Southeastern University Men’s Basketball Head Coach Kevin Lubbers announced his signing class for the 2020-21 season.
Seven student-athletes are set to join the defending Sun Conference regular season and tournament champions.
Four of the seven are incoming freshmen, while three are transfers.
Coach Lubbers had this to say about his newcomers, “Each year is a new and curious journey and I am excited to work with our team taking the first steps. Our new guys on paper provide us with some additional depth, variety of experience, and a level of maturity that will help us achieve our goals.”
Riley Matticks enters his junior season for the Fire after previously playing for Scottsdale Community College where he averaged 10.6 points per game and shot 39% from the field. He scored a season-high of 26 points against Cochise College, converting on six 3-PT field goal attempts.
Junior guard Ralph Diaz joins the Fire after playing for NCAA Division II Salem University where he averaged 7.4 points per game and 6.9 rebounds per game. Diaz’s season-high of 20 points came in Salem’s season opening win where he shot 8-of-11 from the field and converted on both of his 3-PT attempts.
Dejan Ilinic is a junior center that previously played for Polk State College where he averaged 3.5 points per game and 3.9 rebounds per game. Ilinic’s 17 points against USC Salkehatchie was his season-high.
The incoming freshmen include guards Deshaun Osbourne and Vince Marino, and forwards Sean Shore and Drew Tessier.
Shore and Tessier come from Evangelical Christian School where they led their team to a 15-14 record and an appearance in the FHSAA Class 1A playoff. Shore was named to the All-Area Second Team after his junior and senior seasons.
Osbourne attended Evans High School in Orlando, Fla. where he was named team captain during his senior season and averaged 11.7 points per game. Marino comes to Southeastern after attending Venice High School where he was named to the All-Conference Second Team.
While Coach Lubbers is excited about the incoming student-athletes he keeps the focus on the team as a whole, “I don’t comment too much on individuals… We are one unit and we haven’t accomplished anything yet. This team is hungry, and that is a universal characteristic across the board among our coaches and players.”