Lehigh announces class of 2007
9/16/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Lehigh head coach Billy Taylor has announced the signing of four student-athletes who will join the Lehigh Mountain Hawks basketball program in the Fall 2003 semester. Jason Mgebroff, Kyle Neptune, Sheldon Stewart, and Jose Olivero will all play a major role in continuing Lehigh's momentous rise in college basketball. The 2002-03 season was full of notable accomplishments for first year head coach Billy Taylor. Lehigh posted one of the most exciting turnarounds in the nation, with an 11-game improvement over the previous year - second best in all of NCAA Division I. Taylor, Lehigh's winningest first year coach, was also named Patriot League Coach of the Year for his efforts. Mgebroff, Neptune, Stewart, and Olivero represent Taylor's first full recruiting class at Lehigh. Jason Mgebroff is a 6'10", 270-pound center from Kentwood High School in Kent, Washington. Accolades for Mgebroff include a third place finish in this year’s Washington State Tournament, a first team All-South Puget Sound League selection as a junior, as well as setting a single season record with an 82% free throw mark. Over the last two seasons Mgebroff averaged 11.5 points per game, 6.7 rebounds per contest, and shot 60% from the floor. He garnered two King County Journal Student-Athlete of the Week awards as well. "Jason Mgebroff is a talented and skilled post player," noted head coach Billy Taylor. "With his size and strength, he provides an interior presence on the defensive end. Offensively, he has very good post moves to go along with a nice jump shot. Jason has recovered from his injuries of last season, and as he continues to work and improve, his best days are ahead of him." Kyle Neptune comes to Lehigh from Brooklyn, New York’s Brooklyn Friends High School. Neptune is a 6’4", 185-pound guard who led his team to the Class C State Federation Championship. He was a 1,000-point scorer, an All-City selection, and was named MSG Athlete of the Week. During his junior and senior seasons, Neptune averaged more than 25 points and 12 rebounds per contest, while managing almost three blocks, steals, and assists per game. Neptune also scored 50 points in a contest as a senior. "Kyle is an explosive wing scorer," said Taylor. "He has the ability to play the guard and forward positions and is a proven scorer, having been named first team All-City, along with having the experience of many different defenses geared towards containing his offense. He demonstrated great leadership in advancing his team to the New York State Federation Championship. Kyle brings tremendous energy on the floor and is constantly looking to attack his opponent." Sheldon Stewart stands 6'6" tall and weighs in at 205-pounds. Stewart will be looked at the fill one of two vacant forward positions. Stewart comes to Lehigh from north of the border in Orleans, Ontario. While in Orleans, Stewart attended St. Matthew’s High School where he was twice selected to represent the Ontario Provincial Team in the Canadian Juvenile National Tournament. Stewart averaged 23 points and nine rebounds per contest as a senior and was ranked within the top 25 in Canada by the Nike All-Canada Camp. "Sheldon is a versatile forward," Taylor pointed out. "He is tough and strong with the ability to play in the low post. Sheldon is also skilled and quick enough to play and defend smaller players. He is an excellent shooter and rugged rebounder with a knack for the ball. Sheldon has played at a high level in Canada, and he should be able to make a smooth transition to D-I basketball." Lehigh’s final signee is Jose Olivero. Olivero is a 6’1", 180-pound guard that hails from Fairfax, Virginia. Olivero attended W.T. Woodson High School and as a senior averaged 24.6 points per game. Olivero secured his spot as one of Woodson's all-time leading scorers with 1,570 career points. While at Woodson, he earned mentions on the All-Region, All-District, All-Metro, and All-State teams, while maintaining membership in the National and Spanish Honor Socities. "Jose is a terrific guard who has speed, ball handling, and shooting ability," said Taylor. "He is an intense competitor with a burning passion for the game. Jose provides a coach on the floor with his knowledge of the game and situations. His work ethic is amazing as he is always looking to develop his game and his body. Jose is highly motivated and a vocal leader on and off the court." In addition to the four newcomers, Lehigh returns 11 players from the 2002-03 squad that went 16-12, including co-captains Austen Rowland and Ra Tiah. For more information, contact Posted on April 30, 2003.
