Men’s basketball signs four players to complete 2014-15 recruiting class

State Hornet Staff

Sacramento State men’s basketball received four new players for its 2014-15 roster that looks to improve on the success it made last season. 

Mason Stuteville, Jiday Ugbaja, James Herrick and Marcus Graves all signed their of intent to play basketball at Sac State. 

The four players will join incoming freshman Justin Strings who signed earlier this year. 

Mason Stuteville is a 5-foot-10 forward, the younger brother of freshman center Eric Stutetville and a local product of Casa Roble High School in Orangevale.

Last season he averaged 16.5 points, 9.8 rebounds and shot 55 percent from the field. 

Joining Mason in the front court is James Herrick from Douglas High School in Minden, Nev. As a three-year varsity player, Herrick finished with 12 double-doubles his senior season. 

Ugbaja comes to Sac State from Archbishop Riordan High School in San Francisco where the point guard quickly jumped to the varsity level during his senior season. 

At Riordan, he was named team captain his senior season.

“Jiday is an athletic guard with power and explosiveness,” said Hornets’ head coach Brian Katz. “He fits the mould of what we look for in our perimeter players.”

By the end of the season he scored more than 20 points on 15 occasions and set the school record for with 80 3-point shots made. 

Joining Ugbaja in the backcourt wis Marcus Graves who Katz describes as a player similar to junior point guard Dylan Garrity.

“He is a shooter that can drive,” Katz said. “Marcus’ eyes are always up in the open court and in the on-ball, and he has a very good feel and understanding for the game of basketball.”

During high school at Westview in San Diego, he led his team to the CIF San Diego Section quarterfinals, scoring 17.6 points and 5.6 rebounds in 29 games his senior season.

Although Graves attended three different high schools in three years because of his father being a coach in the NFL, Westview head coach Kyle Smith said he is the ultimate team player and just wants to make his teammates better.

The Hornets finished the 2013-14 season 14-16 and return nine players in 2014-15.

Ryan can be reached on Twitter at @rskuhn