Mighty Oaks Announce Recruiting Class
Three transfers and a pair of freshmen will join the Oakland City University Men’s Basketball Program in the fall, as OCU Coach Mike Sandifar has announced the signing of five newcomers for the 2008-09 hardwood season.
Brandon Hopf, a 6’7” junior out of St. Anthony, Indiana, and Nathan Schumacher, a 6’6” junior from Evansville, Indiana, both transferred from the University of Southern Indiana, and Mouhamadou Kane, a 6’8” junior from St. Louis, Senegal, Africa, transferred from Tiffin University. All three will have two years of eligibility remaining.
The two freshmen are 6’4” Andrew White (Paoli High School) and 5’10” Zach Adams (Tennyson, Indiana).
All five of the newest “Oaks” are expected to make an immediate impact on the Oakland City University Men’s Basketball Program.
“Hopf, Schumacher, and Kane all have playing experience at the NCAA Division II level, and each of them has the talent and skills to make us better,” says Sandifar, “and White and Adams were two of the top seniors in southern Indiana this past year—they will push for playing time as freshmen, something that is rare at this level for first-year players.
“The three transfers are all very physical players, and Hopf can step out and shoot the three-pointer—I just don’t see us getting pushed around much.
“The freshmen are hard-nosed and have a confidence that we don’t usually see in kids right out of high school—I think they have a chance to see quality minutes right away.
The “Mighty Oaks” return seven members of last season’s 19-12 squad, including Josh Wilmes, a 6’6” senior out of Maryville, Missouri, who averaged 11.9 points and 5.9 rebounds a night in 2007-08. Other returnees are 6’5” senior Jonathan Perry, juniors Craig Parks (6’3”) and Chris Sandifar (5’11”), sophomores Hunter Elliott (6’4”), Cody Dunn (6’4”), and Kermit Smith (6’3”). Sophomore Evan Hutchinson (5’11”) redshirted in 2007-08 and will have three seasons of eligibility remaining.
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