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Southwestern Assemblies of God University (SAGU) men’s basketball

According to Coach Donnie Bostwick , this group of new recruits are all 6’5 or bigger, “We have placed a focus on bringing in more height this recruiting season.  One of the big challenges the past few years is the size we have faced in the NAIA National Tournament . We want to get over that hump this season.”

The Lions will return leading scorer Keyunta Watkins , who was fourth in the NAIA in three point field goals.  SAGU will also return sophomore Isaak Rowe , who had a strong freshman campaign starting most of the season.  Junior Josh Swearingin and senior Remington Mithcell will also be returning.  The four veteran players will be accompanied by previous released signees in 6’4 guard Josh Williams , 6’3 Dareny Sims , 6’6 Lance Tipton and 5’11 Colt Summers .

The new SAGU Lions are as follows:

Darian Davis –  6-6 – Freshman – Forward – Lakeview Centennial High School- Garland,Texas

Davis averaged 10 points per game while leading his team with an impressive 67% FG%, second with five rebounds per game , as well as impressively leading his team from the forward position with 3.7 assists per game.  He also had a 52/24 assist to turnover ratio, shot 40% from 3-pt line and 75% from the FT line.

This past season Darian helped lead his team to a 26-8 record as well as an appearance in the regional quarterfinals.  He received 6A 2nd team all-district 10 honors.

“Darian is a very skilled player with a huge upside,” explains Bostwick, “He is a great passer, can score, and has great length. He has a very high ceiling. He is a leader off the floor as well performing well in the classroom and has numerous talents besides basketball.”

Adrian Palacio – 6-6 – Junior – Forward – Transfer from Cedar Valley CC – Dallas, TX

Palacio averaged six to eight points per game the past two seasons, while averaging three to six rebounds per game.  He also led his team in charges.  Palacio will be capable of playing the three through five positions for SAGU.

Bostwick believes Palacio will be key in SAGU’s defense “Adrian is a glue guy who does everything well. Many things AP does shows up in the win column but not in the stats.  He will be the guy taking charges, stepping-out and knocking down big three’s, setting screens, and anything else necessary to win. He just has a great feel for the game.”

Kennton Williams – 6-6- Freshman- Forward – Levelland High School – Levelland, TX

Williams averaged nearly 19 points and over eight rebounds per game his senior season. He has made over a 100 three-pointers and scored over 1,600 points during his high school career.

Williams led Levelland to the Class 4 State Tournament Semifinals while racking up numerous honors, including TABC All-Star, Class 4A All-State, All-Region 1-4A and 4A District MVP while going 7-3 in District and 25-13 on the season.

“Kennton is both skilled and explosive.  I love his aggressive nature.  He is a very good one on one player and matchup nightmare.  He can take you inside, outside and can put the ball on the floor and he is capable of guarding anyone on the floor. He has a great second bounce which gives him the opportunity to be a great rebounder,” explains Bostwick.

The Lions are coming off of a season where they went 20-13. For the fourth year in a row they made it to the NAIA National Championships in Kansas City, Missouri. Coach Bostwick is believes the new recruits will help to make a bid for the NAIA Championships once again,  “With so many new key pieces of the puzzle, it will be vital that we improve all season long and peek in March.  I really like the makeup of this group of players.  We have added talented athletic young players with length and versatility to go along with some older experienced guys.  If we keep our focus on honoring Christ with our talents and striving to reach a platform to honor God, then I think we will be right in the mix again next March.”

Southwestern Assemblies of God University is a private, Christian university located 30 minutes south of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex in Waxahachie, Texas. The university was established in 1927, and now offers more than 70 associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees on campus or online. More information is available at www.sagu.edu or by calling 1-888-YES-SAGU.

Contact: Natalie Tristan, SAGU SID, [email protected]