Colorado State
Deion James–Graduate Student F at Washington State (PAC-12)
James is well traveled, at his third division I institution during his career. But he found little playing time in the five games he played this season averaging 2.6 PPG in just about 6.4 MPG. He has since been diagnosed with a heart infection that will keep him out of play the remainder of the season. I hope this young man a speedy recovery and success in what he plans to do next.
Lorenzo Jenkins–Redshirt Senior F at Grand Canyon (WAC)
The Antelopes of Grand Canyon are sitting at just 5-11 (0-2, 8th in the WAC) in a bit of a down year for a program with such momentum in their first six years of division I play. Jenkins filled a role for Dan Majerle averaging 8.6 PPG and 2.5 RPG in 25 minutes a game with seven starts. The WAC looks a bit more balanced than in recent years but the Lopes should be able to make a run to the top if things come together.
Raquan Mitchell–Redshirt Senior G at New Mexico Highlands (NCAA D-II Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference)
Mitchell has found a home at division II New Mexico Highlands where last year he helped lead the Cowboys to their first RMAC tournament championship last season and a NCAA tournament berth. This season he is doing much of the same while averaging 22.9 PPG on a 10-4 (5-4, 3rd in RMAC) Cowboys team hoping for a repeat this March.
Alonzo Tyson–Graduate Student F at IUPUI (Horizon)
“Zo” Tyson announced a transfer from Colorado State back in May of 2019 and announced a move to Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis soon after. Tyson hasn’t found too many minutes in Indianapolis averaging 13.8 in 17 contests with 8 starts. He is averaging 3.3 PPG for a 5-14 Jaguars team currently in 10th (1-5) in the Horizon League.
Prentiss Nixon–Senior G at Iowa State (Big 12)
Nixon transferred to Big 12 country after leading the last Larry Eustachy team in scoring with 16.1 PPG back in 2017-18. He is averaging 9.1 PPG, 2.3 APG and 1.3 SPG in 15 starts for a 7th place Cyclone team (8-7, 1-2 6th in the Big 12). He is one of only five upperclassman on a very young roster.
Logan Ryan–Junior F at Ferris State (MI) (NCAA Div. II-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletics Conference)
Ryan joined the 2018 NCAA Division II champions at semester break this winter and has averaged 4.8 PPG in 14.8 MPG in five games. The Bulldogs are ranked No. 8 nationally and are 17-2 (6-1 in GLIAC)
Jack Schoemann-Sophomore F at Cal State Bakersfield (WAC)
Schoemann was a part of a medium level exodus after Niko Medved’s first season in Fort Collins. Schoemann has seen a small role in Bakersfield which includes 9 games seeing 5.8 MPG contributing 1.7 PPG.
Fresno State
Bryson Williams–Redshirt Junior F UTEP (Conference-USA)
Williams was a part of a group of players who followed head coach Rodney Terry to El Paso back in 2018. Though he had to sit out a year he has been a key reason the Miners are 10-7 (1-3, C-USA) with wins over rivals New Mexico and New Mexico State averaging 18.4 PPG and 6.8 RPG in 17 starts. They have hit a bit of a snag after their Dec. 19 game at Houston, dropping five of their last seven.
Eric Vila–Redshirt Junior F UTEP (Conference-USA)
Villa has had a road well traveled during his time playing American basketball. A brief stop at Texas A&M, then a sit-out year in Terry’s last season in charge in Fresno before spending a productive year in Florida at junior college before landing in El Paso, TX this season. He is averaging a generous 22.3 MPG in 16 games and 7 starts while contributing 3.8 PPG, 5.2 RPG and 2.3 APG. He seems to be more of a part of the offense than a key scorer for the Miners.
Myles Fitzgerald-Warren-Sophomore G Collin College (TX) (NJCAA-Region 5)
After a stint at prep school that landed him at Fresno State, Fitzgerald-Warren is currently playing a year at Collin College in Plano, TX. Through 17 games he is averaging 11.6 PPG and 4.8 APG for a 12-5 (1-2 in conf.) Cougar squad.
Ountae Campbell–Redshirt Senior F UTEP (Conference-USA)
Campbell is listed as a walk-on by Verbal Commits and it would appear that may be correct seeing he has only seen action in 1 game this season while failing to score against Eastern New Mexico after averaging 3.0 PPG in 22.6 MPG on a very short handed Miners team in Rodney Terry’s first season in El Paso.
Gilles Dekoninck–Junior F UTEP (Conference-USA)
Dekoninck is also a walk-on in El Paso and hasn’t seen anytime on the court this season but played in 20 games last year averaging 2.0 PPG in only 7.3 MPG this season. Including a career high of 14 points against Texas-Permian Basin.
Nevada
Vincent Lee–Redshirt Freshman F at Cal-State Fullerton (Big West)
A part of Musselman’s 2018 recruiting class of big men, Lee left Nevada in January of 2019 and found a home at Cal-State Fullerton with Dedrique Taylor who was on staff with Musselman at Arizona State. The Titans lost their two leading scorers to graduation last season and are currently 5-12 (0-2, in Big West) while Lee is averaging 4.8 PPG and 3.9 RPG in 17.9 MPG with 6 starts. Lee is only a redshirt freshman and may grow into a bigger role as time goes on and more seniors graduate this spring. .
JoJo Anderson–Junior G at Albany (NY) (AEC)
Anderson has found a new home in the American Northeast at Albany (NY) after opting to transfer out of the Wolfpack program before playing a game for Nevada. Anderson is a bit well traveled, at his third school in four years. His most recent stop with the Great Danes has been brief as Anderson has only played in four games with one start averaging 3.0 PPG and 1.8 RPG on a 9-8 (2-0, in AEC) Albany squad. Albany has been to the big dance three times in the previous decade but is playing in a very competitive AEC that doesn’t appear to be as top heavy as in previous seasons.
Devearl Ramsey–Junior G at UC-Santa Barbara (Big West)
Ramsey was a part of Musselman’s first recruiting class in Reno (full season’s worth of recruiting), but even the former top-150 player found trouble finding minutes in Musselman’s transfer heavy system. He opted to transfer later that year and found his way to Santa Barbara, CA to play for new first year head coach Joe Pasternack.
The Gauchos have been competitive under the former Arizona associate Head Coach, reaching twenty wins in each of his previous two seasons. Ramsey has been a key piece to the puzzle but has taken a step back in production this season averaging 8.1 PPG, 3.0 APG and 0.9 SPG in 15 starts. With one more season of eligibility and several key underclassman returning next season the Gauchos look dangerous in the near future.
John Jones–Junior G at Texas Southern (SWAC)
When Jones’ father Johnny Jones excepted the head coaching position at Texas Southern back in 2018 his son would soon follow. Jones was a walk-on during his time in Reno, but he has found a role with the Tigers who always seem to have one of the tougher non-conference schedules in the country and have made the NCAA tournament four times in the last ten years.
The Tigers are 5-11 (2-1, in SWAC) and would need to win 15 of their next 16 games in order to reach twenty wins this season. The Tigers haven’t finished below .500 in conference play since 2009, and won’t this season if Jones and his 9.5 PPG, 1.2 RPG and 1.0 APG have anything to say about it. This years Texas Southern Squad is very new as they lost a lot of production from last years 24 win squad, but look for the Tigers later on in March, they’ll be there.
Josh Hall–Redshirt Junior F at Missouri State (MVC)
Another top-200 talent from the class of 2016, Hall came to Nevada from Houston, TX and had important roles off of the bench for two successful Wolfpack squads in his first two years in Reno. He decided to look for further playing time elsewhere when floods of new talented transfers were signing on to play with the Wolfpack in the near future. He landed at Missouri State where first year head coach Dana Ford brought in Hall and many other talented transfers for a run in the Missouri Valley.
Things are going a bit rougher than expected for the bears who are 8-9 (2-2, MVC) at the moment. And in his first season with the Bears Hall is averaging 4.2 PPG and 3.9 RPG in 17 games with two starts. It’s not that easy to bring in a lot of talent and make it all mesh, not everyone is Eric Musselman you know, let’s see what Ford and the Bears do the rest of the year though before we make our final verdict.
Jalen Townsell–F Arizona Western College (NJCAA-Arizona Community College Athletic Conference)
The Reno, NV native who walked on to a Nevada Wolfpack team at it’s peak, Townsell didn’t get any court time on a NCAA tournament caliber team. But he has found some success in junior college for an 12-5 Matadors team while averaging 14.0 PPG in 17 starts.