Posted on 8 December, 2008

Release Courtesy of Stetson University – www.gohatters.com

DeLand, Fla. – Head Coach Derek Waugh is proud to announce the signing of three student/athletes for the 2009 freshman class. Joel Naburgs and Liam McInerney out of Victoria, Australia, as well as Tyshawn Patterson from Orlando, Florida will join the Hatters next season.

“We are obviously losing a very good and productive senior class, but I believe that this recruiting class will help us stay at a very competitive level in and out of our league,” said Waugh.

Naburgs is a 6-3, 200 lb shooting guard who attended Box Hill Senior College and played for the Kilsyth Cobras in the Victorian Youth League (Big V) in Melbourne, Victoria. He averaged 23.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game and earned League MVP honors with the Cobras. Naburgs led his school team to an Eastern Zone Championship in 2008. He scored 46 and 47 points in back to back games.

“Joel was the MVP of the Melbourne Youth League which is quite an accomplishment.  He can obviously score but I also think that he will be a very good defender for us.  He has been very well coached and I think he will be able to step in and contribute quickly,” said Waugh.

McInerney is a 6-8 forward/center who attended Ballarat & Clarendon College and played in the Big V Youth League for the Ballarat Nuggets. He averaged 19.5 points and 17 rebounds per game this past season. He was his team’s MVP, the league’s leading rebounder and a league all-star selection. He was named All Victoria Country State and All-Australian in 2005, 2006, and 2007.

“Liam is a very intelligent player with a very good skill set,” said Waugh. “As we move forward, I am very confident that he and Graeme Radford will do a nice job in the middle for us.  Liam also has a great feel for the game.  With added strength, he should be able to step in and play a very important role for us offensively, defensively and on the boards.”

Patterson is set to graduate from Orlando Christian Preparatory and then join the Hatters this summer. He is a 6-1, 165 lb guard who led his team to a 27-2 record and a 1A State Championship last season. He was named to the All-Tournament team and Second Team All-State. He averaged 18.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 4.0 steals as a junior.

“Tyshawn has a lot of ability and has obviously been very successful at the high school level,” said Waugh. “While I really like all of his skills, the most important thing he brings is great energy.  He plays harder than his opponent night in and night out and we cannot wait to have him a part of the program.”

Regular updates of all Kilsyth Cobras players in the USA will begin on the website in the coming weeks.