Leslie has secured a pair of NCAA Division I transfers, 2 junior college transfers and 4 incoming high school players to solidify the foundation of a team that returns 6 players from last year’s 29-7 squad that advanced to the NAIA Elite Eight.
“I’m very pleased with this recruiting class and that fact that we were able to address all areas of need,” said Leslie. “We’ve added size and skill to our frontline, athleticism and talent to our wings, and experience and quickness to our backcourt. Combined with what we have coming back, I would expect us to be very competitive next year.”
Heading the list of newcomers is Dave Burgess, a 6-foot-10 junior center out of Gonzaga University, who has 2 seasons of eligibility remaining on his slate. A former all-state third team selection out of Woodbridge High in Irvine, Calif., Burgess averaged over 17 points and 12 rebounds a game during his final 2 seasons at Woodbridge and was a 2-time All-CIF first team selection. He spent a season-and-a-half at BYU before playing the second half of the 2006-07 campaign Gonzaga. At 6-foot-10, Burgess offers Azusa Pacific its most notable post presence in nearly 2 decades.
Former Glendora (Calif.) High standout Davon Roberts returns to his neighborhood to finish his college career. The 6-foot-6 senior forward appeared in 83 games at Sacramento State the past 3 seasons, cracking the starting line-up toward the close of the 2007 season. Last season he averaged 4.5 points and 3.4 rebounds while setting a Sacramento State (NCAA Division I) school record by converting his field goals at a .593 (51-for-86) clip. While at Glendora High, he was a 2-time All-CIF first-team honoree and Sierra League MVP. As a 2004 senior, he averaged 20.4 points and 9.8 rebounds. His finest single-game effort came in 2004 when he tallied 24 points, 22 rebounds and 10 blocked shots in a Tartan victory over Alta Loma (Calif.) High.
Another high impact newcomer is Kimarley Williams, an explosive 6-foot-3 swingman out of Porterville (Calif.) College. An alum of South Shore High School in Brooklyn, N.Y., Williams earned All-Central Valley Conference first team recognition this past season after averaging 21.0 points and 6.1 rebounds for Porterville. He registered 5 30-point games during the 2007 campaign, including a career-high effort of 34 points on the strength of 7 3-pointers vs. Merced (Calif.) College. Earlier in that same week of play Williams recorded 29 points, 7 rebounds, 7 steals and 4 blocked shots in leading the Pirates to an upset of the state’s No. 6-ranked West Hills College. Those 2 games were part of a midseason outburst in which Williams averaged 25 points and 6.7 rebounds over a 9-game stretch.
Christaan Hammond, a 5-foot-7 junior point guard from Columbia Basin College in Pasco, Wash., has committed as well to Azusa Pacific, giving the Cougars some much-needed backcourt depth. Hammond averaged 14.2 points and 4.5 assists during his CBC career. This past season he led the Hawks to a 24-7 record by averaging team-highs of 15.2 points and 5.3 assists.
Out of the high school ranks, Leslie had added to the Cougar den Nigel Ajere, a 6-foot-5 All-CIF first-team forward of out Pasadena (Calif.) High, Caleb Burgess (no relation to Dave), a 6-foot-5, 200-pound forward out of Calvary Chapel High in Santa Ana, Calif., Darin Stewart, a 6-foot-3 guard from La Lumiere School in La Porte, Ind., and Troy Baugh, a 6-foot-4 guard/forward from La Salle High in Pasadena, Calif.
“From a standpoint of character and work ethic, this is a great group of men,” said Leslie. “I’m looking forward to leading them on and off the court and continuing the high standard that is Azusa Pacific basketball.”
Azusa Pacific is currently scheduled to open the 2007-08 season and the Leslie era Nov. 16 against Bethany College.
