Men's Basketball Signs Three To National Letters Of Intent
11/9/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 9, 2005
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State men's basketball head coach Tom Izzo announced Wednesday that three players have signed National Letters of Intent to attend Michigan State next fall and play for the 2006-07 Spartan basketball team.
The signees include Isaiah Dahlman (G/F, 6-6, 185, Braham, Minn./Braham Area), Tom Herzog (C, 7-0, 220, Flint, Mich./Powers Catholic) and Raymar Morgan (F, 6-7, 210, Canton, Ohio/McKinley).
"The best thing about this recruiting class is that all three players are winners," said Izzo. "Last season, their teams went a combined 80-4. They all come from great programs where they were very well coached and that will aid them in the transition to our program. I think there's something to knowing how to win. Players that know how to win do better in our program. To win at their level, to win that number of games, you're putting something in; you just don't get there. Those are the kind of guys I like to have around. I'm also excited that all three guys are gym rats who are going to put in the extra time. Not only are they talented players, but they each have the work ethic that will allow them to get even better."
Isaiah Dahlman (G/F, 6-6, 185, Braham, Minn./Braham Area) - Averaged 28.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists as a junior at Braham Area High School ... Led Braham to back-to-back Class 2A state championships, winning 58 straight games ... His team posted a 33-0 record in his junior season, finishing with a No. 19 national and a No. 4 regional ranking from USA Today ... Earned 2005 Associated Press Player of the Year honors in Minnesota, while being the only junior on the AP all-state first team ... Named the 2004 and 2005 Class 2A Player of the Year by Minnesota Basketball News ... Named to Street and Smith's All-America Fourth Team ... Rated the No. 15 small forward and No. 70 player overall by Scout.com and the No. 27 shooting guard and the No. 106 player overall by Rivals.com ... Averaged 27.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists as a sophomore, leading Braham to a Class 2A state championship ... 2004 Associated Press all-state honoree ... 2004 and 2005 conference MVP, earning all-conference honors as a freshman, sophomore and junior ... Participated in the 2005 USA Basketball Youth Development Festival .. Grandson of Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer John Kundla, former coach of the Minneapolis Lakers and Minnesota Golden Gophers ... Also a standout wide receiver and defensive back for high school football team ... Plays for Coach Bob Vaughan at Braham Area High School.
Izzo on Dahlman - "Isaiah Dahlman is a 6-6 wing player in the mold of a Morris Peterson, in that he gives us a wing player with good size and length. He has a wide variety of moves and is very good with the ball, allowing him to score inside or outside. Not only is he a multi-dimensional player, but he's also a multi-sport player who is very good on the football field. Over the summer, he probably played too much basketball and dropped in some of the rankings, but he was always high on our list and we believe he has all the tools to be a special player."
Tom Herzog (C, 7-0, 220, Flint, Mich./Powers Catholic) - Averaged 17.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 5.0 blocks as a junior at Powers Catholic High School ... 2005 Associated Press Class B All-State selection ... Earned 2005 Class B All-State accolades from The Detroit News and Detroit Free Press ... 2005 first-team all-conference selection ... Led Powers Catholic to a 21-3 record, losing in the regional semifinals ... Shot 69 percent from the floor ... Street and Smith's All-America high honorable mention honoree ... Rated the No. 8 center and No. 53 player overall by Rivals.com and the No. 11 center and No. 52 player overall by Scout.com ... Averaged 14.5 points, 10.0 rebounds and 4.5 blocks as a sophomore ... 2004 second-team all-conference honoree ... Participated in the 2005 USA Basketball Youth Development Festival ... Plays for Coach Jack Pratt at Powers Catholic High School ... A member of his school's honor roll, he carries a near-4.0 GPA.
Izzo on Herzog - "At 7 feet, Tom Herzog is arguably the longest player we've ever had. He is a kid who has made tremendous improvements in his game over the last year. His specialty has always been the ability to rebound and block shots with his great timing, but he has also developed some offensive moves and toughness over the last year. He has great work ethic, which he showed when I had the chance to watch him work out with his coach at 6 a.m. This summer he really impressed me with his play against some of the top competition in the country. He's well proportioned and if he continues to make improvements, he has the chance to be great."
Raymar Morgan (F, 6-7, 210, Canton, Ohio/McKinley) - Averaged 18.0 points and 8.5 rebounds as a junior at Canton McKinley High School ... Led McKinley to a 26-1 record and a Division 1 state championship, recording 18 points and six rebounds in a 51-42 victory over St. Xavier in the state finals ... 2005 Associated Press Division I second-team honoree ... Also earned all-league, all-district and all-county honors as a junior ... Earned MVP honors as a junior ... Won the 2005 AND1 High School Basketball Championship in late June, earning MVP honors ... Rated the No. 8 small forward and No. 28 player overall by Scout.com and the No. 15 small forward and the No. 48 player overall by Rivals.com ... Street and Smith's All-America high honorable mention honoree ... Averaged 13.6 points and 7.0 rebounds as a sophomore ... 2004 first-team all-county honoree ... Shooting 61.7 percent from the field for his career ... Attends the same high school as former Spartan Eric Snow ... Plays for coach Dave Hoover at McKinley High School.
Izzo on Morgan - "Raymar Morgan gives us great versatility. He's a multi-dimensional player that can play different positions. He has great defensive skills and the ability to defend four positions. He's also a very good rebounder. The thing that impresses me is how much I saw him working on his game over the summer. He has greatly improved his ball handling and continues to work on developing his shooting. His work ethic gives him the potential to become a great player. It's great to go back to Eric Snow's old high school and get another future Spartan."