Found the following two nuggets about 2017 recruits:
From the Idaho Statesman:
DELVEION JACKSON, CENTENNIAL
The UC Davis commit led the Patriots to a runner-up finish at state, averaging 15.1 points and 8.2 rebounds per game while defending each opponents’ best player. “He was our jack of all trades,” Pats coach Josh Aipperspach said of the 6-6 senior guard.
From the Press Enterprise:
The addition of Davis comes just in time for Centennial, which lost senior forward Gio Nelson for the season to a knee injury. Nelson, who has signed with UC Davis, averaged 14.6 points and 4.8 rebounds. Nelson, a bouncy 6-foot-4, was able to impact the game all over the floor on both ends.
Not sure how bad the knee injury is for Nelson, so we'll see if he's ready next year or red shirts.
I'm guessing that with the addition of "bigs" Johns and Strom, and only loosing JT, playing time was going to be a concern. Over the years, Les has shown a preference for only using 4 post players (at most), and with Chima/Goode/Henn locked in, competition for the 4th spot is going to be rugged.
Per Verbal Commits, it looks like we have two "scholarship spots" open for next year. They have Johns listed as a walk on, so maybe one more newcomer?
Shorts, a 5'10 PG recently had 33 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists as Saddleback won the Riverside Tournament. It looks like we might have two dynamos at PG next year with 5' 10 Shorts and 5'8 Hennings.
Here is the official announcement by the Athletics Department about Delveion Jackson signing with UCD:
Excerpt: “Delveion is a do-it-all type player,” said Centennial High School head coach Josh Apperspach. “He can score, pass and rebounds very well for a guard. The thing I love most about him is that he loves to play defense; he’s long, athletic and creates problems for teams. He will be a good fit at UC Davis.”
"6-foot-9 Colin (Folsom High) Russell is at Casper College (WY) this season and his numbers to date:
* 17.3 minutes per game, 12 games, 12 starts
* 9.5 points
* shooting 70.8% overall (no three attempts) and 29.3% from the foul line
* 5.8 rebounds
* 10 blocked shots"
From a discussion about Russell on the Portland Pilots forum it seems that the Aggies recruited Russell out of high school as a preferred walk-on but he went to Portland on a scholarship. Then, after very limited minutes in his freshman year, it appears that the Portland coach decided that Russell no longer fit into his plans so Russell left for Casper College. He recently visited NAU and was offered and also made a visit to Hawaii before visiting UCD.
He looks to be quite agile for 6'9 and has nice post moves in the paint and is versatile with either hand. None of his highlights show him scoring from anywhere but in the paint though. On the down side, his FT shooting leaves a lot to be desired and, given that Garrison Goode is also poor from the line, the pair of them on the floor at the same time could leave a lot of points at the FT line.
I think that Mikey Henn is a significant loss for the Aggies. He's was big body with a good inside/outside game and he was a hard worker who wasn't afraid to mix it up inside. Hopefully, with two years of college basketball experience under his belt, Russell will come in as a mature player ready to give us some needed help in the paint and on the boards with Henn and Hewitt both leaving.
He's very agile for being 6'9 - 6'10 and moves his feet well on defense. He can also drive the ball to the hoop which is impressive for a player his size. I think Coach Les probably likes is ability to defend since he emphasizes defense first and foremost.
I think Gonzalez is a great addition for the Aggies. I know that Les tends to be guard heavy but Gonzalez appears to have the ability to be a proficient and prolific shooter. I remember Coach Les saying that something he learned from Kansas coach, Bill Self, was to never let your team become "guard poor." That said, I'd like to see us bring in a big, strong PF or C that will be able to fill the shoes of Chima after next year.
Stefan Gonzalez shot 51.7% from 3 in high school and 48% while he was at St. Mary's. As per D1 transfer rules he must sit out next season before joining the Aggies with 2 years of eligibility left.
new offer made last week to 6'1" point guard Marcus Shaver Jr. A 3 star out of Arizona. Has 10 other offers.
For 2018, Les has 9 offers out right now and even one for 2019
Bruce Gallaudet wrote a good article about the new Aggie basketball recruits we have signed. All of the new players are high character individuals. Some of the recurring themes about why they chose to come to Davis are the coach, the school and the great basketball culture that has been established.