Schroyer’s quick-stop shopping

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We’re less than a week away from National Signing Day for basketball, and new McNeese State basketball coach Heath Schroyer wasted little time between getting hired and hitting the recruiting trail. 

He and his staff have traveled across the Southeast and the Midwest, hitting such states as Florida, Kansas and Nebraska in search of new Cowboys, and they’ve received positive feedback from many of the players they’ve visited. 

As of Wednesday afternoon, four prospects have committed or announced a transfer to play for McNeese next season, meaning the Cowboys could very well have a new look to go along with their new on-campus arena. 

Today we’ll look at those commitments and what they can bring to the table by adding themselves to a fold that already includes such names and seniors as forward Quatarrius Wilson, shooting guard James Harvey and slashing guard Jarren Greenwood. 

ShaMarkus Kennedy, forward, Chipola (Fla.) College: This 6-foot-8, 205-pound forward has a build and playing style similar to Wilson’s, and Schroyer could try to use the two in tandem in a dangerous way next season. 

Kennedy averaged 15 points and 7.7 rebounds in 29 games at Chipola College last season while accumulating a ridiculous 63.1 field goal percentage. 

With Kennedy comes a familiar face in assistant coach in Mike Dubose, whom he worked with at Chipola College the past two seasons. 

Dubose has a reputation for developing big men, and the Cowboys will be looking to put that on display with Wilson and Kennedy in the post next season. 

Tykeem Anderson, guard, Trinidad St. (Colo.) Junior College: Anderson is no stranger to the state of Louisiana, as he played high school ball at Ruston High School. 

Video on Anderson shows a tenacity on defense compounded with a knack for stealing the basketball. On offense, he shows an ability to drive and finish against defenders bigger than him, and he will make defenders pay with a 3-pointer if they leave him open. 

Anderson averaged 12.5 points per game with a 43.1 percent shooting clip from the field. His shot can use some work as he was 35.8 percent from behind the 3-point arc, but look for him to do a bit of everything. 

He’s also not afraid to get down and dirty in the post, averaging 4.6 rebounds per game last season with 38 offensive rebounds.

A glaring issue that pops out on his stat sheet is his tendency to turn the ball over. He gave the ball up 50 times in 31 games for a 0.9 assist-to-turnover ration. So he has some polishing that needs to be done, but the high ceiling makes him a worthwhile prospect. 

Will Robinson, small forward, Gulf Coast (Fla.) St. College: Robinson shows to be a dangerous scorer from inside the 3-point arc and could serve as a big asset as a slasher for the Cowboys. 

He uses his superior ball handling to get past defenders and his strength to finish in the paint. 

He averaged 19.4 points per game, which ranked him No. 44 at the National Junior College Athletic Association level last season, thanks in large part to getting to the free-throw line 196 times and hitting 150 of them, No. 14 in the NJCAA. He was also good for 5.9 rebounds per game. 

He doesn’t have the purest shot in the world, especially from the 3-point arc. He went 14-for-48 from behind the arc last season, which for you math whizzes is less than 30 percent. 

He, too will have to work on his turnover margin, as he recorded 66 in 28 games last season. 

Trey Touchet, guard, Texas-El Paso: Touchet is the only name on the list to come from a Division I school, and he is the only one who will enter as a senior. 

But he also has the fewest credentials, at least on paper. 

Despite winning the Gatorade Louisiana Player of the Year award in 2013 and 2014 while at St. Thomas More High, Touchet had relatively little success with the Miners. 

He came off the bench in 23 of the 27 games he appeared in and averaged 2.3 points and 1.1 rebounds per game. He started eight games in his career and averaged 13.1 minutes per appearance. 

He’ll just have one year to impress Schroyer and company and earn a steady role.

Tyler Nunez covers McNeese State athletics. Email him at tnunez@americanpress.com

      c9e1282c-42a1-11e8-a2bc-7b9a8fbd0bec2018-04-18T00:45:27Zaction;child;expression;gop;half length;politician;politics;pool table;profile;republican;smile;sportsObit Barbara BushDennis CookFILE – In this Feb. 27, 1990, file photo, first lady Barbara Bush, left, plays pool as she visits with elementary students at the game room of the Boys and Girls Club Southeast Washington, D.C. A family spokesman said Tuesday, April 17, 2018, that former first lady Barbara Bush has died at the age of 92. (AP Photo/Dennis Cook, File)””

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