Summit League teams will lift in the curtain on the 2022-23 season today, bringing in the rush of excitement that comes with a new year. And what is more central to that excitement than the unknown?
In that spirit, here are five Summit men’s newcomers that could immediately weave themselves into the fabric of the upcoming season.
Tyree Corbett | Denver | Graduate Student | Forward – Coppin State transfer
Jeff Wulbrun is expecting big things from Corbett, one of several transfers the second-year coach brought in to bolster a young team. And why wouldn’t he? The Coppin State transfer was arguably the MEAC’s most dominant interior player last year, finishing in the top five in that league in offensive and defensive rebounding percentage, as well as block rate. That led to some impressive traditional stats (13 ppg, 8.8 rpg), and the early signs are that productivity will continue for the Pios.
Corbett was a standout performer on DU’s 10-day trip to France which saw them play games in Paris, Lyon and Nice. The graduate forward led the way with 15 points in two of the games, and combined with preseason all-league honoree Tevin Smith for 46 points in another. Wulbrun is especially excited for the above-the-rim flavor Corbett will bring to the Pios, and the early returns suggest that may also mean a big offensive role.
Conor Vanover | Oral Roberts | Senior | Center - Arkansas transfer
Despite his massive height, it’s somewhat easy to overlook Vanover on a loaded Golden Eagles roster. The simple fact is ORU had few if any holes heading into 2022-23 as Max Abmas headlines a roster with the majority of its key contributors returning. Paul Mills nonetheless added an intriguing three-man transfer class of Patrick Mwamba, Demari Williams and Vanover. Mwamba especially deserves mention since he’s coming off a productive season at UT Arlington (10 ppg, 4.4 rpg), but it’s hard not to focus on Vanover.
For one, he’s one of the tallest players in the country at 7’5. He’s also familiar to even casual college basketball fans having started nearly 40 games for Eric Musselman’s booming Razorback program over the past two years. And while his role diminished last year, he’s shown the ability over his career to be a dominant defensive rebounder that can stretch the floor. It’d be wrong to call him a luxury on this ORU team, particularly with Elijah Lufile gone, but he’s an intriguing X-factor as he finishes his collegiate career in the Summit.
Matthew Mors | South Dakota State | RS Freshman | Forward - Wisconsin transfer
Talk about intriguing X-factors, and one Jackrabbit fans know well. Mors, three-time South Dakota Gatorade Player of the Year, returns home after a redshirt year at Wisconsin. It’s hard not to put dazzling expectations around the one-time, heavily-recruited Yankton native, who had offers out of high school from plenty of power conference programs in the region, including Creighton, Iowa State and Colorado.
That may or may not be fair to Mors, who has yet to play an official college game. He does, however, seemingly enter a situation ready for him to thrive right off the bat. Despite losing Baylor Scheierman and Douglas Wilson, the Jackrabbits are not crying out for production with returning players like Zeke Mayo, Charlie Easley and Luke Appel primed for bigger roles. Nonetheless, there would seem to be minutes available, and Eric Henderson must relish that he’s got a talented, versatile forward to fill them.
Ahjany Lee | St. Thomas | Freshman | Forward
Lee is another player that it may or may not be fair to expect too much, too early from. The freshman will be just that, a freshman. But however big a role he plays in 2022-23, he’s at the heart of what will be a fascinating story within the Summit. Johnny Tauer signed the highest-rated prep recruiting class in the league, bolstering a roster of Division III holdovers that more than held its own last season.
Does that portend a recruiting trend in the Twin Cities? The Tommies landed Lee, a three-star forward from Byron, Minn., despite reported interest from Minnesota, Florida, Kansas and others. That talent infusion should make the Tommies an intriguing watch this season, particularly as Lee is joined by another well-regarded prep prospect in Kendall Blue, as well as a slew of Division I transfers.
Alec Rosner | Western Illinois | Senior | Guard – Winona State transfer
Rob Jeter’s teams at Western Illinois have been friendly to guards willing to play fast and let fly from three. That should make Rosner – a Division II transfer from Winona State – right at home. The senior averaged over 18 points per game last year while shooting 42.3 percent from three, and had three 30-point or more games.
He figures to slot in next to Trenton Massner, as welcoming a prospect for an incoming player considering Massner may well have been the preseason league POY if not for the return of Abmas. Among his many skills, Massner had the fourth best assist rate in the league last year despite carrying a heavy scoring role himself. With Colton Sandage gone, someone will need to catch those passes, and Rosner has proven he can put the ball in the basket when given the chance.
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