Men's Basketball News
Rattlers Move on to Four-year Institutions
Otero Junior College Rattlers men’s basketball coach Houston Reed is proud to announce that a total of eight players from the 2009-10 roster have received scholarships to continue to play at four year institutions.
The first Rattler to sign was Matt Peeler, Alamogordo, N.M. who signed in the spring at division one University of Evansville in Indiana. Others moving on include: Joe Prophet, St. Louis, Mo., signed to play at Southwest Baptist University; Johnie Sanders, Apple Valley, Minn., signed to play at Northwest Oklahoma State University; Martin Schubert, from Austria, will continue to play at Aurora University in Illinois; Cody Derner, Grand Junction, signed at Johnson-Wales University in Denver; Seth Thompson, Colorado Springs, signed with Southwestern College in Kansas; Cody Lara, San Antonio, Texas will continue at Concordia University in Austin, Texas and Sean Stokes, Denver, signed at Missouri Valley College.
Five of the former Rattlers received full scholarships while the three others received partial scholarships.
“The fact that these young men are moving on to the four year level is a great testimony of their commitment in the classroom. They have met the academic standard to be students at these institutions. Our main goal at Otero is to prepare young men for their futures as students, athletes and citizens. As a coaching staff and institution, we are proud of these student-athletes and look forward to following their future success,” said Coach Reed.
Members of the OJC Rattler men’s basketball team moving on to four-year colleges include:
(top row l-r) Matt Peeler, University of Evansville in Indiana; Joe Prophet, Southwest Baptist University; Johnie Sanders, Northwest Oklahoma State University and Martin Schubert, Aurora University in Illinois.
(bottom row l-r) Cody Derner, Johnson-Wales University in Denver; Seth Thompson, Southwestern College in Kansas; Cody Lara, Concordia University in Austin, Texas and Sean Stokes, Missouri Valley College.
OJC Men’s Basketball Program Completes Recruiting Class
The Otero Junior College men’s basketball program has added three more signees to their 2010 recruiting class. Head coach Houston Reed announced new additions that include Anthony Johnson (Houston, Texas), Jamaal West (Phoenix, Ariz.) and Clayton Webb (Dallas, Texas).
“These three players fill and complete specific roles our program needs in the upcoming season. We feel they are young men that are willing to work, be challenged and are serious about their academic futures as they come to Otero,” said Reed.
Anthony Johnson is a 6’9” 235 pounds from Houston, Texas. He prepped at Alief Hastings High School which has a school enrollment of over 4,000 students. Johnson averaged over two blocks a game at Alief Hastings High School and has been recognized as the most improved player on his team for two seasons.
“We believe that Anthony’s best basketball is still in front of him. He just started playing organized basketball a few years ago. With the right mental approach and work he can become an impact player on the block. When we visited him, we were impressed with his skill and athleticism in the post position,” Reed stated.
Jamaal West is a 6’0” 180 pound point guard from Phoenix, Ariz. and college transfer from Scottsdale Community College. West prepped at Camelback High School where he averaged 17.2 ppg, 3.0 apg, and 2.4 steals per game as a senior. Out of high school he verbally committed to division one University of San Francisco before deciding to go the junior college route. West played last year at Scottsdale Community College where he averaged 12.0 ppg and 2.3 apg as a college freshman. Last season he was recognized as the Mesa CC tournament MVP and was a standout track athlete in high school.
“Jamaal gives us a guard that has college playing experience on a younger team. He can score it in a variety of ways, passes it in transition and give us some full-court ball pressure,” said Reed.
Clayton Webb is a 6’6” 200 pound power forward from Dallas, Texas where he prepped his senior year at Ennis High School. Webb was recognized as newcomer of the year in 2007-08, and defensive player of the year in 2008-09, before going on to be a district 16-4A all-district player his senior year. As a senior Webb posted several double-double games including a 28 point and 15 rebound performance and a 21 point and 20 rebound outing. His senior year he averaged a double-double at 14.3 pgg and 11.3 rpg.
“Clayton is a great late pick up. He’s a young man with a lot of focus that wants to be challenged on a daily basis to reach his full potential. We like that he can go in the post and score, but also can handle and pass it on the perimeter. He’s a true power forward,” Reed commented.
The 2010-2011 OJC Rattler Men’s Basketball season will begin in October
Rattlers Make New Mexico and Texas Connection for Recruits
The Otero Junior College men’s basketball team adds four more to 2010-11 recruiting class by signing two players from New Mexico and a pair of players out of El Paso, Texas. The Rattlers have had past success with players from New Mexico as the last two Otero all-region players have been New Mexico natives. “We got our nose back down in New Mexico a little bit. We have had success recruiting there in the past, and feel like we got a pair that fit into our culture well. This is a first time for us recruiting El Paso. We got a pair of kids out of there that are blue collar players. We feel like El Paso is an under recruited area,” head coach Houston Reed stated.
Lucas Archuleta – 6’1” combo guard, Rio Rancho High School, New Mexico. Lucas averaged 21.7 points per game which was second in 5A, and was fourth in the state with 5.5 assist per game. His season high was 42 points in the district championship game. Lucas also shot 91 percent from the free throw line and had a streak of 47 consecutive free throws made in a row his senior season. Lucas was selected as first team all-city and was also selected to play in the New Mexico north-south all-star game. “Lucas can play both guard positions and is definitely a guard that can close out games for us. He wants to get better and be challenged on a daily basis which is the fit we are looking for,” Coach Reed stated.
Dylan Fritsch – 6’5” wing, La Cueva High School in Albuquerque. Dylan averaged 16.8 points per game and 6.2 rebounds per game on a two-time state championship team. Dylan was a first team all-city selection, first team all-state, and selected to play in the New Mexico north-south all-star game. Dylan led his team in most statistical areas including three pointers made, points averaged, and rebounding. Dylan also had serious recruitment from Eastern New Mexico and Fort Lewis. “Dylan really did some nice things on a team full of talent. Obviously coming from a two-time state championship team excites us about his competitiveness. He is long, athletic, and has some shooting range. Mostly, he is eager work to improve and be coached at a high level,” Coach Reed stated
Patrick Beltran – 6’5”, 215 pound forward from Chapin High School in El Paso. Patrick averaged 12 points per game, 7.9 rebounds per game, and shot 70 percent from the free throw line. In his career at Chapin he has been selected all-district and all-city. Patrick was also selected as a top 15 player to watch in El Paso. He received recruitment from several division two junior colleges and made a visit to Texas Wesleyan before choosing Otero. “Pat is different from our other forwards in the fact that he is bigger and more skilled. He has a nice catch and shoot from three and is crafty around the basket. He’s a high character kid and I respect the program Coach Shukitt runs and I think Pat is ready to work at this level,” Coach Reed Stated.
Oscar Garcia – 6’7”, 200 pound forward/post from Hanks High School in El Paso. Oscar averaged 13.2 points per game, 9.0 rebounds per game, while shooting 62 percent from the floor as a senior. Oscar was selected as all-city and all-district as a senior. He also received recognition as the district 1-5A defensive player of the year. Oscar was also recruited by Chochise Junior College in Arizona. “Oscar plays very hard. He is mobile defensively in the post, runs the floor hard, and rebounds the basketball. He’s a great kid that developed well his senior year with Coach Flores. With some offensive polish he has a lot of upside left,” Coach Reed stated.
Rattler Basketball Program Inks Three Colorado Players
The Otero Junior College Men’s Basketball program has signed three Colorado players to play for the Rattlers in the 2010-11 season. According to Head Coach Houston Reed, the three were some of the most highly recruited players in the State of Colorado in 2010.
“Colorado players are our top priority in recruiting and these three young men were some of the most highly recruited players in the State of Colorado in 2010,” said Reed. “Our assistant coach, Brendan O’Connor did a great job of getting out on the road and finding these kids. We feel like all three of them fit the culture we are trying to create at Otero; they want to be coached, want to work to get better, and are serious about earning a degree,” said Reed.
DeSe Lee is a 6’7”, 205 pound power forward/post from Aurora Central High School (19-7 record) where he led the Trojans to the 5A final four, averaging 20.0 points per game, 9.3 rebounds per game and 4.3 blocks per game his senior season. Lee scored a season high 45 points against Lincoln High School, and was a second team 5A All-State selection by the Denver Post. Lee was also selected to play in The Show All-star game earlier this spring which is a collaboration of the best players in Colorado regardless of classification or grade. Lee was heavily recruited by other junior colleges including Trinidad State, Lamar, Chochise, and Western Texas.
PHOTO LEFT: DeSe Lee, a power forward/post from Aurora Central High School, has signed to play for the Otero Junior College Rattlers starting in the 2010-11 season.
“DeSe has great hands and a great feel on the block. We are expecting him to impact immediately, and fill the shoes of our last two division one post players. We are hoping he can develop into a post player that we can consistently dump it down into,” said Reed.
Wes McKenzie is a 6’2”, 175 pound point guard/shooting guard from Liberty High School in Colorado Springs. McKenzie led 5A basketball in scoring as a senior averaging 25.3 points per game. He scored over 30 points six times and over 40 twice as a senior. His first 40 point game performance came as a sophomore.
McKenzie was also selected as 5A Colorado Springs Metro co-player of the year by the Colorado Springs Gazette, and he was named to the Colorado High School Coaches Association All-State team. He leaves Liberty High School as the all-time leading scorer in school history. McKenzie also played in The Show All-star game earlier this spring. He was a top wide receiver in Colorado and pursued as a collegiate football recruit. He was recruited by CSU-Pueblo, UCCS, and Eastern Wyoming.
PHOTO LEFT: Wes McKenzie, a point guard/shooting guard from Liberty High School in Colorado Springs, has signed to play for the Otero Junior College Rattlers next season.
“Wes has proven he can score the basketball in a variety of ways. He is a gifted athlete and even a better person. He’s a young man that is committed to getting better and can bring toughness to our program immediately,” Coach Reed said.
Taylor Shaffer is a 6’3”, 180 pound shooting guard/wing from Pagosa Springs High School (21-5 record). He was twice named Player of the Year in the 3A Intermountain Conference. Shaffer averaged 13.0 points per game, 6.0 assists per game, and shot and impressive 49 percent from the three point line as a senior leading his team to the state tournament. Shaffer was a 3A second team All-State selection from the Denver Post, and was named to the Colorado High School Coaches Association All-state team. He was also a standout high school quarterback throwing for an average of 241 yards per game, and was sought as a college football recruit. He also made a recruiting visit to Mesa State College before choosing Otero.
“Taylor is the son of one of the best high school coaches in Colorado, and really knows how to play the game. He can shoot it, knows how to defend in the half court, and really makes others around him better. We were mostly drawn to him by his work ethic, toughness, and character,” said Reed.
Otero’s Matt Peeler Signs With Division I Evansville
The inside skills of Matt Peeler attracted the University of Evansville basketball coaching staff to him, and last week he became one of the first players to sign National Letters of Intent with the university. The University of Evansville is located in southern Indiana and is part of the competitive Division I Missouri Valley Conference.
PHOTO LEFT: Matt Peeler signs a Letter of Intent to play for the University of Evansville. Looking on are Peeler’s parents Carolyn and Ronald Peeler from Alamogordo, N.M.
Peeler a 6'8", 230-pound forward from Alamogordo, New Mexico has played for Otero Junior College the past two years. Peeler, who graduates May 1 from Otero, will have two years of eligibility with Evansville.
Peeler was a Region IX All-Region selection this year and also selected as Co-South Sub-Region Player of the Year. Peeler averaged 14.1 points per game and 11.5 rebounds per game during the 2009-10 season. He led the region in rebounding and was the only player in the region to average a double-double.
“Matt is a good basketball player, and a good person who comes from a great family,” said UE Coach Marty Simmons. “He has a lot of athleticism and a great attitude. He runs the floor well, has good hands, rebounds well and finishes well around the basket. From Otero’s Houston Reed, he learned from one of the best coaches in the country,” said Simmons.
Peeler was averaging 17.5 points and 10 rebounds per game as a senior at Alamogordo, (N.M.) High School in 2007-08, but a knee injury abruptly ended his season after three games. He went on to play two full seasons at Otero, averaging 14.1 points and 11.5 rebounds in 2009-10.
“I'm not a stranger to hard work," Peeler said. "I learned to persevere after my knee injury in high school, and I think it's made me a better player. I really had good vibes on my visit to Evansville. I feel like it's a good fit for me, and I think I can help the team around the basket. The players were cool; I'm looking forward to having them as teammates.”
Peeler will begin classes at UE this summer. He will join 11 returning players on the 2010-11 squad, including the top 10 scorers. Even though a very young Evansville team finished with a 9-21 record, the Aces won two of their last three games, including a victory over NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 team Northern Iowa. Losses included a four-point setback to national runner-up Butler.
Peeler also had offers at Cleveland State, Valparaiso, San Jose State, and Eastern Washington. “I chose Evansville because it felt like a fit for me. The players and coaching staff made me feel welcome.”
Coach Reed congratulated Peeler on his accomplishments at OJC. “We are proud of the work Matt has put in the reach this level. He is a disciplined young man, and this opportunity to move on to a higher level is one he has worked to earn. Matt’s ability to rebound and run the floor will allow him to have an impact at Evansville immediately. I look for him to come in and be one of the better rebounders in the Missouri Valley Conference,” said Reed.
Peeler, an all-state selection at Alamogordo High School, said he is happy to have had the opportunity to spend the past two years in the Otero Basketball program.
“I am thankful for the opportunity Coach Reed gave me here at Otero. He has made me a better player and individual. Otero is a great place to get started,” he said.
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