[ Zamiro Bennem | Gabe Cagwin | Stan Divranos | Mark Gottschalk | Jerry Green | Marek Ondera ]
[[4/19]] A CBS web page on UCI mentions that Douglass believes that he has strengthened the front court by recruiting Stan Divranos and Mark Gottschalk. Also, a bigger point guard in Zamiro Bennem will be helpful (and imperative). Perhaps his signing is one of the reasons why Junior Bond left.
[[4/19]] Andrew Carlson, Juma Jackson, Lamarr Parker, and Junior Bond are leaving the UCI basketball team. Carlson and Jackson are expected to transfer; Lamarr Parker will finish his senior year at UCI on a scholarship, though he will not play. Junior Bond is expected to transfer to SCC where he will play for former assistant coach Cameron Dollar.
[[4/11]] Jerry Green of Pomona High signed a letter of intent to play basketball with UCI. Green, a 6-4 guard, averaged 31 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists while earning all-state and all-CIF honors this past season. With Bennem, the Orange County Register claims that there won't be a better pair of freshman guards anywhere else in the Big West Conference.
[[4/11]] Zamiro Bennem, the Orange County Register's player of the year, signed a letter of intent to play basketball with UC Irvine. Bennem, a Magnolia High School guard, had committed to UCI in January, but had accepted an invitation to make a recruiting visit to Wichita State last week. He enjoyed it enough to strongly consider abandoning his committment to UCI, but over the weekend, after considering his options, decided to stay close to home.
Bennem, a 6-3 point guard, averaged 24 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists during his senior year at Magnolia High School. "Being close to home was important," said Bennem, "and I like (UCI coach) Pat Douglass. He's building a program at UCI and I want to be part of it." Even though the trip to Wichita State gave him second thoughts, Bennem said "I thought every day about what decision to make, but I decided to go to UCI."
[[4/11]] Gabe Cagwin of North Mason (WA) High signed a letter of intent to play basketball with UCI. Cagwin, a 5-10 guard, earned all-state honors in Washington after averaging 25 points.
[[4/11]] Marek Ondera of Mira Costa College signed a letter of intent to play basketball with UCI. Ondera, a 6-6 forward, was named MVP of the Pacific Coast Conference.
[[3/28]] The Orange County Register reports that 6-3 Jerry Green gave UCI coaches a commitment last week to sign with UCI during the spring signing period which begins April 8. The Register describes him as a potential key addition to the UCI basketball roster.
Douglass mentioned to me that with Divranos, Gottschalk and Bennem, next year's team will be bigger and quicker and should do a lot better than this year's team. At the time I discussed this, UCI had not received the commitment from Jerry Green.
[[3/11]] The Orange County Register had some interesting tidbits to offer on Tuesday. Pomona High senior Jerry Green, one of Southern California's most underrated prospects, is considering UCI and USC. The 6-3 guard Green scored 41 and 36 points in his team's final games of the season against Magnolia and Ocean View. UCI has already received a commitment from Magnolia High standout Zamiro Bennem to sign a letter of intent next month. The Register goes on to say that if we should sign both of them, there won't be a better pair of freshman guards in the Big West Conference next season.
[[11/21]] Stan Divranos, a 6-8, 240 lb. center from Butte Community College in Oroville has signed a letter of intent to play basketball at UCI. Divranos attended Central Michigan last year, where he was a redshirt. He will play this season at Butte and have three years of eligibility remaining. According to Coach Douglass, Divranos sat out his freshman year at Central Michigan because of injuries. Douglass believes that Divranos will be one of the best players in California this year and should be able to contribute right away next year. Divranos averaged 15 points an 12 rebounds at Henry Street High School in Canada.
[[11/21]] Mark Gottschalk, a 6-10 center out of Trout Lake High in White Salmon, WA, has signed a letter of intent to play basketball at UCI. According to Coach Douglass, Gottschalk weighs about 240 now and will probably be 260 next year. He should be able to contribute right away in his freshman year. Gottschalk averaged 14 points, 10 rebounds, and 5.5 blocks per game last season.