MONMOUTH, Ore. – Coming off of a 19-win campaign that had the Western Oregon University men's basketball team back in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Tournament and pushing for an NCAA Regional bid, head coach Wes Pifer and assistant coach Bryan Fisher are excited to announce their 2020-21 recruiting class. In total, the Wolves added seven new members to the team. In this release, we will introduce you to Yosani Clay, Daisone Hughes and Cameron Benzel.
"I'm truly thrilled with how this 2020-21 recruiting class came together. These guys will complement the current guys in our program. All seven guys come from winning and well-respected programs that align perfectly within our culture. Additionally, our recruiting coordinator Bryan Fisher did an outstanding job evaluating and building relationships with these young men and their families. He has proven time and time again to be a high-level recruiter," Pifer said.
Yosani Clay will transfer to WOU from Lawson State Community College in Birmingham, Ala., where the 6-foot-4 guard saw action in 22 games this past season. He averaged 10.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and shot well from everywhere on the floor hitting on 45.5 percent from the field, 41.8 percent from three and 80.7 percent from the free throw line. Fifteen times during the season he reached double-figures in scoring, posting a season-high 23 against Snead State Community College. Prior to arriving at Lawson State, Clay spent his freshman collegiate season at Angelina College in Lufkin, Texas, where he averaged 5.1 points, 2.0 rebounds and averaged nearly an assist and a steal per game. Clay, originally from Tomball, Texas competed at Concordia Lutheran High School where he averaged over eight points, nearly four assists and nearly three rebounds a game as a senior. He was a regular on the team from freshman year, playing in 11 games as a true freshman and eventually played a total of 119 games where he scored 763 points, dished out 252 assists, grabbed 228 rebounds, tallied 135 steals and sent back 47 blocks.
"Yosani is what a pro-typical two guard looks like. He's 6-foot-4 and wiry strong. He is a top-flight athlete that shoots the ball at a high level. Defensively, he is laterally quick and has the hunger to defend the other team's best perimeter player. He comes from a winning culture at Lawson State with Coach Carter and we look forward to his two years with us at WOU," Pifer said.
Daisone Hughes will transfer to WOU after spending the past season playing at Santa Monica College in Santa Monica, Calif., where the 6-foot-3 guard played in 30 games averaging 12.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and shot well from the field making 45.6 from the floor, 36.9 from three and 73.6 at the charity stripe. Seventeen times he reached double-figures in scoring, going over 20 points in three games with a season-high 29 coming against Barstow in the season-opener. Hughes was part of a team that tallied 21 wins during the 2019-20 season, reaching the Southern California Regional Final. As a freshman, Hughes averaged 7.5 points, 2.3 rebounds, and just under an assist per game in 29 games as a true freshman. Twelve times he reached double-figures in scoring with a season-high 24 coming against Imperial Valley. Hughes, originally from Inglewood, Calif., he competed at University High School where he put together a senior year to remember averaging 20.1 points, grabbing 5.0 rebounds, dishing out 2.7 assists and swiping 2.1 steals per contest. Over his high school career, Hughes played in 76 games which included 63 over his junior and senior seasons. He became a prolific scorer his junior year, averaging 14 points per game and in his final two years he tallied 1,075 points.
"Daisone brings a certain level of toughness and leadership at the guard spot that's much needed. He was a jack of all trades for Coach Thomas at a very successful program at Santa Monica. Daisone possesses the ability to shoot and pass the basketball with a very high IQ. I'm excited for his next two years with us at WOU," Pifer said.
Cameron Benzel will transfer to WOU after spending the past season playing for Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Ore., where the 6-foot-7 forward averaged 12.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and nearly an assist per game while seeing action in 29 games. Benzel helped lead Umpqua to a 25-win season, advancing to the NWAC Tournament before the season was cancelled. Nineteen times he reached double-figures in scoring hitting a season-high 25 points against Shoreline, as he scored over 20 points in four games. In 10 games he grabbed over 10 rebounds, with a season-high 13 coming against South Puget Sound. He finished the season with eight double-doubles in scoring and rebounds. As a freshman, Benzel saw action in 30 games, averaging 6.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and averaged nearly an assist, steal and block per game. Over his career, he shot over 56 percent from the field and even connected on 15 three-pointers. Twice during the season, he posted a double-double in points and rebounds, as four times he pulled down at least 10 rebounds with a season-high 12 rebounds that occurred three times. Five times he reached double-figures in scoring with a season-high 14 points. Benzel, originally from Yoncalla, Ore., played at Oakland High School where he helped lead his team to the Class 2A semifinals as a senior, along with earning the Mountain View Conference Player of the Year, first team All-Tournament and 2A All-State first team honors.
"Cam is a bouncy forward with a high upside and a great motor. His versatility fits in perfectly with what we like to do offensively and on the defensive side, his athleticism gives us freedom to switch up some things. He comes from a very good Umpqua program that we are familiar with and look forward to his two seasons here at WOU," Pifer said.
In addition to the 19-win season, WOU had three players earn GNAC honors, went 10-2 at home inside NPE Building Gym and were ranked No. 24 nationally in the NABC Poll.
