Southern Utah University's men's basketball team has signed three players with Utah ties to national letters of intent during the early signing period, which ended Wednesday. Center Cal Hanks and forwards Kyle Davis and Tyson Koehler have all signed to join the Thunderbirds next fall.
Hanks, a 6-foot-11, 235-pound senior post player from Mountain Crest in Logan, was also recruited by Weber State and Utah Valley.
"I had some contact with Weber and UVU, but I thought SUU was the better choice," Hanks said in a phone interview. "It was the overall character of the people who live and work down there. It was a great atmosphere to be in.
"Every time I looked at SUU, I didn't hear one negative thing about them."
Hanks earned all-Region 5 honors last season after averaging 7.2 points, 9.2 rebounds and three blocks per game in helping Coach Jim Crosbie's Mustangs to a state tournament appearance. Hanks has been tabbed by the Intermountain Hoops Scouting Service as the top 2010 post prospect in Utah.
"As long as you work hard, you'll get what you deserve," said Hanks, who also played for the Salt Lake Metro club team along with T-Birds Ryan Brimley and Joel Einfeldt.
Davis, a 6-foot-7, 175-pound senior, earned all-conference honors last season at Boise's Centennial High School. He averaged 14 points and 10 rebounds as a junior. He has since moved to Utah, however, and will play at Alta High this season before joining the Thunderbirds next fall.
Koehler, a 6-foot-9, 250-pound sophomore, prepped at Alta High, where he earned second-team all-state honors in 2007 after averaging 13 points, nine rebounds and nearly three blocks per game, helping the Hawks to a Region 4 championship. He went on to play one season at Grayson County College (Texas), where he earned first-team all-conference honors after averaging 9.6 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.
Koehler, who is serving an LDS Church mission in North Carolina, originally signed with the Thunderbirds in the spring of 2008, but due to an NCAA rules change the Thunderbirds were required to re-sign him.
"Cal Hanks and Kyle Davis are both going into their senior seasons in high school, but we've seen them both play and have been impressed with their potential," T-Birds head coach Roger Reid said. "They both played at a high level with their summer teams as well.
"Tyson is a player we signed before he went on his mission and we're excited to be able to re-sign him."
