 |
 WCU head coach Larry Hunter will lead his squad against Milligan next Wednesday evening in the Ramsey Center. |
 |
Oct. 26, 2007
Cullowhee, N.C. - Just days before his squad hits the hardwood in exhibition action against Milligan College (Wed., Oct. 31), Western Carolina head men's basketball coach Larry Hunter scored his first victory of the season by signing 6-4, 190-lbs., wing Harouna Mutombo (pronounced HUH-roon-uh Ma-TUM-bow) to a National Letter of Intent.
"Harouna is an outstanding athlete and an exceptionally skilled basketball player," said Hunter, who begins his third season at WCU. "He is powerfully built, quick and explosive and is a terrific shooter with range. He has the ability to make others better, as well as create his own shots. Harouna is very passionate about working and competing at the game."
Mutombo, who will skipped his final year of high school eligibility in Ontario, will enroll at Western this December, but will take a red-shirt and will practice with the team but not compete this season.
"While he is eligible to compete immediately, we have decided to red-shirt him the second semester so he will have four full years to play in our program," Hunter said.
A native of Pickering, Ontario, Canada, Mutumbo helped lead Pickering HS to the gold medal at the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) AAAA provincial championships. He will be the fourth Canadian-born player to play for the Catamounts since 2001 joining Rans Brempong (2001-05), Corey Muirhead (2003-06) and current Catamount, Negus McKenna.
This past summer, he played with the Toronto Mission AAU team in both Las Vegas, Nev., and Indianapolis, Ind. Additionally, he played in the Nike Global Challenge in Portland, Ore., with Team Canada. In August at the Nike Top 20 Camp held in Toronto, Mutumbo was labeled as one of the top 20 players in the country.
|
|
|
Western Carolina will entertain the Milligan Buffs on Wednesday, Oct. 31 at 7:03 pm in the Ramsey Center in exhibition action. The Catamounts, which finished the season a year ago 11-20, return seven players and have an influx of five newcomers including four freshmen and a junior college transfer. WCU opens its regular season on Nov. 9-11 at Cincinnati, Ohio in tournament action.
