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Larry Dean

Men's Basketball Adds Size and Skill with 2019 Recruiting Class

| By: WIU Athletic Communications

Five players will call Macomb home next season and join experienced returners.

MACOMB, Ill. - Five new faces will begin their Western Illinois men's basketball careers this upcoming season. WIU head coach Billy Wright added size and skill with his 2019 recruiting class.
 
Kyle Arrington: Arrington stands at 6 feet, 10 inches and joins the Leathernecks after two seasons at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The center appeared in 31 games for the Eagles, averaging 6.1 points and 5.9 rebounds, while also helping the team to an ICCAC title and a 24-6 record in the 2017-18 campaign as a freshman.
 
During his sophomore season, he helped the Eagles to a 31-4 record en route to an NJCAA Division-II national title in 2019. Arrington is a Council Bluffs, Iowa, native and attended Lewis Central High School where he averaged 15.3 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 58 blocked shots in his senior season.
 
Coach Wright on Arrington: "Kyle is a true center with size," Wright said.  "He has great hands, can score around the basket, and has a relentless competitive spirit. He has been well coached, comes from a winning tradition, and has a tremendous work ethic. Kyle has great leadership potential and possesses many of our ALLIN and University core values."
 
Jaeden King: King recently graduated from Cretin-Derham Hall High School in St. Paul, Minn. The 6-6 guard finished his junior season with 14.0 points per game, shooting 48.7% from the floor with 80 made three-pointers. CDH went 30-2 that year en route to its first state championship in 25 years and King poured in 19 points in the title game.
 
He was a Minnesota Mr. Basketball nominee after a senior season where he led his team with 21.2 points a night and put together a 45.8% shooting clip.
 
Coach Wright on King: "Jaeden is a very skilled guard who can defend multiple positions," Wright said. "He is regarded as one of the best shooters in the state and comes from a winning tradition. He is a competitor who understands what it takes. He is a solid young man who fits our ALLIN philosophy and university core values. "
 
Dreshawn Allen: Allen joins the Leathernecks from Gillette College in Gillette, Wyo., where he averaged 21.4 points per game (14th best in NJCAA) while shooting 43.3 percent from the field (11th best in NJCAA). The 6-3 guard came away with 4.4 rebounds a night, shot 35.4 percent from 3-point land and dished out two assists per game last season.
 
He will enter Western Illinois University with three years of eligibility remaining. Allen is from Auburn Hills, Mich., just outside of Detroit and prepped at Avondale High School before playing in the post-grad program at Combine Academy in Charlotte, N.C.
 
Coach Wright on Allen: "Dreshawn is a combo guard who can play point guard and shooting guard," Wright said. "He is a big-time athlete who can score and defend multiple positions. He is a hard worker who understands the expectations that come with being a Division-I student-athlete."
 
Anthony Jones Jr.: Jones comes to Macomb after spending two seasons at Coffeyville Community College in Coffeyville, Kan., where he averaged 8.4 points per game over his two-year career. He shot 37.4 percent from behind the arc over a 68-game career that included 14 starts.
 
The Indianapolis native helped the Red Ravens to an appearance in the NJCAA Tournament as a guard with a 31-4 overall record. He has an athletic 6-5 frame and will enter Western Illinois University with two years of eligibility remaining.  
 
Coach Wright on Jones Jr: "We are excited to add Anthony to our basketball family," Wright said. "Anthony is an athletic wing who can make plays for himself and others. He is a tough, physical player who can score, rebound and defend multiple positions. He fits our ALLIN philosophy and has an understanding of what it takes to be successful at the Division-I level."
 
Roderick Smith: Smith comes to Macomb after playing one season at Southwest Mississippi Community College in Summit Miss., where he averaged 6.1 points per game and 3.4 rebounds a night. He made 10 starts over the course of 22 games while shooting an effective 55.8 % from the floor. His 6-9 stature will help bolster Western's post presence.
 
The Crystal Springs, Miss., native was rated as a three-star recruit by ESPN and prepped at Crystal Springs High School where he was named to the MHSAA All-State tournament team as a senior. Smith earned All-District levels all four years including a District MVP honor his final season and will enter Western Illinois University with three years of eligibility remaining. 
 
Coach Wright on Smith: "Roderick is a strong physical post who can play both power forward and center," Wright said. "He brings a level of toughness and mobility that will allow him to be successful at both ends of the floor. Roderick is a hard worker and fits our ALLIN philosophy on and off the court."
 
The five recruits join a wealth of returning Leatherneck players including starters Kobe Webster, Ben Pyle and Zion Young.
 
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