Larry Eustachy and his coaches have been busy. Over the last two days, the Colorado State Rams men’s basketball team has added two talented young men in Kimani Jackson and C.J. Keyser.
Jackson, a 6’8” and 230 pound redshirt sophomore, is a junior college transfer out of New Mexico Junior College in Arlington, Texas. Jackson was a four-star recruit coming out of high school and he’s been rated the No. 5 JUCO player this year. As a redshirt freshman he played in 24 of his Thunderbirds’ 32 games, starting 10 and averaging 8.0 points and 5.8 rebounds.
“Obviously with losing three out of four front line guys, we knew adding a big body with some experience would be crucial,” Eustachy said of the signing. “We are really excited to address that with the addition of Kimani. And the best part is that he will have three years of eligibility. He has tremendous upside and has a chance to continue to improve.”
On Friday, it was Keyser signing his national letter of intent to come to Colorado State University. Keyser is a four-star guard according to ESPN.com who played his high school ball at Sunrise Christian Academy in Wichita, Kansas. Keyser, a 6’4” 185-pound shooting guard, picked the Rams over multiple other schools including Western Kentucky, Drexel and Marshall.
“We are really excited to add a player of C.J.’s caliber to this year’s recruiting class,” Eustachy said in a release. “He is an elite athlete with tremendous size at the guard position. He is has a good skill level and has a chance to be an elite defender.”
Plus, he can fly! Check out this highlight video from YouTube of Keyser.
The way this class of six newcomers has been built sends the clear message that Eustachy understands the importance of chemistry.
Nico Carvacho, a 6’10” stud, was Keyser’s teammate at Sunrise, while Keyser has also previously played with fellow newcomer Emmanuel Omogbo in AAU ball. Omogbo, a JUCO All-American who stands at 6’8”, defeated Jackson’s Thunderbirds in the second round of the NCAAJC Region V Tournament.
Other signees are point guard Prentiss Nixon out of Bolingbrook, IL and shooting guard Anthony Bonner out of Lawrence, KS. Ram fans will remember another guard out of Lawrence who led the team into the NCAA Tournament a few years back in Dorian Green.
So, where do the signings put Colorado State in terms of scholarships? They’re over by two, currently. Though, rumors have been swirling that Carlton Hurst will transfer and if Anthony Scott decides to leave, too, the Rams’ class will be complete at 12.
