July 23, 2007

Future Looks Bright With Addition of Talented Recruits

As the Pacific Lutheran University men’s basketball team gears up for the 2007-08 season, the future of the program looks brighter with the addition of some talented athletes. PLU head coach Steve Dickerson has announced that seven high school seniors have made the commitment to attend PLU and play basketball for the Lutes.

“We are really excited about this recruiting class,” Dickerson said, “not only because they are excellent student-athletes who come from solid programs, but they are team leaders who have also made a difference in their communities.”

Kyle MacTaggart, a 6-4 wing out of Millennium High School in Goodyear, Ariz., was a two-year team captain as well as two-time pick for first team West Valley and all-region. He averaged 15.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game as a senior. Off the court, MacTaggart earned the scholar-athlete award his junior and senior years.

Another future Lute from the Grand Canyon State is Kell Duncan, who earned four letters at Agua Fria High School in Avondale. Duncan is a 6-5 post that presents a great outside threat. Along with being team captain as a senior, Kell was recipient of the Phoenix Suns/Qwest Leadership Challenge college scholarship. Kell was twice the Owl Pride coach’s award recipient and a four-time scholar-athlete award winner.

The third out-of-state recruit is 6-7 Victor Bull from San Francisco, Calif. “Victor has excellent inside presence. He will control the block both offensively and defensively,” said Dickerson. Bull, from St. Ignatius Prep High School, was captain of his team as a senior and earned second team all-league honors after averaging 9.9 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Bull is a counselor for Camp ReCreation, a camp for disabled youths and adults. He also traveled to Mexico to help build homes for needy families and participated in the 2005 African American Summit for Jesuit Schools.

Tommy Begalka from Richland, Matt Dressler from Vancouver, and Curtis Trondsen from Shelton, have also committed to playing at Pacific Lutheran. Begalka, a 6-2 guard, earned first team all-conference and all-area honors this year while playing for Hanford High School. He finished second in Columbia Basin League scoring with 16.6 points per game, and was a Tri-City Herald All-Area first team selection. Dressler, the younger brother of current Lute guard Josh Dressler, played at Evergreen High School and is a 6-4 post/wing who has the skills to play near the basket or on the perimeter. He was honorable mention all-league and voted most improved. Trondsen, a 6-5 post/wing, earned all-league honors at Shelton High School after averaging approximately 20 points and six rebounds per game.

Gregory Bogdan, who helped lead Portland’s Grant High School to the Oregon 6A state tournament, became the final piece to the PLU recruiting puzzle in late June. Bogdan earned honorable mention All-Portland Interscholastic League (PIL) recognition following his junior and senior seasons. As a senior, he averaged 10 points, six assists and five rebounds for Grant High, which finished the season with an 18-8 record. “Greg is a tenacious defender with a team-first mentality and will make an immediate impact in this program,” second-year PLU head coach Steve Dickerson said. “We are excited that Greg is coming to PLU.”

“Adding Greg Bogdan to this group makes this a very special recruiting class,” Dickerson said. “All of these young men are great players, students and leaders.”

- PLU -