GUELPH, Ont. - The latest edition of the Guelph Gryphons men's basketball recruiting class features nine new faces, including two incoming transfers and seven incoming true freshman, for the 2023-24 university basketball season. Seven guards and two forwards will join the Gryphons this season, looking to help build off of a successful 2022-23 campaign, one in which the Gryphons men's basketball team not only advanced the postseason, but also earned a hard-fought playoff road win at Lakehead in last season's opening round. The nine new additions to this year's team help bolster a strong core of returning players for the Gryphons in 2023-24.
"We are really excited about our incoming talent this season," says Gryphons head coach
Chris O'Rourke, who enters his 27th season in charge of the University of Guelph men's basketball program. "With some experienced transfers and skilled rookies, we should see an immediate impact from a number of players. We graduated a number of significant pieces from our 2022-23 team, but we feel we have addressed many of the positional needs those players left by adding a pair of players with experience at the NCAA D-II level, alongside a trio of new arrivals from prep school, we feel like we have added some high-IQ playmakers to our already strong roster. We are looking forward to seeing how these guys contribute to our team."
The Gryphons will officially tip-off their 2023-24 OUA regular season schedule on November 3 on their home court as they host the defending Wilson Cup champion Ottawa Gee-Gees at the Guelph Gryphons Athletics Centre. Prior to the season opener, the Gryphons will play a total of eight preseason games, which include home matchups with the Concordia Stingers (Sept. 29), Memorial Sea-Hawks (Sept. 30), Dalhousie Tigers (Oct. 7), and Sheridan Bruins (Oct. 10). See below for more details on the new additions to the Gryphons men's basketball team in 2023-24.
#4 Raef Wykes
Position: Guard
Height: 6-2
Hometown: Brockville, ON
Previous Team: Thousand Islands Secondary (Brockville, ON), Wheeling University Cardinals - NCAA Division II (Wheeling, West Virginia)
Quote from Head Coach Chris O'Rourke: "Raef is another high-IQ player we have coming in who can make an immediate impact. An outstanding shooter complimented by his pass-first mentality, Raef is a typical point guard with a high ceiling."
#5 Shaathan Walker
Position: Guard
Height: 6-3
Hometown: Toronto, ON
Previous Team: Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kansas), Point Park University Pioneers - NAIA (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
Quote from Head Coach Chris O'Rourke: "Shaathan is a coach's dream with the talent and intangibles to make an immediate impact this season. Locked in and playing hard at all times, he is a relentless defender and has the offensive slashing talent to be a consistent scorer."
#6 Luke Trojanowski
Position: Guard
Height: 6-0
Hometown: Burlington, ON
Previous Team: New Horizon Academy (Burlington, ON)
Quote from Head Coach Chris O'Rourke: "Luke is a high-IQ, tough-nosed player who can play both sides of the ball. An excellent facilitator complimented by his perimeter shooting, Luke has a combination of talents that make him a prototypical point guard."
#11 Amari N'Daw
Position: Guard
Height: 6-5
Hometown: Toronto, ON
Previous Team: Metropolitan Preparatory Academy (Toronto, ON)
Quote from Head Coach Chris O'Rourke: "An intriguing talent with and an effective slasher, Amari has a lot of potential and a bright future playing at the OUA level."
#12 Malcom Reid
Position: Guard
Height: 5-11
Hometown: Brampton, ON
Previous Team: Saint Thomas Aquinas Secondary
Quote From Head Coach Chris O'Rourke: "Malcom is a quick and athletic guard who plays with a lot of poise in addition to playing a very unselfish game."
#22 Adrian Morra
Position: Guard
Height: 6-4
Hometown: Mississauga, ON
Previous Team: New Horizon Academy (Burlington, ON)
Quote from Head Coach Chris O'Rourke: ""Adrian is a deceptive athlete and a pure gamer who has the talent as a wing scorer to bring a spark to our offence."
#33 Vytas Nausedas
Position: Forward
Height: 6-5
Hometown: Mississauga, ON
Previous Team: Cape Fear Academy (Wilminton, North Carolina)
Quote from Head Coach Chris O'Rourke: "Vytas is a high-energy tough defender who can cover multiple positions on the floor. His unselfish play on the offensive side of the ball paired with his defensive ability make him a great all-round player who can be an impactful player on our team."
#44 August Kennedy
Position: Forward
Height: 6-7
Hometown: Oshawa, ON
Previous Team: Bill Crothers Secondary
Quote From Head Coach Chris O'Rourke: "August is a developing forward who will only get better as he continues to work on his game."
Mazen Yagubi
Position: Guard
Height: 6-4
Hometown: St. Catharines, ON
Previous Team: Sir Winston Churchill Secondary
Quote From Head Coach Chris O'Rourke: "Mazen has an intriguing future at the OUA level as a guard prospect with the ability to slash and shoot the ball."
