LOUDONVILLE, NY – Siena Basketball Head Coach
Jamion Christian has officially announced the Saints' first three signings for the Class of 2023. Luke Sutherland, Shawn Walker, Jr., and Kyle Young have all signed and returned their National Letters of Intent during the early signing period, and will enroll at Siena College next fall.
"I'm thrilled with our first recruiting class as a staff, finding great size and athleticism of guys who fit not just only our current needs, but can also build around our future needs," said Christian. "In this recruiting class, we covered the New Jersey/Philly, Western New York, and Virginia Beach areas, which are all places where we want to recruit well."
A 6-8, 205-pound wing from Syracuse, Sutherland is coming off a breakout junior season at West Genesee last winter. He averaged 20.2 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 2.3 blocks, while being named an NYSSWA Class AA All-State, All-Central New York, and SCAC Metro Conference First Team selection. Sutherland plays his club basketball for NY Jayhawks.
"We're just excited to bring another Western New York player in," remarked Christian. "Obviously Luke's size, athleticism, and ability to play the wing, are all unique attributes that will provide us the opportunity to be one of the biggest teams in the MAAC without sacrificing athleticism. Throughout the recruiting process, his passion for being a part of the Siena Family was overwhelming. We want to continue to add players who love Siena and want to be here. I'd also like to give a special thanks to Luke's AAU coach Jay David and high school coach Fred Kent."
A native of Elizabeth City, North Carolina, Walker, Jr. is set to begin his senior season playing for Bishop Sullivan Catholic in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The 6-6, 180-pound guard spent the past two seasons playing for NCISAA powerhouse Wesleyan Christian Academy in his native North Carolina, which he helped guide to a 55-11 combined record and a state ranking of fourth each season. Walker, Jr. was rated the 18
th best player in the Class of 2019 from North Carolina by NCPreps.com. His father, Shawn Sr., is the head coach at Division II Elizabeth City State University.
"We love big guards, and Shawn is a perfect fit for our pick and roll style," commented Christian. "He has the ability to play both on and off the ball. He's a coach's son who's used to playing under the biggest lights. Shawn is a true competitor who were excited about having. He definitely fits our Mayhem style. Special thanks for his AAU coach Dwayne West from Team Loaded NC, and his high school coach Rick Barbosa from Bishop Sullivan Catholic during the process."
A 6-10, 240-pound forward from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Young helped lead Bethlehem Catholic to a 28-4 record and Eastern Pennsylvania Conference and District 11 Class 4A Championships last season. He tied for the team-high with a 14-point performance in the PIAA Class 4A State Semifinals. Young played AAU for the Jersey Shore Warriors, which also produced recent Siena stars Rob Poole and Ryan Rossiter. His older brother, Ryan, is a freshman on Northwestern's men's basketball team.
"Kyle gives us a true big man who will have the ability to play through from the block or high post," explained Christian. "His ability to score, deliver passes, and make the right decisions we felt were so unique, and believe that Kyle is completely the perfect fit for the type of big man we want to recruit. He wanted to be the first player committed in our class, so that we could start building around him and his skill set. We appreciate him for kicking off all of our recruiting efforts with this class, and also want to thank Kyle's AAU coach Tony Sagona and high school coach Ray Barbosa.
The current Saints return to action Wednesday when they host Lehigh in the home opener at the Times Union Center at the special holiday time of 6 p.m.
