The Idaho men’s basketball roster is set — and brace yourself because there are a lot of new faces. Verlin signed four in the late signing period Thursday, three from a junior college and one a high school prospect. He was also able to add transfer Glen Dean from the University of Utah.
The junior college kids include two big men and a point guard. Down low is 6 foot 7 power forward Bira Seck from Olney Central College and Paulin Mpawe, a 6 foot 9 post player from San Bernardino Valley Junior College and who will come in with three years of eligibility remaining. In the backcourt Verlin signed 6 foot 1 point guard Mike Scott from Antelope Valley Junior College.
From the high school ranks Verlin signed Sekou Wiggs, who spent last season at Kingdom Prep Academy in Georgia, but is originally from O’Dea High School in Seattle.
The four will join Idaho’s early signing period signees, JC power Ayodele Ojo and to-be freshman Perrion Callandret from Bothell, Wash.
Adding three big men to the mix isn’t a surprise — Idaho has lost considerable size with the departures of Kyle Barone, Wendell Faines and Marcus Bell.
“Getting a big man with three years remaining with Paulin’s upside is a tremendous get for our program,” Verlin said. “He has all the skills to be successful but needs to add strength and weight to be an elite player for us.”
Where this class could really make an impact for Idaho, though, is in the back court. Callandret (6-2) and Wiggs (6-3) will likely be in play for immediate playing time as true freshman. Both come in as athletic scoring guards, something Idaho lacked last year.
“(Sekou) is a big, strong and athletic point guard that will be able to solidify our backcourt immediately,” Verlin said. “He is a great penetrator and can knock down the open shot, but his best asset is his leadership qualities he displays on the court.”
Callandret is best known for his high flying dunks and having a large wingspan for a two-guard. He could come in and split time with Connor Hill at the 2-guard and 3-guard positions.
“Perrion is one of the biggest sleepers on the west coast in the 2013 class and will be a great Vandal that the fans will love watching,” Verlin said back in November. “Perrion is a very athletic, ‘do it all’ guard with great instincts for the game.”
Dean, 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds, is the older brother of Callandret and will be at his third Division 1 university when he joins the team in Moscow. The Seattle native began his career at Eastern Washington where he was named the Big Sky Conference Freshman of the Year in 2009-10. That season, Dean averaged 12.2 points per game and had four assists per game.
He did not play in 2011-12, but averaged 5.5 points per game as a bench player this season for the Utes.
The four junior college signees continue a popular trend for Verlin since arriving at Idaho — he signed three junior college prospects last season, although it could be argued none of them has really worked out. Antwan Scott never ended up playing for Idaho and Marcus Bell left the program halfway through the conference schedule. Point guards Robert Harris and Denzel Douglas will return as seniors next season after making marginal impacts in 2012-13.
The six scholarship signees will replace the scholarships of Bell, Scott and the four departing seniors — Barone, Mike McChristian, Faines and Mansa Habeeb.
Sean Kramer can be reached at [email protected]