2008 Woodie Awards
Bengal men's basketball signs four JCs
Courtesy of ISU Athletics Press Release
Issue date: 4/23/08 Section: Sports
Last season with the College of Eastern Utah, Bay started in 16 of 29 games as a point guard, and he was third on the team in scoring at 11.7 points per game. He led the Golden Eagles with 82 assists, and he was superb from beyond the arc, going 75-for-163, a .460 clip. Bay was also outstanding from the line, shooting .877 for the season, and he added 20 steals as well. Bay only played one year at Eastern Utah, having transferred there from the University of Colorado, where he played under Ricardo Patton. At CU, Bay averaged 6.3 points per game as a part-time starter, averaging over 21.5 minutes per game. He shot .355 from three-point range and .786 from the free throw line. Twice he scored a season-high 21 points in a game, against Central Florida and Oklahoma State. He was a first team All-State pick and Conference Player of the Year at Marcos Deniza High School in Chandler, Arizona.
Busma is a highly coveted big man from Western Nebraska Community College, and he originally hails from Klaipeda, Lithuania. Busma is a 7-0, 240 center who played last season at WNCC under former Bengal Brian Joyce. Busma played in all 31 games, averaging 9.1 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. He shot .524 (119-of-227) from the field. Busma got better and stronger as his sophomore year went on, scoring in double-figures in 18 games, including 14 of his final 17. He had nine double-doubles, and he had 12 double-digit rebounding games, including a pair of 20-rebound efforts and a 19-rebound game as well.
Taylor is a 6-3, 175 pound guard out of Manatee Community College in Florida, although he originally hails from Saginaw, Michigan. Last year under coach Reggie Bellamy, he played in 29 games, averaging 15.0 points per game and 7.0 boards. Taylor shot well from the field at .465 (121-for-260), scoring a season-high of 27 points against Daytona Beach Community College. Taylor was a First Team All-Sun Coast Conference selection, as well as an NJCAA Region 8 All-Tournament Team pick. On Feb. 17, he was the Florida Community College Athletic Association Player of the Week after averaging 22.5 points and 9.0 boards. The selection is significant since the FCCAA consists of 21 schools.
O'Brien, recently inducted into the NJCAA Basketball Hall of Fame, added "Our ability to score inside and from the perimeter, to rebound the basketball, and to defend - all improved today, as well as our depth. With eight returning experienced players and the addition of these four young men we are now only one player away from completing our 2008-09 roster. We took a big step forward towards our goal of winning a Big Sky Championship this morning."
O'Brien also addressed the one remaining open scholarship slot. "Our final scholarship will be filled with a high school guard and we are optimistic that will happen within the next two weeks."
The 2008-09 season opens officially on Friday, Nov. 14 when the Bengals host Eastern Oregon University.
Busma is a highly coveted big man from Western Nebraska Community College, and he originally hails from Klaipeda, Lithuania. Busma is a 7-0, 240 center who played last season at WNCC under former Bengal Brian Joyce. Busma played in all 31 games, averaging 9.1 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. He shot .524 (119-of-227) from the field. Busma got better and stronger as his sophomore year went on, scoring in double-figures in 18 games, including 14 of his final 17. He had nine double-doubles, and he had 12 double-digit rebounding games, including a pair of 20-rebound efforts and a 19-rebound game as well.
Taylor is a 6-3, 175 pound guard out of Manatee Community College in Florida, although he originally hails from Saginaw, Michigan. Last year under coach Reggie Bellamy, he played in 29 games, averaging 15.0 points per game and 7.0 boards. Taylor shot well from the field at .465 (121-for-260), scoring a season-high of 27 points against Daytona Beach Community College. Taylor was a First Team All-Sun Coast Conference selection, as well as an NJCAA Region 8 All-Tournament Team pick. On Feb. 17, he was the Florida Community College Athletic Association Player of the Week after averaging 22.5 points and 9.0 boards. The selection is significant since the FCCAA consists of 21 schools.
O'Brien, recently inducted into the NJCAA Basketball Hall of Fame, added "Our ability to score inside and from the perimeter, to rebound the basketball, and to defend - all improved today, as well as our depth. With eight returning experienced players and the addition of these four young men we are now only one player away from completing our 2008-09 roster. We took a big step forward towards our goal of winning a Big Sky Championship this morning."
O'Brien also addressed the one remaining open scholarship slot. "Our final scholarship will be filled with a high school guard and we are optimistic that will happen within the next two weeks."
The 2008-09 season opens officially on Friday, Nov. 14 when the Bengals host Eastern Oregon University.
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