GREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) – A trio of standout junior college transfers have all signed NLIs to join the young and talented Green Bay men's basketball program, head coach
Linc Darner announced.
JayQuan McCloud (Chicago / Highland CC),
Jevon Smith (Milwaukee / Iowa Western CC) and
Josh McNair (Thornton, Colorado / Otero JC) will all wear a Phoenix uniform starting immediately in the upcoming 2018-19 season.
"We are very excited to have these three young men join our program. We identified early on in our recruiting that we needed players to come in and contribute on both ends right away," Darner said. "We feel we have improved in our athleticism and all three of these guys will be able to help us in the style we want to play. All three players come from JUCO programs that won at a high level this past year. We look forward to working with them and the core we have returning this summer."
JayQuan McCloud | Junior | Guard | 6-2 | Highland CC
McCloud, the first commit for GB this past season, was recently named NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Second Team All-American for his strong 2017-18 season at Highland Community College in Illinois. The 6-2 guard averaged 15.4 PPG and led his team to a 26-8 record and back to the national tournament, and was touted as one of the best recruits coming out of high school.
"JayQuan is a high-level player, great shooter and he can both guard and play multiple positions as a total team player," said Chad Boudreau, head coach at Highland. "With what Green Bay has coming back and the addition of JayQuan, I think it makes them a very dangerous team. He wants to be around good people, he really formed a good relationship with the coaches at Green Bay, and they all have the same goals in mind. JayQuan is going to have a heck of a career there and we look forward to watching him grow."
"JayQuan is a versatile guard that score in a variety of ways. He shot over 40 percent from three last year and comes from a great program at Highland, where he led them back to the national tournament," Darner said. "He's going to bring a strong scoring ability, and with losing Khalil (Small), we will need him and others to step up in that place. We expect JayQuan to help us right away and he fits the style we want to play."
Jevon Smith | Junior | Guard | 6-4 | Iowa Western CC
Smith, who played high school basketball at Milwaukee Lutheran, joins the Phoenix after averaging 13.2 PPG and led his JUCO conference by shooting 59.7 percent from the field for Iowa Western Community College. The 6-4 guard will return to his home state after earning Second Team All-Region honors this past year.
"Jevon is extremely excited to be part of the Phoenix family in Green Bay. Their entire staff recruited Jevon the right way," said Iowa Western head coach Michael Johnette. "Jevon is as explosive an athlete as we've had here at Iowa Western, and we have had many. He is a tireless worker who has developed his jump shot into one of our teams' best three-point threats this past year. You combine that with his ability to get to the rim and create extra shots on the offensive glass, and it made him an even more complete player. As a coach, he was someone you would always be able to count on each game and practice to bring focus, determination and effort."
"Jevon comes from a strong JUCO in Iowa Western and he is an at-the-basket type player and a strong finisher. He can play multiple positions, is a tough offensive rebounder and will be able to guard the point guard all the way down to the forward on the defensive end," said Darner. "He shot 60 percent from the field, and has the ability to get to the free throw line and we're excited to have his athleticism on our roster."
Josh McNair | Junior | Forward | 6-6 | Otero JC
McNair, a 6-6 athletic forward, led his Otero Junior College team with 14.2 PPG while shooting 60.9 percent from the floor this past season. The Colorado native led his team to a 29-5 record, scoring 20 or more points in five games this past year.
"Josh is a special player and person. He really earned this great opportunity at Green Bay with the work he has put in over the past two years with our program at Otero," said Brendan O'Connor, head coach at Otero. "Josh is an explosive athlete that competes and always puts his team first. His path has been filled with adversity, but Josh always has responded with grace and determination beyond his years."
"Josh joins us after earning First Team All-Region honors, and can play both inside and outside on the floor. He can play on the front end of our press and he brings athleticism to the forward position for us," said Darner. "We believe Josh can bring some of the intangibles that
Kenneth Lowe brought to our team, and he can help us on both ends."
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