Weber State University Athletics
Weber State men's basketball signs four players
11/18/2014 5:13:00 PM | Men's Basketball
OGDEN - Weber State men's basketball head coach Randy Rahe has announced the signing of four players to National Letters of Intent to join the Wildcats. WSU has added Emmanuel Nzekwesi, Juwan Williams, Jordan Dallas and Riley Court to the team beginning with the 2015-16 season. In addition, McKay Cannon, who signed with Weber State in 2012, will also join the Wildcats next season after returning from an LDS Church mission.
“We are very excited about this signing class,” Rahe said. “We are always very particular about the type of players we bring in and this class exemplifies the type of character, toughness and work ethic that we are looking for. We feel good that all of these players will fit in really well with the culture of our program and they will be very good players for us. All are very good students and understand that is a major priority in our program. They all also come from excellent families which is always very important to us.”
Emmanuel Nzekwesi is a 6-7, 215-pound forward who signed with Weber State out of Roanoke, Texas. He plays at Byron Nelson High School where he is coached by Scott Curran. Nzekwesi was a highly recruited three-star recruit who averaged 19.4 points and 11.3 rebounds per game as a junior at Byron Nelson and was named the District MVP. He also earned All-Region and All-State honors and helped lead his team to the district championship. As a sophomore he was named the District Newcomer of the Year. Nzekwesi also plays AAU basketball for Texas Triumph where he coached by Steve Adams.
“Emmanuel is a very athletic, very powerful and versatile player and we are really excited to sign him,” Rahe said. “He can play on the perimeter and inside. He's only been playing basketball about four years so his upside as he grows into the game is excellent. He is a very hard working player, loves to be in the gym and is a great teammate. He is very much a team-first type of guy and has been very well coached in high school and in AAU.”
Juwan Williams comes to Weber State out of Richmond, Texas. He is a 6-5, 190-pound guard who plays for coach Craig Brownson at Travis High School in Richmond. He is ranked as one of the top 50 seniors in the state of Texas. As a junior last season Williams averaged 12.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. He helped lead Travis to the 5A state championship as a sophomore in 2013. He also plays AAU basketball for Houston Hoops.
“Juwan is a very athletic, strong player with good skill level,” Rahe said. “We've been looking for a guy with his size to play the guard position and we feel like Juwan really fits what we are looking for. He's a highly coemptive kid, a great teammate and a really hard worker who loves to be in the gym. He plays for an excellent high school program and has been well coached. He is a very good student and great team-first player. His future is very bright in our program.”
Jordan Dallas is a 6-10 forward/center that comes to Weber State out of Long Beach, Calif., where he plays for Long Beach Poly High School. Dallas was a highly recruited three-star recruit who plays for coach Shelton Diggs at Long Beach Poly. Dallas averaged 11 points and four rebounds per game as a junior. He earned All-League honorable mention honors as a junior. Dallas also played AAU basketball for Gamepoint Basketball and Belmont Shores. He also participated in the Pangos All-American camp last season.
“We've been recruiting Jordan for a long time and we feel really excited that we were able to sign him,” Rahe said. “Jordan is very long and very athletic. He is a very versatile player who can play facing the basket and can play inside. He is a good inside, outside type of player. With added strength, his future is extremely bright and he will be a very good player for us. Jordan is also an excellent team-first guy and loves to be in the gym, which is what we look for in all our recruits. He also comes from a very good high school program and has been very well coached.”
Riley Court has signed with the Wildcats out of Pleasant Grove High School in Pleasant Grove, Utah. Court is a 6-4, 180-pound guard, who earned All-State honors as a junior last season and was named to the Utah 5-A All-Tournament Team. Court averaged 15 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.6 steals per game as a junior playing for coach Randy McAllister at Pleasant Grove. He finished fifth in the state in assists and was named Utah Valley Magazine's Top Senior Basketball Player in 2014. He has also twice earned All-Region honors and played AAU basketball for Utah Basketball Club, where he was coached by Todd Phillips. Court plans to serve an LDS Church mission after high school and before enrolling at Weber State.
“We're really excited about Riley,” Rahe added. “He is an in-state kid that is tough, hard-nosed, highly skilled and extremely competitive, and from that standpoint, he fits our program perfectly. He is a versatile player that can play multiple positions which is always very valuable to us and is an excellent student. We will be really excited for Riley to join us after his mission.”
Also joining the Wildcats next season will be McKay Cannon who signed with Weber State in 2012. Cannon will return prior to next season from an LDS Church mission. Cannon is a 6-1 point guard out of Shelley, Idaho. He graduated from Shelley High School where he earned All-State honors.
