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PROVO, Utah (Nov. 12, 2008) - BYU men's basketball coach Dave Rose today announced that four players have committed to play for the Cougars by signing national letters of intent. Two of the signees plan to play for BYU next season and two plan to serve two-year missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints before enrolling.
Joining the two-time defending Mountain West Conference champions for the 2009-10 season will be 6-foot-4 guard Tyler Haws out Lone Peak High School and 6-foot-9 forward Brandon Davies out of Provo High School. Big men Nate Austin from Lone Peak and Ian Harward from Orem High School, both 6-foot-10, plan to complete their missionary service before enrolling at BYU.
"We're very excited about this year's fall recruiting class," Rose said. "We feel they'll be great players for our program. They will be good teammates and add size, skill and athleticism to our team."
A versatile and high-energy wing player, Haws has led Lone Peak to back-to-back 5A state titles under coach Quincy Lewis. Haws averaged 20.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game as a junior while helping Lone Peak to a 23-2 overall record. He was named the 2008 Utah Mr. Basketball — only the second junior to earn the honor — and the 2008 Gatorade Utah boys basketball player of the year. Haws's father Marty Haws was an all-conference selection at BYU.
Haws is a two-time first-team all-state honoree and has been named the 5A tournament MVP the past two seasons. This past summer he was the only boys basketball player from Utah that participated in the Reebok All-America camp in Philadelphia, which featured 100 of the top high school players from around the country. Stanford, Cal, Davidson, Harvard, Wake Forest and Penn also recruited Haws.
"Tyler (Haws) is the ultimate competitor," Rose said. "He possesses a unique combination of toughness and skill. He has a nice midrange jumper, can shoot the three and finishes very well at the basket."
An athletic big man and excellent low post scorer, Davies has helped lead Provo High School to back-to-back 4A state titles under Craig Drury. Known for his ability to run the floor and his soft hands, Davies plays for the Utah Pump N Run AAU team coached by Mike O'Connor. Davies was recently named to the Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West Second Team along with Haws.
"Brandon (Davies) is a very versatile player," Rose said. "He can play with his back to the basket or step out and play on the perimeter. He's a great rebounder and runs the floor very well."
A traditional low post player, Harward will bring size to the Cougar roster following his mission. Harward plays well with his back to the basketball and has range out to 15 feet. He plays for the Pump N Run for O'Connor, the new head coach at Orem High. He was previously coached at Orem by Mike Conner. This summer Harward registered 35 points, 13 rebounds and 10 blocks in a Tri-City Tournament game near Seattle.
"I like Ian's (Harward) work ethic," Rose said. "He plays with energy and passion and is skilled in the post and is a good rebounder and shot blocker."
A big man with perimeter skills, Austin is a teammate of Haws at Lone Peak High. A reserve on last season's state championship team, Austin had an excellent spring and summer. At the Las Vegas Spring Showcase Austin scored 24 points and grabbed 22 rebounds in a gold bracket quarterfinal game. Austin is known for his work ethic and can step out and shoot the three as well as play on the post.
"Nate (Austin) has a unique combination of size and skill," Rose said. "He can stretch the defense with his perimeter shooting, has great basketball instincts and runs well for a player his size."
