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Basketball recruiting proves fruitful

LSUS head men’s basketball coach Chad McDowell has an answer for fans wondering how he plans to replace the handful of players he lost to graduation from the 2005-06 team. Before any dust could settle on the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular season and tournament championship trophies, he had recruited four players from NCAA Division I schools and a JUCO standout.

Kylie Byrd, a 6’6”, 235-pound senior forward from Grand Prairie, Texas, led the UT-San Antonio Road Runners last year in three-point field goals, shooting 50 percent (23 of 45) from “downtown.” Playing in the Southland Conference against such teams as Northwestern State University will bring valuable depth and experience to the Pilots in their 2006-07 campaign.

Clarke Jackson, a 6’3” guard from Centenary College, was a standout player at Southwood High School under McDowell, including a state championship game in 2002, and a 37-3 overall record in 2003.

The two-time All-District (2003-2004) and 2004 All-State Honorable Mention attended Centenary College after his senior year. In 2005-2006, Jackson played in 27 games (started nine) in which he averaged 19.1 minutes per contest. His .473 (43-of-96) shooting percentage from beyond the three-point line was a team high and was good enough to be ranked 5th in the Mid-Continent Athletic Conference. He averaged 7.4 points a game for the Gents last season.

Jamon Morris, a 6’5” post/ forward from Fort Worth, played last season at Cedar Valley College in Lancaster, Texas. The Suns finished the season with a 19-11 record. Morris averaged 12.6 points and 7.5 rebounds a game for the Suns, while shooting 56 percent from the floor.

Blake Whittle, a 6’6”, 212-pound senior guard from Baton Rouge, played last year for Lamar University, another SLC team. He appeared in 30 games, started 13 and averaged 22 minutes per game. His field goal percentage was .408 and he shot .377 in three-pointers. He averaged 8.1 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.

Emanuel Willis, a 6’7”, 210-pound junior forward from Mendenhall, Miss., played for the Auburn Tigers last season. He has size, athleticism and is physical; he can play inside, step out and run the floor.