Western Oregon Adds Idaho Guard

Wellman was also a three-year starter at quarterback on the football team.

Photo: WOU Athletics

MONMOUTH, Ore. - Western Oregon University men’s basketball coach Craig Stanger has added one more name to the 2007-08 recruiting class, signing guard Drew Wellman of Mountain View High School in Meridian, Idaho

Wellman joins a class that includes two transfers and three freshmen that have joined the Wolves roster in the past two months.

Sam Kelly (6-5, 200), a former South Salem High School standout and Salt Lake Community College starter, along with Liam Hughes (7-3, 300), who has been in the Oregon State program for the past four seasons are the transfers, while freshmen Travis Pew, Dane Johnson and Greg Bogdan will all be wearing Wolves crimson red and white next season.

All three are guards—Johnson from St. Francis DeSales in Columbus, Ohio, Pew from Eielson HS in Alaska while Bogdan played at Grant High School in Portland.

Wellman (5-10, 165) was the starting point guard at Mountain View, helping to lead his squad to the 5A state semi-finals as a junior and senior.

A three-year starter, he averaged nearly eight points a game during his career and just over three assists a contest.

He was also a three-year starter at quarterback on the football team, twice leading MVHS to the state playoffs.

Wellman led the conference in assists in 2005-06 and was a second team all-league selection.

“Drew is a good shooter and all-around team player,” Stanger said. “He makes all the players around him better and he knows how to win. He will fit in very well in our system.”

Western Oregon is the only NCAA Division II university in the state of Oregon, and plays in the very tough Great Northwest Athletic Conference.

Stanger will be entering into his third season as the head coach, after spending 11 seasons at WOU’s lead assistant.

“Our goal the past few years has been to get deeper, and we are starting to get there,” Stanger summarized. “We will be much better from top to bottom next season. All of our signees are good team players and will fit in very nicely to what we are trying to build here.”

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