BURNABY, BC – Simon Fraser University men's basketball head coach Steve Hanson announced that Matt Kiatipis, David Penney and Colten Northrop have signed National Letters of Intent to join Canada's NCAA team this Fall.
Matt Kiatipis – Newmarket, ON / Cape Fear Academy
Position: Guard
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 190
Club Team: CIA Bounce
Hanson: "We are excited to get a tough and physical guard in Matt Kiatipis from Cape Fear Academy in North Carolina. With Matt's athleticism and strength, we expect him to be able to compete right away. We are extremely excited to bring in another tremendous student-athlete, who plans on entering the Beedie School of Business in 2019."
Matt Kiatipis is a multi-sport athlete who is currently the starting point guard for the Cape Fear Academy varsity basketball team in Wilmington, NC. Arriving atthe American prep school prior to his sophom*ore year of high school, he is also a track and field sprinter and a three-time North Carolina State Champion in the 100-metre, 200-metre and 400-metre.
As a student, Kiatipis had been on the HonourRoll for three consecutive years at Cape Fear Academy and was previously a two-time academic honour roll student at Sacred Heart High School. At SFU, he plans to study business with the career goal of playing professional basketball or owning a company.
Why SFU? "The University was a great fit for me. Being Canadian, it was humbling to be recruited by the best basketball program in the country with some of the most challenging academic programs out there."
David Penney – Guelph, ON / Middleburg Academy
Position: Point Guard
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 177
Club Team: Guelph Phoenix
Hanson: "David is a tough court general that leads by example. He brings tenacity, leadership and a strong work ethic we expect in our student-athletes. He has played excellent competition at Middleburg Academy the past two years and this experience will serve him well coming into the NCAA and the GNAC."
A native of Guelph, ON, David Penney is a point guard who currently attends Middleburg Academy in Virginia. He was his team's MVP during his junior year and in his senior season, he averaged 14.6 points and eight assists per game. Over his high school basketball career, Penney had 3,103 points and 1,017 assists and he has been a team captain in every year of varsity basketball. In addition, he was a National Preparatory Association (NPA) All-Star during the 2016-17 season and he participated in the BioSteel Future All-Canadians Game in 2015.
Academically, Penney has been an honour roll student throughout high school and he will be graduating from Middleburg this Summer. In 2016 prior to his move to the US, he was recognized by the Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association as a member of the Academic All-OSBA team. Penney aims to pursue a major in Data Science at SFU this Fall.
Why SFU? "SFU is a great school academically that can put me on the right path after I finish university. I also loved the opportunity to study in Canada while playing in the NCAA. The environment felt welcoming and I felt like I fit in."
Colten Northrop – Richland, WA / Richland HS
Position: Guard
Height: 6'4"
Weight:185
Club Team: Eastern Washington Elite
Hanson: "I first saw Colten play as a Grade 10 starter in the 2017 State Championships in Tacoma and his poise and maturity on the big stage was evident. He is versatile, with good size and has an uncanny ability to score. Playing for Coach Streufert at Richland has prepared him for the GNAC and the level of talent he will see each night."
Colten Northrop is a decorated athlete who has enjoyed tremendous success throughout his high school basketball career. He is a four-year starter for Richland High School, scoring 1,783 career points, and was the team's scoring leader in both his junior and senior seasons. The six-foot-four guard is a three-time Mid-Columbia Conference (MCC) First Team selection and his team earned a pair of fifth place finishes at the WIAA Washington State 4A Championships in 2017 and 2018.
Northrop had a senior season to remember. The Richland Bombers won its seventh-straight league title and he lifted the team to fourth place at the State Championships. In 26 games, he averaged 23 points, three steals, four assists and five boards per game. Northrop was the team MVP and was selected to the State Championships All-Tournament First Team. He also earned the 2018-19 Washington Associated Press All-State First Team honours and was invited to take part in the WIBCA All-State game. Outside of basketball, Colten is an excellent student and he will be working towards a major in Business Administration at Simon Fraser this Fall.
Why SFU? "I chose SFU because it felt like a great school for me the moment I arrived and I wanted to compete at a high level in a competitive conference."
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CoreyNzigamasabo–Montreal, QC / Champlain St. Lambert Cavaliers
Position: Forward
Height: 6'8"
Weight: 220
Club Team: Parc ex Knights
Video Highlights:HERE
Hanson: "Corey has a unique skill set for his size.At 6'8, his ability to ball handle, rebound, shoot and play inside and outside gives us a lot of options offensively and defensively. He will fit right in with our style of play and add another big and athletic piece to our front court."
A two-time all-star, Nzigamasabo averaged 15.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists last season with theChampain St. Lambert Cavaliers, a CEGEP near Montreal, QC who are members of theRESQ (Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec) and the CCAA (Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association).
--@SFUClan--
