different guys to step up and put points on the board.

Mike Adras is one of the best coaches in the Conference at plugging guys in, and he will need to do some masterful work early this season without Gabe Rogers. If he can weather the storm and get the young guys to grow up quickly, NAU will be dangerous down the stretch. At the very least, with their roster configuration, they should be a lot of fun to watch!

A Look At Northern Arizona's Recruiting Class

Coach Mike Adras lost arguably his two best players last year in Cameron Jones and Shane Johannsen, who both graduated. Thus, it brings importance to this year's recruiting class.

The best seems to be Danny Cheek, a 6'4'' SG out of California. Cheek is a great athlete that has the ability to attack the rim off the dribble. He averaged 15.3 PPG last year. He also has solid defensive potential. He could be the best freshman recruit entering the Big Sky this season.

Another guard that was signed is James Douglas, a 6'0'' PG. He averaged 17.3 PPG and 4.8 APG as a senior last year, and could have a nice future as a scoring guard. He is not super quick, but will find a role in the Big Sky. He probably won't get a ton of time this year, but he will be a nice player for Mike Adras.

The third guard signed is Colin Gruber, a 6'3'' guard that is a proficient scorer. Last season he averaged an impressive 26.6 PPG and 11.6 RPG, and set records at his school for points and steals. He is the son of a coach, and has at least Nor-Cal Basektball thinking he will have a nice career:

Gruber will need to add strength -- as do most freshman entering college basketball -- but Coach Mike Adras run a guard-oriented style and a number of other D-1 coaches are going to rue the day they passed on Gruber.

Northern Arizona also added a JUCO guard in Jywrell Wison (pronounced Ja-rell), who is a 6'3'' combo guard. Last season he averaged 24 PPG, 6.9 RPG, and 4.5 APG. He will be a nice fit in Mike Adras' guard-oriented offense with his versatility.

Two JUCO big men were signed. The first was Max Jacobsen. At 6'8'' he averaged 22 PPG and 8 RPG. He is a threat to score in the low post, but can also come out and hit the 15 footer. He will definitely get a look in a frontcourt that is full of question marks. Also important to note that though Jacobsen is a JUCO guy, he will still have three years of eligibility remaining. He originally committed to Portland State out of high school.

More depth will be provided by Ephraim Ekanem. He averaged about 8/6 last season, and will give Adras some minutes, though his ceiling is a bit lower than Jacoben.

Mike Adras lost a lot of talent after last season, so this was an important recruiting class for him. NAU signed 6 players - 4 guards, 2 forwards - 3 high school players, 3 JUCO. There is a lot of talent there to be sure, so it will be interesting to see who plays this year, and how everyone comes together. Adras has proven himself to be a solid program builder, so it is not hard to envision these guys bringing success to Northern Arizona.