After a season in which the Fort Lewis College basketball team racked up a school record 28 wins, the guys who have to carry on that success next season have a tall order.
The Skyhawks gave fans a glimpse of the future Thursday when they announced the next wave of talent set to carry on a strong tradition to play at Whalen Gymnasium.
Six players in all, three junior college transfers and three true freshmen, highlight the National Letter of Intent signees headed to Durango to join an already impressive squad of championship caliber players. While it’ll be hard to match the talent and experience last year’s seniors Ryan Brooks, Austin Haldorson, Kofi Josephs, Cade Kloster, Kody Salcido and Jared Smith brought to the team, second-year Fort Lewis head coach Bob Pietrack is excited about the new additions.
“We look for three things when we’re trying to recruit, and if a guy doesn’t have one of the three qualities we’re looking for, we move on,” Pietrack said. “We go after guys who are good people, guys who care about school and guys who love the game of basketball and are willing to work hard and put the team ahead of themselves. We’re excited to welcome these guys, and they all fit that mold.”
Pietrack received some much-needed size and experience with 6-foot-10 inch transfer from Otero Junior College, Brandon Wilson. Wilson played at Otero with Skyhawks’ first team All-RMAC guard Joshua Blaylock and should fill the interior nicely with the loss of Haldorson. Wilson averaged nine points and 7.2 rebounds per game and was named to last year’s Region 9 All-Tournament Team.
Blaylock lured another Otero transfer, 6-1 junior guard Brandon Book to join him in Durango as well. Book shot almost 40 percent from 3-point range last season and will provide even more firepower to an already lethal outside shooting team.
The third transfer, Daniel Hernandez, sat out last season after playing a year each at Cochise Junior College and Midland College. Hernandez will bring instant offense with a 16.6 scoring average and has succeeded everywhere he’s been. At Midland, he was named the Offensive Player of the Year before being named Cochise’s Most Valuable Player and leading them to the regional title and national tournament berth.
“Hernandez is a guy that can make an immediate impact,” Pietrack said. “He’s a seasoned player who has already played in some big games.”
Another recruit who has the potential to make an immediate impact is Arizona’s Dontez Thomas. At Gilbert Christian High, Thomas led the team to the 2015 state title by scoring 18 points and grabbing nine rebounds to earn the tournament’s MVP. He transferred to Hillcrest High School to play his senior year, and the 6-2 guard became the ninth-ranked recruit in Arizona before signing with FLC.
Thomas will join true freshmen point guards Cesar Molina of Centennial High School in Las Cruces, New Mexico, and Ignacio’s Wyatt Hayes as the future of the FLC backcourt with senior sharp-shooting guard Will Morse and Blaylock in their senior seasons at Fort Lewis.
“Molina is a true point guard, and he was the best one in New Mexico by a long shot,” Pietrack said. “We love to have local guys, too, and Wyatt (Hayes) is someone we’re thrilled to have. He’s got a great sense for the game, and I’m anxious to see how he develops.”
The group will have high expectations as Fort Lewis is riding a 19-game home winning streak after running the table at Whalen last season. It is the longest current home winning streak in Division II. Along with the record number of wins and the remarkable stretch of play at home, the Skyhawks won the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference regular season crown and RMAC Shootout title before losing in the second round of the NCAA South Central Regional Tournament.
jfries@durangoherald.com
