August 4, 2010

PORTLAND, Ore. - Lewis & Clark head men's basketball coach Bob Gaillard has announced his 2010-11 recruiting class, which includes four freshmen and four transfers.

This year's class includes: Quentin Sims, Connor Freeberg, Donato Perconti, Dexter Pearce, Marcus Wells, Michael Underriner, Aubrey Rhodes, and Peter Lovincey.

"In order to compete at the highest level of NCAA Division III men's basketball, quality student-athletes are more necessary than ever and at the same time, more difficult to enroll with the supply and demand concerns. However, the 2010 class committed to Lewis & Clark College could be the deepest and most athletic in recent years," said Gaillard. "It is a tremendous blend of quickness, strength, enthusiasm, and a winning attitude/purpose to complement a strong nucleus of returners who once again competed in the Northwest Conference playoffs. Individual statistics, while impressive, may be overshadowed by the positive intangibles brought by the combination of freshmen and transfers. Their skills and eagerness will make the 2010-11 season an exceptional one to anticipate."

Sims, a 6-3 guard/forward, comes to the Pioneers from Righetti High School in San Margarita, Calif. He was named First-Team All-League and First-Team All-Area, while guiding his team to a Pac-7 Championship.

Freeberg, a 6-2 guard/forward, joins the Pios after playing for Albany High School in Albany, Calif. He was a Second-Team All-BSAL player, while also earning a spot on the Honorable Mention team as well. Freeberg is also a two-time North Coast Section Scholar Athlete.

Perconti joins the Pioneers after playing for Whatcom Community College. He is a 6-4 forward, who was team captain for Whatcom CC last season. While in high school he earned a spot on the First-Team All-League team for Clarkston High. Academically, he is an All-Academic honoree both in high school and college.

Pearce comes to Lewis & Clark after playing at Frank Phillips College. The 6-2 guard is a two-time academic All-American at Frank Phillips. In high school he earned First-Team All-Region and Second-Team All-State honors while leading Wasilla High School to a state championship in 2007.

Wells transferred to the Pioneers from Williams College. The 5-11 point guard helped Williams reach the NCAA Tournament where they were DIII National Runner-Ups. In high school he was named Frist-Team All-City and two-time Most Valuable Player for Lick-Wilmerding High School.

Underriner, a 6-4 forward, comes to the Pioneers from West Linn High School in West Linn, Ore. He was captain of West Linn his senior season, while also participating as a member of the football team. He was also twice named to the All-League team.

Rhodes joins the Pioneers after attending Rochester Community and Technical College. The 6-1 point guard helped Rochester become the NJCAA National Runner-Ups. In high school he was named All-League his junior and senior seasons for Chief Sealth High School.

Lovincey, a 6-3 forward, comes to the Pioneers from Aloha High School in Aloha, Ore. He will also participate as a member of the Pioneer football team.