Men's Basketball September 05, 2023

Men's Basketball Adds Eight Players For Upcoming Season's Class

ALVA, OKLAHOMA – Northwestern Oklahoma State Men's Basketball Head Coach Robbie Harman is announcing his 2023 signees to the basketball program.

Ranger Basketball is adding eight players, which includes six transfers and two freshmen. Among them, includes five guards and three forwards, and players from all different areas of the world. The class includes Three former division one athletes, three D2/NAIA transfers, a local Alva player, and an overseas player from Turkey.

"Going into the summer my staff and I identified a few areas we wanted to improve on for the 23-24 season. One of those was making sure we had length and athleticism at every position. Playing with length will help improve our defense in areas we really struggled at last year. We also needed to add a few guys that can really shoot in order to stretch the floor. Each of the guys we have added I believe addressed both of those needs, and will put us in a place where we can be extremely competitive moving forward" stated head Coach Robbie Harman.

Here is a look into each player according to Head coach Robbie Harman.

Camron McDowell (6'6 G) R-SO – "We are so excited to add Cam to our team. Cam comes to us from University of Georgia and Jacksonville State. At 6'6 he adds great size to our back court, and has the ability to play multiple positions including PG. He is a cerebral play maker that has the ability to be an elite scorer."

Jabiri Smith (6'5 SG) R-JR – "Jabiri is someone we targeted really early on in the recruiting process, and are grateful he will be with us this year. He has an ability to score at all 3 levels especially from 3. He is extremely High IQ, and understands how to score off the ball. He adds the length and shooting ability we need moving into this season."

DaRaun Clark (6'6 G) R-JR – "DaRaun comes to us from Mid-American Christian/UC Colorado Springs. We knew DaRaun was someone we had to have on our roster. His Dad and uncles both played here and have left a lasting legacy as hall of famers. DaRaun is an older proven player at this level, and has the ability to be a high-level scorer. He has already had fourteen 20+ point games and four 30+ point games at the D2/NAIA level."

Justin Norris (6'7 G/F) R-FR – "Justin transferred in from McNeese State University where he redshirted last year. We believe Justin has the ability to be one of the best shooters on our roster if not the GAC. His ability to utilize his size and strength along with his high IQ allows him to play multiple positions and create mismatches for us."

Kabeya "KT" Tshibangu (6'9 W/F) R-SO - "KT transferred in from a tremendous program at Emporia State, and has some valued experience with a team that made the national tournament. He has great size at 6'9, with a skill set that allows him to play both on the perimeter and inside. His length and ability to guard is something that will allow him to anchor our defense."

Kyler Penco (6'5 G) FR – "We signed Kyler from right here in Alva. Sometimes coaches miss on guys that are right in their backyard, but Kyler is a player that we believe will be a major part of this program over the next 4 years. He has a great handle for his size, and his calm demeanor is a trait our staff thinks will translate well at the college level. Kyler was as decorated high school player as any guy we have, and we can't wait to see what he can do here at Northwestern."

Amer Rizvanoglu (6'6 F) FR – "Amer comes all the way from Istanbul, Turkey. He has played against great competition for his club over the last few years. He had the ability to play inside and out, which will allow him to move around a lot for us on offense. We are looking forward to watching him grow his game here in the US."

Josh Lordge (6'1 G) SO – "Josh is a really quick guard that has the ability to get inside of the defense and create shots for us. He is relentless on the ball and is tough enough to guard 1-3. We are excited to see how he develops here."

Northwestern will open the season with Northeastern State and Central Oklahoma in the yearly MIAA / GAC challenge.

For the latest news and updates on NWOSU Athletics, follow @NWOSUAthletics on TWITTER or visit www.riderangersride.com.

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Players Mentioned

#0 DaRaun Clark: G; 6' 6"; Redshirt Junior

#2 Justin Norris: Guard / Forward; 6' 7"; Redshirt Freshman

#3 Camron McDowell: Guard; 6' 6"; Redshirt Sophomore

#10 Jabiri Smith: Guard; 6' 6"; Junior

#13 Kyler Penco: Guard; 6' 5"; Freshman

#30 Amer Rizvanoglu: Forward; 6' 6"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#0 DaRaun Clark
: 6' 6"; Redshirt Junior
: G

#2 Justin Norris
: 6' 7"; Redshirt Freshman
: Guard / Forward

#3 Camron McDowell
: 6' 6"; Redshirt Sophomore
: Guard

#10 Jabiri Smith
: 6' 6"; Junior
: Guard

#13 Kyler Penco
: 6' 5"; Freshman
: Guard

#30 Amer Rizvanoglu
: 6' 6"; Freshman
: Forward