SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Coming off a historical season, Indiana University South Bend men’s basketball head coach Scott Cooper has finalized his 2020-21 recruiting class that includes two freshmen and two transfers, totaling four new faces to the roster.
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The Titan recruiting class assembled includes three guards Da’Vion Davis, Alex Schmidt, transfer Vashawn Sims and forward transfer Spencer Pettit.
“This was a difficult class to recruit because of the situation brought on by the pandemic, but we are very pleased with the results,” commented head coach Scott Cooper. “Our goal was to build depth in each of our classes, while adding the character and talent to help us continue to compete at the top of the CCAC, both this coming year and in the years to follow, and we feel that adding this group to our ten returning players will allow us to do that. All of them have been well coached at their previous schools, come from high school programs that have won championships, and are a good fit for our needs and our system. Most importantly, all four of these guys are great kids off the court, and strong students in the classroom. I am looking forward to having them in our program.”
Da’Vion Davis | 5-9 | Guard | Calumet New Tech High School
Davis is from Gary, Ind. where he graduated from Calumet New Tech High School (CNTHS). The 5’9″ guard played for head coach Dominique Nelson but was forced to sit on the sidelines his senior season with a hip injury.
- Averaged 20.4 points, 2.6 steals, and 1.5 assists per game his junior year
- Earned honorable mention all-state honors in 2019
- Led CNTHS to a 19-9 record and a Greater South Shore Athletic Conference in 2018-19
- Steered the Warriors to a sectional championship title his sophomore year in 2017-18
Alex Schmidt | 6-2 | Guard | Chesterton High School
Schmidt played for the Trojans at Chesterton High School (CHS) in Chesterton, Indiana. Playing for head coach Marc Urban, the 6’2″ guard looks to continue his successful basketball career with the Titans this winter.
- Averaged 9.0 points per game shooting over 40% from behind the arc during his senior season.
- Helped CHS in an impressive 23-3 record, a Duneland Athletic Conference Championship, and a sectional championship before the tournament was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The Trojans finished the regular season ranked #5 in the IHSAA Class 4A AP Poll.
Spencer Pettit | 6-7 | Forward | Danville Area Community College
Pettit is a transfer from the Danville Area Community College (DACC) Jaguars where he played under head coach DaJuan Gouard. The 6’7″ forward is from Covington, Indiana where he played for the Covington Trojans under head coach Adam Ballard.
- Averaged 5.1 points and 3.2 rebounds per game while shooting 46.8% from the floor during the 2019-20 season at DACC.
- Helped the Jaguars to a 13-12 record last season.
- Pettit’s senior year at Covington, he averaged 19.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game while shooting 55% from the floor and 41% from behind the arc
- Earned honorable mention all-state honors his senior year
- Led Covington to a 23-2 record including a sectional championship and a regional final appearance in 2018.
- Spencer Pettit has two years of eligibility remaining.
Vashawn Sims | 5-10 | Guard | Kankakee Community College
Sims is a transfer student from the Kankakee Community College (KCC) Cavaliers where he played under head coach Alex Thorson. The 5’10” guard graduated from Rich East (IL) High School (REHS) where he played under head coach Jamaal Hodges.
- Averaged 10.6 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 3.4 assists while shooting 54.9% from the floor this past season.
- Helped KCC to a 21-11 record during the 2019-20 season.
- Scored a total of 586 points and dished out 219 assists in two seasons at KCC
- Sim’s senior year of high school, he averaged 19.5 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game during their 2017-18 season
- Led REHS to a 17-11 record and a regional championship in 2018
- Vashawn Sims has two years of eligibility remaining but will be taking a redshirt for the 2020-21 season.
As of right now, the practice and competition schedule for National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) men’s basketball will continue as planned with proper precautions being made in accordance to the latest health and safety guidelines for the COVID-19 pandemic. Announcement of the 2020-21 schedule will be released at a later date.