Mounties Men's Basketball Introduce Four New Recruits
Sackville, N.B. – Mount Allison University and men's basketball coach, Duane Starratt are pleased to announce that Michael Otoo, Bradley Sanford, Kellan Duke and Jon Hovingh have all committed to join the Mounties in the fall of 2014. Coach Starratt says, "These players will definitely add to the overall depth of our program. By adding players at all the various positions, we are working hard to compete with the top ACAA teams."
Michael Otoo is an exciting 5'9" Point guard from AY Jackson High School in Ottawa Ontario. He has also been part of the Ottawa Next Level club which has been Top 10 in Ontario. Michael has been a leader on his high school team while acting as captain the last three years during which he has been named a City Wide all-star and Jim Boehiem Syracuse Camp all-star. Michael says that "Coach Starratt and the Mount Allison Mounties felt like family right away. I knew it is the perfect fit because not only am I going to a good basketball team but a great school academically. I can definitely reach my full potential coming to Mount Allison." The Mounties are excited about adding an athletic point guard to the squad. Michael has demonstrated the ability to be a floor general and lead a team while still providing some dynamic scoring.
Bradley Sanford is a 6'4" small forward from Kennebecasis Valley High School. Bradley grew playing in the KVBA and learned the game from Coach Paul Vaughn. He also spent time in the Basketball NB provincial program where he played U16 and the U17 / Canada Games in 2013 where the team finished fourth. Bradley's Grade 12 season was cut a bit short due to a broken arm but he still managed to be named to numerous tournament all-star teams and received an NBIAA sportsmanship award. Bradley says "I chose MTA because I like all the coaching staff and current players on the team, and I feel I will fit right into this program as a player and as a student. I would like to thank coach Starratt for giving me the opportunity to play for his team and I am looking forward to this coming fall." Bradley is a versatile wing player who will fit in very well into our program and league. He is a proven scorer and rebounder which will help the Mounties program continue to improve in key areas.
Kellan Duke is a 6'3" power forward from Auburn High where he had a very successful high school career. His team won two NSSAF Div 1 Provincial titles. Kellan has also been involved in the Basketball Nova Scotia Provincial team program in the past. He played on both the U15 team and the U16 team. Kellan is a strong student as well; he maintains Principal's list status while being very involved in student life and is a well-balanced student athlete. He says that he chose Mount Allison, "because I have only heard positive testimonials about the programs and because I see it as an opportunity to improve and succeed as a student-athlete." Kellan is a hard working player who is a proven winner. He has an extremely high basketball IQ and does the little things to help his team win. Coach Starratt is very pleased that Kellan has decided to come to join the Mounties and he looks forward to watching him grow and develop on and off the court.
Jon Hovingh is an experienced 6'7" post player from Cornwall PEI where he graduated from Bluefield High School where Jon was a basketball and volleyball all-star. Jon has been a member of the Holland College Hurricanes the last two seasons where he was part of the teams that won back to back ACAA championships and a CCAA National Silver medal. Jon says, "I chose Mount Allison because of its excellent academics and the competitive young basketball program which I wanted to become part of." Jon will add much needed size to the Mounties squad. His experience of being part of a winning program will also help move our team in the right direction.
The 2014 recruiting class for Mounties basketball is a well-balanced and exciting group. Sawyer Eddy, Michael Otoo and Bradley Sanford as Guards, and Adrian VanVulpen, Kellan Duke and Jon Hovingh at Forward should prove to be a group to watch over the next few years as they take the court as Mounties in the ACAA.