Men's Recruiting: Patsos' First Group Looks Strong

Here's another in the series looking at players joining conference programs for the coming season.

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SIENA MEN

- Maurice White, a 6-foot-3, 197-pound freshman guard: He averaged 17.0 points and 9.0 rebounds per game as a senior at St. Frances Academy of the Baltimore Catholic League this past season. He is described as a good mid-range shooter who is strong, competitive and attacks the basket in transition. "He missed the summer and our (summer) Montreal trip, so he's a little behind," said Siena coach Jimmy Patsos. "But he brings great energy to the table and will really contribute on the defensive end."

- Lavon Long, a 6-6, 234-pound freshman forward: He averaged 15 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.6 blocks and 3.0 assists per game as a senior at Oakland Mills H.S. in the Baltimore area. "Lavon has a sneaky game," Patsos said. "He can really handle the ball well. We expect him to rebound and lead the break. if I had to compare him to someone it would be (Metta World Peace). He's really a guard, but he can play forward because of his size. He has a really well-rounded game.

- Javion Ogunyemi, a 6-8, 230-pound forward: He averaged 18.0 poits, 10.8 rebounds and 3.8 blocks per game as a senior at Troy (N.Y.) High School. He is the lone recruit by former coach Mitch Buonaguro among this year's incoming players. The expectation is that he has a good chance to be an immediate starter up front.

- Michael Wolfe, a 6-9, 210-pound freshman forward: He averaged 15.0 points and 8.5 rebounds per game at Georgetown Prep School this past season. There are indications that he will redshirt this coming season to add some bulk to his slender frame. "Coming from Georgetown Prep, I think he's a little extra prepared," said Patsos. "I'd say he's a little more advanced. He's going to play a lot of four for us, because he can face up and shoot."

- Marquis Wright, a 6-0 freshman guard: He averaged 16.6 points, 6.1 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 3.9 steals for North Point (Md.) H.S. this past season. He is the Saints' likely starter at point guard. "Marquis is a quite leader, but he's really impressed us here," Patsos said. "He's a pass-first guy, and I think he and Evan (Hymes) give us strong point guard play. They will play some together, too."

- Patrick Cole, a 6-5, 218-pound sophomore guard: He is a transfer from Coppin State where he averaged 10.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game as a freshman this past season. He appears destined for a redshirt/transfer year and won't be elible until the 2014-15 season. "He's excellent with the ball in his hands," said Patsos. "He reminds me of a poor man's Deron Williams, because he can score. But this is a big adjustment. He's getting used to school and our program. We think he'll be a major contributor next year (2014-15)."

ANALYSIS: With only two regular starters returning, there's plenty of room for the youngsters to get time right away. Wright is almost certain to be the team's starter at point guard, Ogunyemi has a chance to crack the starting lineup early and the versatile Long has a chance to be an early contributor. The necessity of having young players get big minutes isn't a recipe of success, though. But, it should be enjoyable watching a young team grow, and Patsos' first group of incoming players is a strong one, which bodes well for the future.