SoCalHoops Recruiting News

UC Riverside Gets LOI's From Morton,
Bell & Butler--(Apr. 28,  2000)

Although we're about a week behind on this one (the school made the announcment on April 21), news apparently travels slowly from the Inland Empire region to the rest of the world . . . . It seems that UC Riverside, which is now Division I (UC San Diego will move up to D-II, and take the Highlanders' place in the CCCA) and which will join the Big West, has signed three players to National Letters of Intent in the past week.  The three are Vili Morton (6'-8" Sr. PF) from Twentynine Palms, Ted Bell (6'-3" Sr. G) from San Francisco Lowell HS, and Kevin Butler  a guard from Alameda St. Joe's. 

Here's the press release from the University of Riverside, dated 4/21/00:

UCR Men’s Basketball Coach John Masi announced that Vili Morton, Ted Bell and Kevin Butler have signed National Letters of Intent.

Morton, a familiar face to Inland Empire basketball fans, is a 6-8 forward out of Twenty Nine Palms High School who averaged 23 points and 18 rebounds per game during his prep career. The Highlanders looked to Northern California for their other two additions. Bell is a 6-3 guard out of Lowell HS in San Francisco who averaged 22 points a game and was named the San Francisco Player of the Year. Butler, a native of San Lorenzo, CA, joins UCR from St. Joseph Notre Dame, the alma mater of Phoenix Suns guard Jason Kidd. Butler averaged 20 points and six rebounds per game during his senior campaign.

"These young men are outstanding players and will really compliment the talent that we have returning to the court next season," Masi said. UCR finished at 15-12 overall and 12-10 in the CCAA last season.

We know Morton, and he's a great pickup for the Highlanders, and we've heard some good things about Bell, but not much on Butler.  Riverside has one of the youngest teams in Division I, perhaps even younger than the incredibly young Northwestern team, and they only lose two players to graduation, 21 Rion Nolan (6'-4" Sr. F) from Danville and  Ryan Jordan (6'-0" Sr. G) from Long Beach (via Harbor CC).  The Highlanders look to be returning 11 players, so our guess is that someone else is not coming back or may get a medical redshirt, because with three signed LOIs, that would mean 14 scholarships, or one over the limit of 13. In any event, here's the rest of the team, based on the UCR 1999-2000 roster:

Trenell Eddings G 5-10 Fr. Rialto/Eisenhower HS
Jason Labagh F 6-5 Jr. San Francisco/Canada JC
Chris Clark F 6-6 Fr. Glendora/Glendora HS
Zack Elder G 6-2 Fr. San Bernardino/Cajon HS
Aaron Hands F 6-7 Fr. San Diego/Scripps Ranch HS
Mark Vanta F 6-5 Jr. Riverside/Riverside Poly
Mark Miller F 6-6 Fr. Union City/Logan HS
Jerald Gibbs G 6-1 Jr. Rialto/Eisenhower HS
Jake Dededer F 6-10 Fr. Rolling Hills/Peninsula HS
Jason Perkins G 6-3 So. Carson/Banning HS
Mike Zepeda C 6-9 Fr. Santa Ana/Century HS

 
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