University Communications 

Grizzlies Announce 1st Recruits for 2008-09 Season

    WEST PLAINS, Mo. – Two MVPs from the Grizzly Basketball Boys All-Star Games are among the list of players who have agreed to take the court with the Missouri State University-West Plains Grizzly Basketball team in 2008-09.
    Head Coach Brian Ostermann announced his first six recruits of the upcoming season today, May 7, saying the players coming on board are “really special.  We have added some talent, but we also have added some hard-working, high character kids.”
    Among them is sophomore transfer Logan Nutt, Jonesboro, Ark., who was named MVP of the 2007 Grizzly Basketball Boys All-Star Game.  Nutt, a 5 foot, 10 inch point guard, spent his freshman season at NCAA Division I Arkansas State University, where he played in 25 games, averaged 1.6 points per game and dished out 27 assists.  Prior to his college career, he ran the point for Jonesboro High School, which won the Class 6A state championship in 2007 and was runner up in 2006.  He averaged 7 points and five assists as a senior and hit six of six free throws in the final minute to help Jonesboro defeat Forrest City 83-72 in the state title game.  He was an All-Conference and Academic All-Conference selection as a senior, and he won the Sportsmanship Award at the Arkansas State High School Basketball Tournament.  In addition, he served as team captain and was named to the NEA Basketball All-Tournament team.
    “Logan brings us great experience as a Division I player and a high school state champion,” Ostermann said.  “He will add great leadership and pride, along with the ability to handle the ball as one of our primary ball handlers.”  Logan is the son of former ASU Head Basketball Coach Dickey Nutt and his wife, Cathy.
    Joining Nutt will be the 2008 Grizzly Basketball Boys All-Star Game MVP Derik Collins of Dora High School.  Collins helped lead his Falcons to a 22-7 season this year while averaging 21.9 points per game.  He shot 38 percent from the three-point line, connecting on 71 of 185 attempts this season.  He earned All-White River Conference honors and was named second team southwest Missouri Class 2A All-Region Team this past season.  “Derik was clearly one of the better players in the West Plains area as evidenced by him being named MVP of our all-star game.  He will be a great addition to our team,” Ostermann said.
    Other signees include Xavier Jones, a 5 foot, 11 inch guard from Roosevelt High School in Minneapolis, Minn.; Devon Atkinson, a 6 foot guard from Central High School in Farmville, N.C.; Taylor Jones, a 6 ft. 3 in. wing from Rochester (Ill.) High School; and Terrell Bruce, a 6 foot, 5 inch forward from Towson Catholic High School in Baltimore, Md.
    Jones averaged 21 points, six assists and three steals per game as a senior.  He was a two-time first-team all-conference honoree and led his conference in scoring twice during his high school career.  His efforts earned him the Minneapolis Star-Tribune Athlete of the Week and the KARE Channel 11 Athlete of the Week honors.  Jones said he chose Missouri State-West Plains because of “the area, the coaches, the winning tradition and the opportunity to go play Division I ball.  In addition, I liked the small class sizes and the opportunity to get an education.”
    “Xavier is very quick and can really shoot the ball,” Ostermann said.  “He will fit in well with what we like to do offensively.”
    Atkinson averaged 17.3 points, eight assists and four rebounds his senior season and was a first-team All-Eastern Plains Conference selection his junior and senior years.  He was a Class 2A All-State selection by NCpreps.com and was named to the All-Eastern Regional 2A team in 2008.  “Devon is a very talented player,” Ostermann said.  “He is very explosive and can do a variety of things.”
    Jones led his team in points, assists and steals this past season, averaging 12.1 points, 3.3 assists and 2.4 steals per game.  He was a second-team All-Sangamo Conference and a special mention All-Area team honoree, and he was selected to play in the Premier Basketball High School Event and the Heart of Illinois All-Star Games his senior year.  He finished his career at Rochester with 167 career three pointers and a 37 career three-point shooting percentage.  “Taylor is a great shooter and will really stretch the defense for us,” Ostermann said.  “He also is one of those kids who will put in all the extra hours to improve.”
    Bruce helped lead Towson Catholic to a 22-12 record this past season while averaging 9.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.2 steals per game.  He started all 34 games his senior season and was a member of the varsity team for three years, helping the team capture two MIAA A conference championships in 2006-07 and 2007-08 and the Baltimore Catholic Schools Championship in 2006-07, the same year the Owls went 32-6.  “Terrell is a tremendous worker and has the potential to be a very good player at the next level,” Bruce’s high school coach, Josh Pratt, said.
    “Terrell plays with great emotion and intensity,” added Ostermann.  “He will bring a great degree of toughness to our ball club.”
    These six recruits will join four returners on the Grizzly squad next season.  Those returners are Devon Peltier, a 5 foot, 11 inch guard from the U.S. Virgin Islands; Anthony Allison, a 6 foot guard from Marianna, Ark.; Chris Williams, a 6 foot, 7 inch center from Memphis, Tenn.; and Duro Bjegovic, a 6 foot, 6 inch forward from Split, Croatia.
    “I am really excited about returning a very good core group from our 27-win team – our leading scorer, our leading assist man and two solid big guys,” Ostermann said.  “We have one of the best core groups of players returning in Region 16.”
    Peltier led the team in scoring last season averaging 13.4 points per game.  He hit 91 three-pointers for a team-leading 47 percent, and his 86 percent shooting from the free throw line also led the team in that category.  “VI is a prolific scorer, and we are excited to have him back for a second year,” Ostermann said.  “He led us in scoring as a freshman, and we expect a very big year from him.”
    Allison led the team in assists with 101, a 6.7 average per game.  “AA was our starting point guard most of the season,” Ostermann said.  “He had a solid freshman year, and we expect him to take his game up another notch.”
    Williams only played in 15 games due to injuries in 2007-08, but during those games he averaged 3.6 points and 2.6 rebounds.  “CW was hurt so much that he really didn’t have the opportunity to show everyone what he could do,” Ostermann said.  “Chris was penciled in as our starting post man last year, but all of the injuries really limited him.  When he’s healthy, he is a very good post player.”
    Bjegovic played in 26 games, averaging 12 minutes each outing.  During those times on the court, he averaged 4 points and 2.7 rebounds.  “Duro had an up-and-down freshman season.  He needs to step it up a notch, and I believe he will,” Ostermann said.
    Although six new players have been signed, Ostermann anticipates signing two or three more.  “We already have a verbal on a very good power forward which we hope to announce soon,” he said.
    “I really like the make-up of our team as we look forward to next season,” Ostermann said.  “We had a tremendous year winning 27 games, which tied a school record, and advancing to the region championship for the second time in three seasons.  The group we have put together for next year will give us a great opportunity to make another run at the championship.”
    For more information about the Grizzly Basketball program, contact the Grizzly Basketball office at 417-255-7993 or visit the Grizzly Basketball Web site at http://www.wp.missouristate.edu/Grizzly/bb.htm.