John Brown University first-year head coach Jason Beschta announced Friday the signing of six student-athletes to round out his 2014 recruiting class for the upcoming season.
The class that is split between three transfers and three newcomers will look to improve on last season's 21-11 overall mark set by the program, which included an appearance in the Sooner Athletic Conference tournament quarterfinals. The Golden Eagles fell to then-No. 22 Wayland Baptist (Texas), an eventual NAIA National Championships qualifier, but managed to begin the season a perfect 11-0, making an appearance at No. 7 in the national rankings. JBU struggled through January, but rebounded to win nine of its final 12 games in 2013-14. The transfers include Griffin Brady, Ronalds Elksnis and D.J. Feitl, while the newcomers are Julian Erickson, Jordan Green and Matthew Ledford.
"We are excited to be bringing in a recruiting class of this caliber," Beschta noted. "We are returning some very talented players and we have added to that group some new players who will have a chance to make an immediate impact.
"These recruits are all young men who will not only raise our level of play on the court, but they are also men of character who will represent JBU basketball and our university well off the court and in the classroom. The future is bright for JBU basketball with the addition of players and young men like these."
The transfers are Griffin Brady, Ronalds Elksnis and D.J. Feitl, while the newcomers are Julian Erickson, Jordan Green and Matthew Ledford.
Griffin is a native of Salt Lake City, Utah, and comes to John Brown after playing a pair of seasons at Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, Colo. While a member of the Plainsmen under head coach Eddie Trinkle, the 6-foot-5 forward helped Northeastern reach the third round of the conference tournament and was named an All-Conference selection in his freshman season after netting 23 points per game and pulling down 13 boards per contest. During his three-year stint on the varsity squad at Uintah High School in Vernal, Utha, Brady played three seasons of basketball and was named to the All-State second team as he averaged 18 points and 13 rebounds in his senior season.
"I have had a chance to get to know Griffin over the last couple of years and am extremely excited about having him join our program here at JBU," Beschta said. "Griffin will bring a size and skill-set combination that can make him a very effective player at our level. He will also bring a maturity to the team that will help him provide additional leadership on and off the floor."
Elksnis played for Clark College in Vancouver, Wash., for the last two years, and helped lead the Penguins to an impressive 27-2 season in 2013-14, which included a perfect 16-0 mark in the Northwest Athletic Conference. The 6-foot-9 transfer forward led Clarke to a 24 game win streak in his sophomore season that included a West Region championship and a No. 1 ranking for five consecutive weeks. He also is a threat beyond the arc as the Gulbene, Latvia, native paced the conference in three-point shooting (47 percent) and shot 48.5 percent overall from the field. He was also named to the NWAC All-Academic team and finished in the top five of the league's top minute-loggers.
"Ron is a tremendous addition to JBU basketball," Beschta said. "He is coming from a great program at Clark where he developed into a very skilled player. He will provide additional size in the post, but also has the ability to step out and be effective on the perimeter. Ron has a great work ethic and has a bright future."
A native of San Antonio, Texas, Erickson spent the previous three seasons playing at Judson High School for head coach Mike Wacker. During his time as a Rocket, Erickson was named to the All-District first team and earned multiple academic awards including Academic All-District and Texas Association of Basketball Coaches Academic All-State. Erickson was named tournament MVP at the McDonald's Texas Invitational Tournament where he led Judson to a Division I Silver title. The 5-foot-8 guard averaged 10.2 points per game in his senior campaign and held a 2.1 assist-to-turnover ratio while knocking down shots at a 43.9 percent clip from behind the arc.
"We are adding a great point guard in Julian," Beschta said. "Julian was a part of a Judson team that finished a monster season with a 37-2 record and a state finalist finish. He is a tremendous shooter and a proven winner who will add even more depth for us at our guard spots."
Feitl, a 6-foot-3 shooting guard, joins the team after two seasons at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, Calif. The Coppell, Texas, native helped lead head coach Andy Ground and the Gauchos to back-to-back Orange Empire Conference championships, amassing a 51-11 (.823) record over two seasons. Feitl appeared in 30 games, starting 25, in his sophomore season and averaged 7.3 points per game and 1.7 rebounds per game while shooting 40 percent from behind the arc (56 of 140) and 39.5 percent from the field (77 of 195). During his high school tenure at Coppell High School, Feitl played three seasons for head coach Brad Chasteen that featured a pair of conference championships and an Academic Honor Roll nomination in addition to an All-Conference second team nod.
"We are fortunate to have D.J. coming on board this season," Bescha said. "D.J. was well-coached and played at one of the best junior colleges in California, and he will be coming in well-prepared to make an immediate impact for us. D.J. has a chance to be one of the best shooters in the SAC and will make us a better team this year."
Green, a 6-foot-1 guard from Beaumont, Texas, will continue his career at JBU after a trio of seasons with West Brook High School under head coach Raymond Warner. As a junior, Green set a career high in triples when he posted a 7-of-9 evening from behind the arc, including six in the first half. He also scored 21 points in the second half against Beaumont Central, leading the Bruins to a 66-59 victory after facing a 21-5 deficit at halftime. Green also suited up for the Houston Hoops and head coach Derrick Frazier during the AAU season, helping lead the squad to a Bigfoot Hoops Las Vegas Live platinum division championship in 2013.
"Jordan will add instant depth at the point guard spot and will be looked on to make an immediate impact," Beschta said. "Jordan is coming off of a successful senior season at West Brook High School and will look to continue that success at JBU for the next four years. We are excited to have Jordan joining us."
A member of a former No. 1 team in the nation, Ledford joins the Golden Eagles after suiting up for one of the top high school basketball programs in the nation in Marcus High School. The 6-foot-5 guard hails from Flower Mound, Texas, and played alongside the No. 6 pick in the 2014 NBA draft, Marcus Smart. While members of the Marauders, Ledford helped lead Marcus to back-to-back Texas 5A state championships in 2011 and 2012, posting 34-2 and 38-1 overall records, respectively. The Flower Mound native averaged eight points and three rebounds per game in his senior year and was named to the All-District honorable mention team.
"Matt played high school ball at the highest level as his Flower Mound Marcus team was the number one team in the nation," Beschta noted. "Matt has played with and against some of the best players in the country throughout his high school career and he has achieved success while doing so. He is going to provide us with another great option at a guard spot."
The Golden Eagles will open the 2014-15 season with the 34th annual Toilet Paper Game when it hosts Central Baptist (Ark.) at Bill George Arena on Nov. 1.
Sports on 07/16/2014