Photo by Noah Clooten
The finalized recruiting class for Lake Region State College men’s basketball is here.
Recruiting is a process that essentially never ends, but with the school year starting up, the Royals announced their 2024 recruits in a press release on Tuesday. They’ll be bringing 11 players into the program this year, joining five returners. It’s a substantial turnover for a team that went 9-22 last season.
“We have some guys that can really score it in our recruiting class,” LRSC men’s basketball coach Jared Marshall said, per the release. “A glaring need for us after last season was we needed to address the guard position and get some ball handlers. We turned it over 18.2 times per game last year. I believe with the guys we brought in, we have addressed that issue and we should clean that number up this year. Our other issue was we struggled from behind the arc. We shot 30.2% from three as a team. I believe we have multiple guys that are going to make us better in that department in this class.”
Marshall also noted that size will be a hurdle to overcome this year, but he believes the new group is more versatile defensively.
The returners are headlined by Ginuwine Tropnas, who posted 9.9 points per game and 8.5 rebounds per game last year.
Here’s a quick rundown of the new players on the roster.
Lat Monydhel
Height: 6’6’’
Hometown: Calgary, AB
Previous school: Edge Prep
Stats: 17.7 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 1.4 spg, 1.6 bpg
Marshall: “Lat is a long, 6-foot-6 athletic wing who’s capable of guarding 1-5. Love the possibilities that he brings to the table with the way he attacks the basket and shoots the three.”
Jazayah Gates
Height: 6’1’’
Hometown: St. Paul, MN
Previous school: Tartan High School
Stats: 10 ppg, 24-5 record
Marshall: “Jazayah is a worker. Played in a tough system where they got after you at Tartan. Solid all around and can really stretch the floor.”
Bronson Chambers
Height: 6’5’’
Hometown: Brampton, ON
Previous school: California State University, Monterey Bay (Division II)
Stats: 1.5 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 0.3 apg
Marshall: “Bronnie is an all-around player with deep range. I think he is a guy we are going to be able to count on to provide leadership for our program.”
Ron Lee
Height: 5’11’’
Hometown: Minneapolis, MN
Previous school: Benilde-St. Margaret’s High School
Stats: 12 ppg, 4 rpg, 2 apg, 2 spg
Marshall: “He is a tough, hard-nosed guy that does everything a team needs him to do. Just fills up that stat sheet!”
Antonio Speed
Height: 6’4’’
Hometown: St. Louis Park, MN
Previous school: Peru State College (NAIA)
Stats: 17.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 2.4 apg, 0.9 spg
Marshall: “Antonio brings college experience to the Royals next year. He’s a big athletic guard/forward that’s able to bully people to the hoop! I love how hard he works.”
Josh Miller
Height: 6’4’’
Hometown: Waverton, NSW
Previous school: Combine Academy
Stats: 14.5 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 2.3 spg
Marshall: “Forty-five percent from three…this kid is a SHOOTER!! Josh is a heady player that is also a great rebounding guard. I am excited to watch Josh build off of what he does best.”
Poet Davis
Height: 6’0’’
Hometown: Minneapolis, MN
Previous school: Minneapolis South High School
Stats: 19.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 3.0 apg
Marshall: “He is a leader and a competitor. Leading South to a state tournament appearance for the first time in 32 years is an amazing accomplishment. The kid is a skilled offensive player and a dead three!”
Remy Davis Warrington
Height: 6’1’’
Hometown: Sydney, NSW
Previous school: The Scots College
Stats: 24 ppg, 10 rpg, 7 apg
Marshall: “Remy is a high IQ player that has a great feel for the game. He is a skilled all-around player that finds ways to impact the game in more than just scoring.”
Albert Wellington
Height: 6’0’’
Hometown: St. Paul, MN
Previous school: Humboldt High School
Stats: 20.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 4.8 apg, 3.6 spg
Marshall: “Albert is a player who can really fill it up. He was asked to do a lot of different things throughout his high school career. I love his versatility and how hard he plays.”
Alvin Payne
Height: 6’1’’
Hometown: Blaine, MN
Previous school: Blaine High School
Stats: 21.7 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 5.2 apg, 1.4 spg
Marshall: “This dude can go! He is a downhill player and when he gets going to the rim he is tough to stop. I love how competitive he is.”
Akok Ajou
Height: 6’6’’
Hometown: Alberta, CAN
Previous school: Western Canada Prep
Stats: 27-13 record
Marshall: “He is a standout player that has impressive scoring versatility. Akok has the ability to score inside and outside. He provides a presence with his size and athleticism.”
The Royals will begin practices on Oct. 1 and play their first fall game on Oct. 6 at the ICCAC JUCO Jamboree.
