The Sacramento State men’s basketball team added four new players to its roster for the 2013-14 season.

Head coach Brian Katz said, as a coach, he is pleased with the recruiting he and his coaching staff have been able to do.

“We feel, collectively, this is the best recruiting class we have had since I have been here,” Katz said.

The Hornets needed a strong recruiting class in order to find replacements for graduating seniors John Dickson, Konner Veteto, Joe Eberhard and Julian Demalleville.

On paper, it seems the Hornets have brought in players capable of providing an immediate impact both offensively and defensively.

The Hornets landed a big investment when Casa Roble High School’s 6-foot-10 center Eric Stuteville, from Orangevale, Calif., announced his decision to attend Sacramento State this fall.

Stuteville averaged a double-double in his high school career with 21.7 points per game and 12.3 rebounds.

“I think Eric could possibly have an immediate impact on the team with his size and mid-range shooting ability,” said sophomore point guard Dylan Garrity.

The biggest contribution Stuteville brings with his height is the 6.3 shot-blocking average he has – something the Hornets have not had in recent years.

“In Stuteville, you get something at a premium,” Katz said. “ He is a 6-foot-10 kid who is still growing. He is very skilled and can score the ball. He (has) a good chance of being big and strong down low with the big shoulders he has.”

Case Rada, a 6-foot-3, 200-pound guard was a redshirt freshman at Boise State before transferring to Walla Walla Community College. In his freshman year, Rada led the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges (NWAACC) in scores by averaging 24.0 points per game and three-pointers made (111). Rada averages 4.0 three-pointers made, 5.4 free throws made, 3.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 0.8 steals per game.

He also has on his resume five games in which he has scored 30 points or more, including 39 against Mt. Hood Community College where he made eight three-pointers.

“He is a guy that can be a big help as a backup point,” Katz said. “He is a quick catch and shoot type of players that is strong with handling the ball. Out of the other recruits, we are most familiar with Rada because we tried recruiting him out of high school before leaving to Boise State.”

Garrity also said that even though Rada is the only signee the team hasn’t met yet, the news told to him by Katz sounds impressive enough to be intrigued by what he can bring to the team.

“Coach told us that he hit 11 three-pointers in one game at the JC level,” Garrity said. “So, he is obviously a dangerous shooter. We can always use a lights out shooter like that.”

The position to be closely looked at for the Hornets next season is the power forward position.

It will be hard to find a player to fill in the shoes of Dickson but, Nick Hornsby – a 6-foot-5, 185-pound senior out of Tustin High School – has play similar to Dickson. 

Garrity said his ability to play and guard multiple positions makes him a versatile player and can cause matchup problems for a lot of teams because of his ability to shoot from the outside.

“He helps us a lot because he is a bigger and (a) longer guard that can play multiple positions,” Garrity said. “If he puts some weight on he could be a scary good player at this level.”

Hornsby averaged 12.0 points per game, 7.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists this past season. He shot 42 percent from the field and 44 percent from the three-point line.

Lastly, Zach Mills – a 6-foot-5, 210-pound forward – played his last two years at Irvine Valley College – the same college that Eberhard attended before coming to Sac State.

As team captain, Mills averaged 14.6 points per game, 8.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 0.8 steals per game. He shot 49 percent from the field and 43 percent from three-point territory.

“Zach has the potential to be a very good play right away knowing that he has the experience of playing two years at the JC level,” Garrity said. “He can spread the floor with his shooting – similar to what Joe did last season for us.”

Katz said he is not worried about how many minutes one player will get over the other because the course of the season will dictate the managing of when and who plays, and for how long.

“Our roster has the most depth we have ever had – no question about it,” Katz said. “In the course of the season, you’re going to run into injuries and you want to have as much depth as you can in a 29-game season to compensate for the loss of a player.”

 

Gavbe can be reached on Twitter at @sh_sports