Talented Recruiting Class Taken Shape
Kearney, Neb. – Nebraska-Kearney head men's basketball coach Kevin Lofton announced today that Taden King, Damiri Lindo (pronounced dah-meer-e) and Donavan Short will take to the courts for the Lopers this winter. King (6-4, 195 lbs.) and Lindo (6-5, 210 lbs.) are both left handers who have two years of eligibility remaining. A combo guard, Lindo played his first two years Division II Holy Names (Calif.) University with King, a wing, spending two years at JUCO power North Idaho College (Coeur d'Alene). Next, Short (6-10, 220 lbs.) is a center who has three years left after spending last winter at Division I Wisconsin-Green Bay. These are UNK's first recruits since Mullen star Clayton Moore (6-4, 180 lbs.) came aboard in the fall. The Lopers will announce more additions to the roster soon. "The collegiate experience these three bring in is something that we needed. The learning curve for them will be a little less," said Lofton. "They've all played against good college competition and will contribute right away." Hailing from Rexburg, Idaho, King helped the NIC Cardinals win 48 games over the past two seasons. A right-hander who shoots left-handed, he was at 15.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game in helping the Cards go 28-1 and win a league title this year. Earning first-team All-Region honors and being tabbed an NABC (National Basketball Coaches Assoc.) NWAC All-American, King sunk 111 threes the past two years. He shot 78% from the line, 45% from behind the arc and recorded nine 20-point games. At Rexburg's Madison High, he was part of a program that reached four straight Class 5A state tournaments. He was a first-team all-region and all-state pick who won a statewide three-point shooting contest as a senior. "Taden is a high-level three-point shooter, a solid defender and someone who is descriptively quick and can get to the basket," said Lofton. Lindo (Oakland) began his college career by taking a redshirt year at Holy Names which is closing its doors after the 2023 spring semester. He was a two-year starter for the Hawks with career averages of 9.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. Making 80% of his free throws and sinking 41 threes, Lindo had 26 double digit games as a Hawk. He prepped at Saint Mary's College High where he was team captain who averaged 17 points per game as a senior. "Damiri is a very explosive player who can get downhill quickly and finishes at the rim well," said Lofton. "He also has the ability to hit the three-point and can run the point when needed." Short was regarded as one of the top prep players coming out of Wisconsin in 2021-22. A two-time first-team Division III all-state pick for the Demark (Wisc.) High Vikings, he was the highest rated recruit in UWGB history. A slew of Division I schools showed interest with USC and Virginia Tech among those making offers. However, he decided to stay close to home and got a chance to play with his older brother, Zane, at Green Bay. He appeared in 23 games (one start) and tallied 49 points, 30 rebounds and six blocks overall. He also appeared in games against Wisconsin, Stanford, Oregon State and Georgetown with his fast-break dunk against IUPUI in December making him the top play on SportsCenter's "Top Ten" that night. At DHS, Short left as the all-time leading scoring, tallying over 1,500 points, breaking a record held by his brother. Averaging around 23 points and nine rebounds per game over his last two years, Short had three 40-point efforts as a junior. "We're really excited about Donavan. He has the ability to help us establish a presence around the basket, both offensively and defensively," said Lofton. "Donavan also can step out and hit shots from the perimeter."
Among the Loper returners in 2023-24 are Wahoo super senior forward Winston Cook, Colorado junior guards Sean Evans and Tom Connelly and South Dakota redshirt junior froward Ryder Kirsch.
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