Men’s Basketball Announces Four Commitments in Early Signing Period
ALBANY, N.Y. – University at Albany men’s basketball coach Will Brown announced Friday the addition of four Great Danes in the early 2014 signing period.
“We are very excited about the class we have put together during the early period,” said Brown. “We added student-athletes who value an education, are quality people, and talented individuals on the court.”
The recruiting class includes three guards and one forward hailing from Australia, Minnesota, New York and Ohio.
“We wanted to make sure we added some more perimeter shooting to our program as well adding competitive individuals who want to get better on a daily basis,” said Brown. “My staff did a very good job on the recruiting trail and we are excited about the future of these student-athletes.”
Wheeler Baker | G | 6-2 | 175 | Minneapolis, Minn./Osseo
Baker averaged 16.2 points per game, 4.2 assists per game and 4.1 rebounds per game as a junior at Osseo High School. He set a school record with 69 made 3-pointers in his junior season, when he was also named to the All-Northwest Suburban Council First Team. He was the MVP of the Sanford Pentagon AAU League as a member of the Minnesota Fury in 2013. Baker was recently named a 2013 Preseason All-State selection.
Brown on Baker: “Wheeler is an exciting combo guard who has a great feel for the game. He is a talented scorer who can really shoot the basketball. He plays for Coach Tim Thiesen at Osseo High School, which is one of the best programs in the state of Minnesota. Wheeler is a very good offensive player who can make plays for himself and his teammates.”
Geremy McKay | F | 6-7 | 225 | Melbourne, Australia/Caulfield Grammar School
McKay becomes UAlbany’s fifth Australian to join the Great Danes, with an impressive resume. The 6-7 forward was a member of the 2013 U-19 Australian FIBA team that won the Oceania Championships this past summer. He was a captain and silver medalist for the Australia Green squad at the Australia Youth Olympic Festival. McKay captained the Victoria U-18 team that won the Australia National Championship in 2013, in addition to being named the championship game’s MVP after leading the team in rebounds, assists and blocks. He led Caulfield to back-to-back Associated Public Schools Championships in 2012 and 2013, and was also named to the APS All-Star team.
Brown on McKay: “Geremy is a tough, physical, and rugged forward who possesses a very nice skill package. He competes at a high level and is physically ready for D1 college basketball. He possesses outstanding leadership qualities as he has been named a captain at every level that he has competed. Geremy currently plays for former NBA player Chris Anstey who is also the Head Coach of the Melbourne Tigers of the NBL.”
Max Twyman | G | 6-5 | 200 | Rye, N.Y./Brewster Academy
Twyman averaged 21.4 points per game, 8.2 rebounds per game and 3.3 assists per game as a senior at Rye High School. He scored over 1,000 points in his career as a four-year letterwinner and three-time captain. Twyman was named the 2012-13 Rye High School Male Athlete of the Year after bein named an All-New York State Eighth Team selection as a senior. He was a three-time All-League and two-time All-Lower Hudson selection. As a senior he was selected to play in the Lower Hudson/Westchester County All Star game. Twyman played AAU as part of the New England Playaz program.
Brown on Twyman: “Max is a tremendous shooter with a high basketball IQ. He comes from a great basketball family. He will be playing this year for Coach Jason Smith who has built Brewster Academy into the best prep school program in the country. We are excited about the skill set that Max will bring to our program. He is very crafty and is a true basketball player.”
Mike Wells | G | 5-10 | 170 | Delaware, Ohio/St. Thomas More Prep (CT)
Wells is a 2013 graduate of Delaware Hayes High School, where he is the all-time leading scorer. He averaged 25.2 points per game as a senior and was named the 2013 Ohio Capital Conference Player of the Year. He was a 2013 All-Central District First Team, Columbus Dispatch All-Metro and AP All-State Third Team selection. Wells is a member of the Ohio Hoopsters AAU program.
Brown on Wells: “Mike is a dynamic scoring point guard. He does a great job of creating offense and has the ability to score the ball at the rim and from the perimeter. Mike is also capable of being a terrific defender as he is very strong and quick. He will learn a lot this year playing for legendary coach Jere Quinn at St. Thomas More Prep.”
