The most crucial time of the off-season has returned for the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff men's basketball team – recruiting and signing high-level basketball prospects from across the country to put on a Golden Lion jersey.
The UAPB coaching staff has stepped outside of the box during recruiting season and did not only recruit locally and nationwide, but they also took an inclusive jump and recruited internationally.
"We are excited about this group," said UAPB men's basketball head coach Solomon Bozeman. "We believe we have recruited high character guys who genuinely love the game of basketball. They literally eat, sleep, and breathe basketball. There's also a lot of diversity with this group coming from all around the world. We feel sure that they are eager to learn and want to focus on becoming the best student-athletes they can be."
Losing a couple of players to an even higher level of basketball and life, guards Shawn Williams and Dequan Morris will be graduating with their master's degrees. Williams also took a leap of faith by entering his name in the 2022 NBA Draft.
The Golden Lions are adding lots of versatile talent to their roster with what Coach Bozeman loves to call "that dog" within the ballplayer.
"With this incoming class, we wanted to concentrate on recruiting size, skill, versatility, and mental toughness. We wanted players who could play multiple positions on the offensive end and guard multiple positions on the defensive end."
GRADUATE TRANSFERS:
Shaun Doss - 6'5", 190 lbs (SIU Edwardsville)
Doss is a former Golden Lion who led UAPB in scoring during his time at the Flagship of the Delta and was SWAC First Team All-Conference. He is well known in the conference for his scoring, but his leadership and experience will be significant for Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
Chris Greene - 6'8", 225 lbs (Cleveland State)
Greene has experience playing on an NCAA tournament team. That experience, combined with his skill set to play inside and outside, will be precious to the Arkansas-Pine Bluff basketball program.
TRANSFERS:
Trejon Ware - 5'9", 160 lbs (Arkansas Baptist)
Ware is small, shifty, and crafty, but he has a lot of grit to his game. His speed will help the Golden Lions on both ends of the floor, make his teammates better, and be a pest on the defensive end.
AC Curry - 6'6", 178 lbs (Otero Junior College)
Curry was one of the hardest-playing athletes the coaches saw all year. He came from a fantastic program at Otero Junior College and was extremely well-coached. His size, length, shooting ability, and defensive prowess will be huge for UAPB.
Orion Virden - 6'2", 180 lbs (Collin College)
Orion is a homegrown athlete and has the Pine Bluff toughness that the UAPB coaching staff wanted. He loves to compete and can really shoot the basketball at a high level.
Ismael Plet - 6'7", 230 lbs (Oral Roberts)
"Every team needs an Ismael Plet," said Bozeman. The forward will bring energy every day and that "dog mentality" for the Golden Lions. Plet is a real competitor who can defend at a high level coming from an NCAA tournament team.
FRESHMEN:
Robert Lewis - 6'8", 175 lbs (Cardinal Ritter College Prep High School)
Lewis is a versatile forward with length and athleticism. He can play inside and outside and guard multiple positions on the defensive end. "We love his versatility and upside," said Bozeman about Lewis' style of play.
Samuel Ribeiro - 6'8", 167 lbs (Minas, Brazil)
Ribeiro has an excellent size for the PG position. Coach Bozeman describes Ribeiro as a Swiss Army Knife -- he can pass, shoot, rebound, loves to get his teammates involved, and has a great work ethic and upside.
Zach Reinhart - 6'6", 180 lbs (PHS Academy)
Reinhart is a hard worker. He loves being in the gym and is very confident in his game. The 6-foot-6 guard's shooting ability will help space the floor in the upcoming year.
Rafael Martinez - 6'7", 190 lbs (Williston)
Martinez is a skilled forward who can play inside and outside. He is an incoming freshman, but he has a great size and is very mature.
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