The Northwest Missouri State men’s basketball team announced the addition of Brett Dougherty for the 2013-14 season Thursday at the early signing period.
Dougherty helped lead Papillion-La Vista High School to a 23-4 mark last season and a trip to the Nebraska High School Final Four earning all-tournament team honors. As a junior he averaged 13.5 points per game and 8.2 rebounds per game to earn all-state and all-metro honors.
“Brett is a great addition for us,” fourth-year Head Coach Ben McCollum said. “He had a tremendous junior season and helped lead his high school team to a Final Four appearance. We were very impressed with him this summer on the AAU circuit and he is primed for a great senior year at Papillion-La Vista under Coach Ryan.
Brett fits the mold of quality and high character kids that we like in our program. His athleticism, toughness, & feel for the game will make him a solid player in our program for years to come.”
Northwest is 1-0 on the young season and coming off a MIAA Championship and NCAA tournament appearance. The Bearcats head to the Hillyard Classic Friday and Saturday in St. Joseph.
Head Coach Mark Kellogg inked two basketball players at the early signing period for the 2013-14 season, the first-year Northwest Missouri State women’s basketball coach announced Thursday.
Ashley Guenther, from Independence, Mo., and Morgan Dittberner, from Louisville, Neb., announced intents to sign with the Bearcat women’s basketball team.
“We tried to put pieces together that complement each other, our current team and our future,” Kellogg said. “In this class we have the size, speed and athleticism that will give us the needed depth to compete for championships. This signing class is the epitome of a student-athlete, they are unbelievable people and their work ethic and self-motivation will serve our program well both on and off the court. Both are young ladies mature beyond their years.”
Guenther was an all-conference forward at Truman High as a junior earning all-district and all-area honors. The 5-11 Guenther averaged 10 points per game and five rebounds helping her team to a 21-5 mark.
“Ashley is a versatile player who really understands how to play basketball,” Kellogg said. “She is aggressive and vocal and she’s incredibly passionate about the sport. Athletically, Ashley brings us size and the ability to score in a variety of ways. Her gift, though, is her mobility on the court. We also see her as being a good defender due to her athleticism and length.
She will flourish in our up-tempo style of play and has the ability to score inside and out. Her motor just never stops. She will really shine in our system and be a vital part of this programs rise to success.”
Ditteberner enters her senior year at Louisville High School after averaging 12 points per game as the teams scoring leader and setting school records in three-pointers in a season and blocks in a game. The 6-0 forward has been all-conference and two-time all-state selection. She has also been an all-conference and all-state volleyball player at LHS.
“Morgan is a kid that everybody calls a pure shooter, but what she really is an unassuming scorer,” commented Kellogg. “She’s a better passer and creator than anybody gives her credit. She is a smooth, scoring wing who can really shoot the basketball and just knows how to play the game.
She has a great feel on the court for what is going on around her. Her frame allows her to score in a myriad of ways. And though her accuracy beyond the arc is what defenders will have to take away, she can beat you with her strength and versatility inside the paint as well. Morgan is incredibly passionate about the game of basketball and a relentless competitor. She will have a great career here at Northwest.”
The two signings are the first at the early period for Kellogg who has helped guide the Bearcats to a 2-0 start.
“We feel so good about these two athletes,” Kellogg said. “Each brings not only an intense competitive desire to our program but an intense passion for Northwest Missouri State University as well. They’re a special duo.”
— NWMSU Sports Information —