MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Head Coach
Michael Cheaney of the Auburn Montgomery men's basketball team has announced the additions of
Dre'Shawn Allen,
James Graham,
Strahinja Ivic,
Ryan Sanders,
Roderick Smith,
Miguel Williams, and
Sam Youngblood to the 2020-21 roster.
"We've got a lot of big shoes to fill; we lost some height, size, and shooters from last year's team," Coach Cheaney said. "Our goal with this recruiting class was to add some more size, athleticism, and length, and we felt like we've done just that."
The Warhawks will be tasked with replacing the likes of 2019-20 seniors
Carlos Bell,
Devorious Brown,
Michael Bryant,
Joshua Moore,
Aaron Reddick, and 1,000-point club member
Darrion Taylor, who all played a pivotal role in the Warhawks clinching of a postseason berth in their first year of full eligibility in NCAA Division II in 2019-20.
"We were fortunate enough to bring in players that are also quality student-athletes," Coach Cheaney said. "They're good kids that have great character and have what it takes to get it done in the classroom. This class is tall, pretty well put-together, and will hopefully allow us to match up well with all of the quality teams in the Gulf South Conference."
DRE'SHAWN ALLEN
Allen (Auburn Hills, Mich.) comes to AUM from Western Illinois University in Macomb, Ill., where he played in 23 games for the Leathernecks in 2019-20. Allen scored 62 points on the year and dished out 18 assists.
"Dre'Shawn is going to be one of our top defenders," Coach Cheaney said. "He's very athletic. I think he's going to do a lot of things on the court that will surprise our fans and followers when they're finally able to see him showcase his abilities. He had a solid junior college career, which ultimately got him to a division one program and then here with us. In a league that's filled with talented guards, we're going to be counting on both his experience and talent to lead us."
Allen spent his freshman season at Gillette College in Gillette, Wyo., where he ranked 14th in the country with a 21.4 points-per-game scoring average, and 11th in the nation with a 43.3 percent field goal efficiency in 2018-19.
JAMES GRAHAM
Graham (Maywood, Ill.) joins the Warhawks from Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland, Ohio, where he earned All-Ohio Community College Athletic Conference (OCCAC) First Team honors in 2019-20. The junior forward averaged 16.3 points per game, 7.3 rebounds per game, and a conference-best 2.5 blocks per contest during his sophomore campaign.
"
James Graham was a guy we were following throughout junior college, and he had a great juco career," Coach Cheaney said. "He was in the running for player of the year in his league. We were very fortunate to land him because a lot of division one schools came knocking on his door at the end of his season. He's a big guy at 6'7 that can play inside-out. As he gets stronger and gets in shape, we're expecting big things out of him."
STRAHINJA IVIC
Ivic (Belgrade, Serbia) comes to AUM from Garrett College in McHenry, Md., where he averaged 10.1 points and 7.2 rebounds per contest as a sophomore. Ivic led the Lakers with 59 three-pointers made in 2019-20 while shooting 42 percent from downtown.
"Strahinja has been very impressive for us so far because his work ethic is second-to-none," Coach Cheaney said. "We don't have to remind him to go to the weight room or go put up shots. He's already got that in his mind to do every day. He comes from a winning juco program at Garrett College, where he was a 4.0 student. He's another kid for us that can play inside, and additionally, step out and shoot the three. His work ethic and his toughness are going to help us out a lot."
RYAN SANDERS
Sanders (St. Louis Mo.) joins the Warhawks from Enterprise State Community College in Enterprise, Ala., where he earned second team All-Alabama Community College Conference (ACCC) South honors in 2019-20. Sanders led the Boll Weevils with a 13.3 points-per-game scoring average and a team-high 29 threes made.
"Ryan is another guy that had a great juco career," Coach Cheaney said. "We were very fortunate to land him because with the numbers he put up last year, we thought he was going to attract some division one schools. He's a really good kid that can play multiple positions. On defense, he can guard 1-4, which is a huge plus for us. It opens us up to be able to do a lot more with our game planning and how we can give our opponents different looks."
RODERICK SMITH
Like fellow newcomer
Dre'Shawn Allen, Smith (Crystal Spring, Miss.) played last season at Western Illinois. Smith appeared in 20 games for the Leathernecks in 2019-20, scoring 68 points and pulling down 37 rebounds.
"Roderick was a very sought-after player within our conference," Coach Cheaney said. "He brings with him that solid inside presence that we've been looking for since we transitioned to D-II. He embraces the challenge of going into the post and throwing his body around to get points and rebounds. He loves the physicality of that part of the game. Roderick was also very instrumental in helping us land Dre'Shawn. They were both on board with what we told them we were trying to do as a program. They want to help us get to that next level that we came so close to getting to last season."
Smith spent his freshman season at Southwest Mississippi Community College in Summit, Miss., where he averaged 6.1 points and 3.6 rebounds over 22 games in 2018-19.
MIGUEL WILLIAMS
Williams played his freshman season in 2018-19 at Bevill State Community College in Jasper, Ala., where he averaged 13.4 points per game. Williams finished second on the team with 29 three-pointers made as a freshman.
"Miguel's another junior-college kid that's going to help us fill the void that Darrion and Carlos left behind," Coach Cheaney said. "He got hurt last season, so we've got the luxury of being able to get three years out of him versus two. Once we get him in here and Jeremiah (Bozeman) and Jalen (Taylor) help him learn the system, I think he's going to be a quality point guard for us."
SAM YOUNGBLOOD
Youngblood marks for the lone freshman in Cheaney's 2020 recruiting class. Youngblood prepped at McAdory High School in McCalla, Ala., where he ranks third in program history with 1,437 career points scored. The freshman guard averaged 20.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game as a senior in 2019-20.
"Sam's the type of player that can have a thousand-point career for us," Coach Cheaney said. "His high school prepared him well for college. Despite being a freshman, he's come in ready to go. I think that he's got a chip on his shoulder, something to prove. He's another guy that we don't have to remind to put in work. You can tell that he wants to get better. He has a good motor and can shoot the ball very well. He can also play multiple positions for us, whether that'll be the one or two guard. We're excited about him coming in and being able to contribute right away as a freshman. For Sam, earning GSC Freshman of the Year is definitely something that is within his reach."
The Warhawks posted a record of 15-14 in 2019-20, including a mark of 10-10 in Gulf South Conference play that earned them a spot in the GSC Postseason Championship.
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