Wednesday, August 31, 2005

07/09/2004

Forward Shaun Durant and guard Jason Guyette have signed to play basketball at Lipscomb University.

Durant, 6-foot-8, 250 pounds, is from London, England. Guyette, 6-5, 200 pounds, is from Freeburg, Ill. Both were standouts this past season at Kaskaskia College in Centralia, Ill.

Guyette was named to the Class A All-State Second Team in Illinois for the 2001-2002 season. He averaged 18 points and seven rebounds as a senior as his Freeburg High School team finished the regular undefeated. Guyette earned an MVP award at one tournament and was named to three all-tournament teams as a senior. He averaged 19 points and 10 rebounds as a junior.

"Jason averaged 20 points a game this past season in a league where doing that is really something," said Kaskaskia coach John Cooksey. "As a freshman he averaged 10 points a game, but really blossomed as a sophomore."

The primary reason for his doubling his per game average was his improvement from 3-point shooting range. He scored more than 750 points in two season at Kaskaskia.

"In high school Jason played with his back to the basket," Cooksey said. "Developing his 3-point shooting made him an inside-outside threat. He just had tremendous confidence and as a successful shooter you have to have that swagger. You have to be able to know that you are going to knock the 3-point shots down."

Guyette earned 2003-2004 All-Great River Athletic Conference first team honors and was All-Region 24. He was also third in the league in MVP voting.

Durant is expected to add a strong physical force for the Bisons under the basket. He averaged 15.2 points and a team-leading 9.5 rebounds per game.

"From the moment when he came into the league he was the best post player in terms of production efficiency," Cooksey said. "He is a bull. He is all of 250 pounds. Several of his teammates from last season will tell you that he is a handful physically in every sense of the word. That physicality is going to be a big help with both offensive and defensive rebounding."

Cooksey also likes Durant's work ethic.

"That's the best thing about him," Cooksey said. "He is tremendously self-motivated. He is in excellent physical condition. He made himself a better player. He worked on all the things we asked him to do. He will only get better at Lipscomb."