Update 4/18 12:00 p.m. : Utah’s Glen Dean set to transfer to Idaho
Amidst the hoopla of late signing day, Verlin has quietly added one more, and quite possibly the biggest addition. Per the Salt Lake Tribune, Glen Dean will transfer to Idaho from Utah where he will use an NCAA rule allowing graduated athletes to play right away as long as long as they are enrolled in a graduate program at the new school.
Dean, the brother of Idaho signee Perrion Callandret, is a 5-10, 175 pound guard and was the Big Sky freshman of the year at Eastern Washington in 2009-10. He averaged 13.3 points-per-game his sophomore season before transferring to Utah. But his playing time at Utah was curved last season as the Utes got in to the Pac-12 schedule, despite Dean scoring in double-digits his first four games of the season. He ended up averaging 5.5 points and 2.1 assists per-game. At Idaho he’ll compete for the starting point guard job with JC transfer Mike Scott and freshman Sekou Wiggs.
Idaho loses six scholarships from 2012-13 but Dean would appear to be the seventh scholarship addition for the class of 2013. It remains to be seen how the numbers will work themselves out.
It’s going to be crazy in college now. Got my big brother going to Idaho with me! Damn this is going to be live.
— P Callandret #FBA (@perrionTF) April 18, 2013
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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.
The junior college kids include two big men and a point guard. Down low is 6-7 power forward Bira Seck from Olney Central College and Paulin Mpawe, a 6-9 post player from San Bernardino Valley Junior College and who will come in with three years of eligibility remaining. In the backcourt Verlin signed 6-1 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 power Ayodele Oyo 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 wing-span 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.”
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 the four have really worked out. Antwaan Scott never ended up playing for Idaho, and Marcus Bell left the program half-way 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.