Colorado State University Athletics
CSU basketball signs five to National Letters of Intent
11/14/2013 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 14, 2013
FORT COLLINS, Colo. - Colorado State men's basketball head coach Larry Eustachy announced Thursday the signing of five players to National Letters of Intent. The Rams have added three high school standouts, including a pair of in-state recruits, and a two highly regarded junior college transfers during the NCAA's fall early signing period.
Jeremiah Paige, whose grandfather Larry Paige was selected out of CSU by the Los Angeles Lakers in 1978 NBA Draft, becomes the third player to hail from nearby Aurora, Colo. (Rangeview High School) to sign with the Rams under Eustachy's watch. He joins former high school teammate Marcus Holt, and rival Carlton Hurst (Aurora Central), on the floor for the Rams next season. As a junior in 2012-13, Paige averaged 20.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.6 assist while helping Rangeview to a 20-5 record.
"I think it's big," said Eustachy on the importance of landing top in-state talent at CSU. "I said that we wanted to. He (Paige) was a guy that, out of all the players (in Colorado), we kind of targeted. I think it's big, I think you have to create that presence."
Also expected to make an immediate impact for the Rams next season are junior college standouts Daniel Mulamba, a 6-9, 230-pound forward from Southwestern Christian College in Terrell, Texas and Gian Louis Clavell, a 6-3 guard from Northwest Technical College in Goodland, Kan.,
"Daniel is just a man," said Eustachy. "I think he's an ACC center. I think he's a Pac-12 center - a starter - I think he's that good. And Gian had originally committed to Ole Miss (out of High School). I think we're getting some (good players). He can really shoot."
Mulamba was named the North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year as a freshman in 2012-13 at SWCC. He was a force at both ends of the court, averaging 10 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks per game for the Rams.
Clavell, from Caugus, Puerto Rico, averaged 19.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game as a freshman for the Mavericks in 2012-13, while shooting 45 percent from the field, including 39 percent from three-point range and connecting at a clip of 75 percent from the free-throw line. He poured in a career-high 36 points in the Region IX tournament last season vs. Hutchinson Community College, and was selected as a preseason junior college All-American the Sporting News heading into this season, choosing Colorado State over Boise State, Utah State, UTEP and Rhode Island.
The Rams also added Nathan Bain, a 6-6, 195-pound forward from Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire, Kan., and local talent Toby Van Ry out of Fort Collins High School. Bain is a native of Freeport, Bahamas. Van Ry, a 6-10 product, played in 25 games for the Lambkins in 2012-13, averaging 11.4 points, 6.6 rebounds per game and 1.4 steals per game, while shooting 50 percent from the field during his junior campaign.
