Men's Basketball 6/29/2023 12:30:00 PM Hayden Mangan, Athletic Communications Assistant

Men’s basketball reloads, inks nine for 2023-24

DURANGO, Colo. – Fort Lewis College Men's Basketball Head Coach Bob Pietrack is excited to announce the signing of nine student-athletes to the roster for 2023-24. All student-athletes have signed National Letters of Intent, letters of commitment, or financial aid agreements to FLC.

This year's class features proven, tested, Division II talent, a Division I Power-Five transfer, the number-one three-point shooter from the National Junior College Athletic Association, and a pair of walk-ons.

"I'm filled with great enthusiasm to announce our 2023 recruiting class," Pietrack shared. "After the most successful season in program history, we found ourselves needing to reconstruct our roster. I believe this class is as talented as any that we've had over the last 20 years. To capture five proven D2 transfers, a D1 transfer, a coveted Junior College point guard, and three high school prospects, is a feat of its own. Our staff feels that we've addressed all of our roster needs and have some exciting pieces to put together in September."

Amondo Miller Jr. – 6'6" | Guard | Littleton, Colo. | Valor Christian High School | University of Colorado
Miller Jr., a six-foot-six Colorado native, spent two seasons with the Buffaloes at Division I University of Colorado Boulder. After utilizing a redshirt in 2021-22, Miller Jr. saw limited minutes for the Buffs last season making five appearances across Colorado's 35 total games. A 2021 graduate of Valor Christian, Miller Jr. averaged 18.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 3.3 assists en route to helping the Eagles to a 2021 JeffCo League Championship.

Samier Kinsler – 6'2" | Guard | Philadelphia, Pa. | West Catholic Preparatory | West Virginia State University
Kinsler joins the Skyhawks after a dominant season with the Yellow Jackets at West Virginia State University last season. West Virginia State boasted a 20-9 overall record, achieved the highest ranking in program history at No. 11 (National Association of Basketball Coaches), and made an appearance in the Mountain East Tournament. Averaging 23.4 minutes per game, Kinsler made 20 starts across his 28 games played. A 2022-23 BOXTOROW (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) Second Team All-American, Kinsler led the WVSU roster scoring 16.8 points per game while shooting at a 45% clip from the floor and 43.9% mark from beyond the arc. Kinsler also captured Second Team All-MEC honors and scored a career-high 33 points in an 82-92 loss at Alderson Broaddus back on Feb. 15, 2023.

Isaiah Thompson – 6'6" | Colorado Springs, Colo. | Fountain Fort Carson High School | Colorado State University Pueblo
Thompson makes his way to Durango, Colo., after spending the last two seasons across the state at Colorado State University-Pueblo. Last season Thompson ranked second in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference with 9.4 rebounds per game to complement his 11.9 points per game on the offensive end. In his second bout against FLC in Whalen Gymnasium last season, Thompson went off for a 19-point, 16-rebound double-double to nearly upset the 13^th nationally ranked Skyhawks. Thompson also finished second on the ThunderWolves roster with 28.4 minutes per game while capturing Second Team All-RMAC honors.

Brayden Carter – 6'9" | Forward | Littleton, Colo. | Mullen High School | Regis University
Carter makes his move to join the Skyhawks after a pair of seasons with the Rangers at Regis University. A consistent starter and offensive force in 2022-23, Carter ranked second on the roster averaging 11.7 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. Carter made 20 starts across the Rangers' 29 total games while shooting an impressive 51.3% from the floor. Last season Carter posted a pair of double-doubles including a 20-point, 13-rebound performance against the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. Carter was a 2022-23 Academic All-RMAC Honor Roll award winner. His mother, Melinda, is a former Fort Lewis women's basketball team member and was inducted into the Fort Lewis College Athletics Hall of Fame in 1997.

Malik Whitaker – 6'6" | Guard | Houston, Texas | Atascocita High School | West Virginia State University
Whitaker is the second Yellow Jacket to move from West Virginia State to Fort Lewis and played a vital role in the Yellow Jackets' success last season. Whitaker brings an extensive resume to the Skyhawks featuring Second Team All-MEC honors in 2022-23 as well as NABC National Junior College Athletic Association First Team All-American honors in 2020-21. While with the Yellow Jackets, Whitaker ranked second on the roster with 13.8 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. Posting eight double-double performances with WVSU, Whitaker went off for a seasons-best 26-point, 11-rebound double-double at Frostburg State on Nov. 30, 2022. All told, Whitaker also tallied 20 blocks and 35 steals.

Tristan Hurdle – 6'6" | Highlands Ranch, Colo. | Highlands Ranch High School | Colorado State University Pueblo
Hurdle, who sat out the 2022-23 season due to injury, joins the Skyhawks after three total seasons at CSU Pueblo. Prior to the injury, Hurdle was a key role player for the ThunderWolves off the bench. Making ten starts across 28 appearances in 2021-22, Hurdle averaged 26.1 minutes per game while also posting 8.1 points and 2.5 rebounds. In his last full season, Hurdle scored a career-high 26 points against Spurgeon College on Nov. 19 and was tabbed with Academic All-RMAC Honor Roll honors.

Jhei-R Jones – 6'0" | Guard | Mokena, Ill. | Lincoln-Way East High School | Kaskaskia College
Jones brings a new offensive factor to the Skyhawks after spending last season with NJCAA Division I Kaskaskia College. While with the Blue Devils, Jones started in 28 of his 29 games played and led the roster with 16.9 points and 4.1 assists per game to complement his second-best 6.0 rebounds per game. Jones shot an efficient 47.4% from the field while also leading all of NJCAA Division I with a 49.6% shooting percentage from the three-point line. Additionally, Jones was an NJCAA Division III Third Team All-American in 2021-22.

Stewart Erhart – 6'0" | Guard | Fairbanks, Alaska | West Valley High School
Erhart, a stand-out at West Valley, makes his way to Fort Lewis after a highly successful high school career. The six-foot guard was twice named the state of Alaska Men's Basketball Gatorade Player of the Year in 2021-22 and 2022-23. With a single-game best of 35 points, Erhart's offensive prowess was no slouch as it garnered back-to-back All-State honors as well as three All-Conference awards.

Nathan Penney – 6'2" | Guard | Sparks, Nev. | Spanish Springs High School
A two-year letter winner in football and basketball, Penney rounds out the pair of walk-ons for the Skyhawks. As a senior, Penney was named the 5A All-North Co-Player of the Year after totaling 54 points and 19 rebounds in a two-game stretch across his final campaign. Additionally, Penney earned Second Team All-Region honors as a junior and First Team All-State honors as a defensive back on the football field. Penney's brother, Jacob, is also a member of the FLC football team.

EARLY SIGNING PERIOD
The Skyhawks had previously signed one recruit, Charlie Dortch, during the early signing period back in November of 2022.

Charlie Dortch - 6'9" | Forward | Fort Collins, Colo. | Rocky Mountain High School
Dortch was a three-year varsity letter-winner for the Lobos. Named the Team Captain ahead of the 2022-23 season, Dortch was both a First-Team All-Conference and Academic All-State honoree in 2021-22.

SUSTAINING CHAMPIONS
The Fort Lewis College men's basketball program is ready to build on its historic success from last season. You can team up with the Skyhawks through the sustaining champion's campaign. This campaign will help prepare the program for the post-season as well as future seasons to come. Your donation to support Skyhawks Basketball will help ensure our coaches are equipped with the resources necessary to continue recruiting quality student-athletes and sustain championship-level performance. You will also create a memorable post-season experience and other program enhancements for all involved.

The Department of Athletics is extremely proud of the accomplishments of our student-athletes in the classroom, in the community, and in competition. We invite you to join our sustaining champions campaign to enhance the student-athlete experience. Every donation makes a difference and supports our mission of graduating champions. Reminder to stay connected for more information about the post-season at GoSkyhawks.com. Thank you again for your continued support. If you would like to donate, click HERE. To The Top!

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