NCAA Basketball: Bonzi Wells named college head coach, Justice Williams joins LSU Tigers
This edition of the Daily NCAA Basketball Musings will look at ex-NBA players Bonzi Wells and Rasheed Wallace venturing in college coaching as well as Rutgers Basketball offseason progress. I will also examine UAPB’s recruiting class, Justice Williams joining the LSU Tigers, and other recruiting news.
Rutgers head coach Steve Pikiell “happy” with the offseason
Rutgers lost won’t have three of its top five scorers from its first NCAA Tournament team in decades (1991) but coach Steve Pikiell has been thrilled about how the team has progressed over the last few months.
"“We’ve had a great summer. Knock on wood, everyone has been healthy, Pikiell told Scarlet Nation. “It’s been great. They have worked as well together as any group I have been around. This is the first time I really feel like we have a nice blend. We have a blend of older guys who have been through a lot and then younger guys that are humble and appreciative and working.”“It is the first time we have not been in complete rebuild mode and doing things for the first time. So our offseason has gone great,”"
While Myles Johnson, Mamadou Doucoure, Jacob Young, and Montez Mathis have transferred, the Knights did get a reprieve when Ron Harper, who led the squad in scoring, and Geo Baker decided to return after testing the NBA waters. Pikiell brought in LSU transfer Aundre Hyatt and San Jose State transfer Ralph Agee as well as added a pair of 3-star backcourt recruits, Jaden Jones and Jalen Miller.
Rutgers went 16-12 last season which gives the Scarlet Knights their first back-to-back winning campaigns since the 1990-91-1991-92 seasons. RU has won at least 14 games in each of Pikiell’s first five seasons and is 80-77 overall under the 54-year-old.
Arkansas Pine-Bluff announces first recruiting class
Arkansas Pine-Bluff hired Solomon Bozeman to try to turn around a struggling program in mid-June. The 33-year-old Arkansas native announced the signing of his first recruiting class, which consists of eight newcomers including seven transfers, on Friday The Golden Lions, who have accumulated just eight victories over the last two years, have not posted a winning record since 2012-13. Here is a look at the newcomers.
Shawn Williams is making his fourth collegiate stop. The 6-1 point guard, who was last at Nicholls State, averages a career scoring average of 9.6 points.
Trey Sampson is a 6-9 forward who transferred from D-II Northeastern State, where he averaged 13.8 points along with 6.4 rebounds and 1.0 blocks while shooting 57.4% from the field. Sampson played his first two seasons at North Iowa CC.
Kylen Milton is a 6-4 guard from Monticello (Ark.) who averaged 2.7 points and 1.0 caroms in nine appearances for Western Kentucky last season.
Jaylan Thomas is a junior college transfer from Murray State College. The 6-7 wing, a second-team All-Region selection, averaged 11.6 points, grabbed 5.5 rebounds, and shot 42.1 from the 3-point line last season.
Brahm Harris is a junior college transfer from Three Rivers College. The 6-6 guard, a 1st Team All-Region XVI, and All-Conference, averaged 13.6 points along with 4.4 rebounds while shooting 36.5% from beyond the arc.
Amadou Fall is a 6-10 forward who is a transfer from Three Rivers College, where he averaged 5.5 points and 5.3 boards.
Brandon Brown is a 6-5 point guard who was a first-team all-Region selection from Itawawanba Community College where he averaged 18.9 points, 10.6 boards, and 3.9 assists.
Gabriel Vargas (Broward County, FL) is the lone high school recruit. The 6-5 point guard compiled 14.6 points and 6.8 assists at Pro Holmes Sports Academy.
Justice Williams reclassifies joins LSU Tigers in 2021-22
The LSU Tigers got a big coup with 2022 top-40 recruit Justice Williams decided to reclassify, on Friday, and join the team this season. The 6-3 shooting guard, from Philadelphia, is the Tigers’ eighth newcomer in 2021.
"“We were very excited when Justice committed earlier this summer and we knew there was an opportunity for him to enroll early,” LSU head coach Will Wade said in a statement. “He is a combo guard who can score at all three levels and has great vision off ball screens. Justice is an extremely hard worker who has been a part of winning teams everywhere he has played. He will be a great fit with our team and program.”"
Efton Reid, Brandon Murray, Jerrell Colbert, Bradley Ezewiro, and transfers Adam Miller, Tari Eason, and Xavier Pinson are the other players suiting up for the Bayou Bengals for the first time.
More news
Former Virginia Tech guard Tyrece Radford transferred to Texas A&M on Wednesday. Radford produced 12.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists while shooting 55% from the field but just 29% from the 3-point line. He is the Aggie’s fifth transfer and eighth newcomer overall, joining Marcus Williams (Wyoming), Aaron Johnson-Cash (JC), Henry Coleman III (Duke), and Ethan Henderson (Arkansas). TAM also signed incoming freshmen Wade Taylor IV, Manny Obaseki, and Ashton Smith.
Former NBA player Bonzi Wells was named the fourth-ever head coach at DII LeMoyne-Owen (Memphis) on Friday. The 44-year-old, who played 12 years in the NBA — Portland, Memphis, Sacramento, Houston, and New Orleans — will take over a Magician program that went 12-13 in 2019-20.
16-year NBA veteran Rasheed Wallace will join Penny Hardaway’s coaching staff as an assistant, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
Next. Pros and cons of Emoni Bates final 4 options. dark
5-star 2023 point guard Caleb Foster named Auburn, Virginia, Stanford, Duke, Wake Forest, Louisville, Clemson, and University of North Carolina Charlotte on his “elite 8” list on Aug. 18.