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 Western Carolina head coach Larry Hunter today announced the signing of two junior college transfers for his 2007-08 incoming class. |
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April 25, 2007
Cullowhee, N.C. - Western Carolina head men's basketball coach Larry Hunter today announced the signing of two junior college transfers to complete his recruiting class for the 2007-08 season. Guards Tim Magowan (Elkton, Md./Elkton HS/Cecil CC/HS) and DeAndre Byrd (Cincinnati, Ohio/ Taft HS/Vincennes JC) have both signed National Letters of Intent (NLI) to play for Hunter's Catamounts.
Magowan and Byrd join a large incoming class for the Catamounts next season, joining a pair of posts signed already this spring in Blake Gallagher (Monroe, N.C./Fork Union Military Academy), 6-8, 240-pound post, and a frontcourt-mate, 6-8, 238-pound forward Richie Gordon (Atlanta, Ga./Lakeside HS). The four spring signees join Michael Porrini, a 6-2, 185-pound point guard from Massillon, Ohio, and Camden Miller, a 6-8, 195-pound forward from Wheelersburg, Ohio, who inked NLI's with WCU during the early signing period back in November.
"Tim (Magowan) and DeAndre (Byrd) are both junior college players who have enjoyed great success in their respective programs," Hunter said. "They will add veteran experience, talent, athleticism and depth to our young back court."
Magowan, a 6-3, 190-pound guard, averaged 13.6 points per game on a team that was loaded with scorers last season, shooting over 40-percent (123-of-298) from beyond the 3-point arc. He helped lead Cecil Community College (Northeast, Md.) and head coach Bill Lewitt to an overall record of 33-5 and a number one ranking during the regular season. The team advanced to the national tournament and concluded the year ranked fifth in the nation.
Mike Mitchell, who runs a scouting service, tabbed Magowan as "the best pure shooter he has scouted this past year."
"Tim will give us another terrific shooter from our perimeter positions," said Hunter, whose squads have re-written the WCU 3-point field goal record books the past two seasons with 221 treys made in 2005-06 and a school-record 226 a year ago. "He is an excellent athlete with good guard size. He runs the floor well and should really help us stretch our opponents' defense."
Byrd is 6-2 player capable of playing both guard positions. He averaged 8.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists last season for head coach Everick Sullivan at Vincennes Junior College in Vincennes, Ind. His performance earned him honors on the 2006-07 DI All-Region XII team while helped the team post a 25-8 overall record and advance to the national tournament in Hutchinson, Kansas.
As a high school senior for head coach Mark Mitchell at Cincinnati's Taft High, Byrd averaged 16.2 points, 9.2 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game.
"DeAndre is a fearless competitor who is an exceptional passer and also has the ability to score the basketball. He also loves to play defense and makes others around him better. He is physically strong, tough-minded and possesses good quickness," said Hunter.
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