Three well-traveled junior college players have signed with Colorado State for the fall, filling the spring men’s allotment and providing some desperately needed size.
Harvey Perry Jr. and Mame Bocar Ba were teammates at College of Southern Idaho and will join and Travis Franklin of Colby (Kan.) Community College next fall in Fort Collins.
“We expect these players to have an immediate impact on our team and in the Mountain West Conference,” CSU coach Tim Miles said Tuesday.
Perry, coached by CSU assistant DeMarlo Slocum in AAU ball, attended Brewster Academy, the University of Washington and Southern Idaho since leaving Las Vegas Cheyenne High School.
Southern Idaho coach Barret Peery said the 6-foot-5 Perry has fully recovered from back surgery and is a “tremendous defender.”
The 6-9 Ba is from Senegal and spent two seasons at Southern Idaho as a backup. “He’s really improved as a player,” Peery said.
They helped perennial junior-college power Southern Idaho to a 30-2 record this season. Miles said Southern Idaho assistant Steve Gosar, who hails from a family of former Wyoming football and basketball players, helped steer the two to the Rams.
The 6-7 Franklin will have three years of eligibility after redshirting at Colby following a freshman year at Shelton State (Ala.) CC.
Miles described Franklin as “an under-the-radar player,” who can play either forward position.
“Now we’re on to the ’09s,” Miles said of recruiting the class that will enter in the fall of 2009. He is looking almost exclusively to the high school ranks for next fall’s early signing class.
CSU, which did not win a regular season MWC game, will also get help inside from four-year transfers Dan Vandervieren (Purdue) and Andy Ogide (Mississippi) who sat out last season.
Natalie Meisler: 303-954-1295 or nmeisler@denverpost.com
