KWU Men’s Basketball signs five for next season
By: David Toelle, KWU Sports Information

Kansas Wesleyan Men’s Basketball coach Tommy DeSalme has announced the signings of five players for the 2007-08 season.

Tremayne Blair, Paul Bronson, Jarrett Tyler, Shane Conrad and Bruce Sexton have all signed with the Coyotes.

Blair, a 6-0 combo guard from Galax, Va., comes to KWU after playing at Galax High School for coach Verl Brown in 2001. He was most recently at Hutchinson (Kan.) CC, sitting out the spring semester to play hoops for the Blue Dragons next season, but changed his attention to Kansas Wesleyan for 2008.

“Tremayne is a tremendous talent both on and off the court,” DeSalme said. “He is older, but has not played much organized basketball. He is a very good athlete with great speed, and he fits our style of guard and once he learns what we want from him and continues to learn the game, I believe he will be a real talent. He had a real passion for life and the game of basketball.”

Bronson, a 6-0 guard from Abilene, comes to KWU after playing for coach Mark Willey at Abilene High. He was named Honorable Mention All-4A State, and Second Team All-Area. He averaged 20.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 3.4 steals per game for the Cowboys.

“We are really excited to sign a good local player,” DeSalme said about Bronson. “His ability to shoot the basketball is something that we really need. Once he gets used to the speed of the college game and learns how we want to play defense, I think he will have a chance to be a good college player.”

Tyler, a 6-2 guard/forward comes to KWU after playing the last two seasons at Butler CC in El Dorado. He appeared in all 30 games for the Grizzlies this season, averaging 2.9 points and 2.8 rebounds per game.

“Jarrett is a real diamond in the rough,” DeSalme said. “He is the type of player that does all the little things that help you win, but doesn’t show up in the box score. He reminds me of a Cameron Jackson type player – he can play multiple positions and can guard both in and out. He plays the game really hard, he likes to defend/rebound/screen, but can also score. He will be hard to keep off the floor.”

Conrad, a 6-6 forward will join the Coyotes after a successful high school career at Lima Central Catholic High School in Lima, Ohio. He averaged six points, six rebounds, two assists and one block per game for coach Bob Seggerson. The T-Birds finished the 2007 season as the Northwest Conference champions with an 18-2 overall record, 8-1 in league play.

“The way he plays suits our style really well. He has the passion for the game that is needed and is contagious,” DeSalme said about Conrad. “He has good size and basketball IQ. Once he learns our system and gets comfortable with the speed of the game, I think he has an opportunity to be in our rotation of forwards.”

It’s almost like a homecoming for Sexton, a 6-4 guard/forward from McKinney, Texas. His father Stephen grew up just 20 minutes from Salina, while Bruce spent his childhood years just two and a half hours from the home of the Coyotes. He averaged 15.1 points per game en route to being named the McKinney High Offensive Player of the Year.

“Bruce comes from a very good program and has family ties to the Salina Area. He plays the game the right way – with passion and has the want to get better,” DeSalme said. “He can really shoot the ball from the 3 and that is something that is hard to coach. He has a real high basketball IQ and has played against very good competition in the North Texas Area. I believe he has a chance to be a very good KCAC player in the years to come.”

Last Season the Coyotes finished with a 28-4 overall record, setting a new school record for wins in a season, while capturing the KCAC Regular Season and Post-Season Tournament Championship Titles. Wesleyan also made its first-ever appearance in the NAIA Division II National Tournament last season.

-- KWU SI --

Tremayne Blair	Paul Bronson
Jarrett Tyler	Shane Conrad