#MarchMadness is in full swing, it’s snowing outside, and we’re still dreaming of the W&M Tribe one day making the NCAA Tournament. I mean, did you see what the #16-seed UMBC Retrievers did to the #1-OVERALL seed UVA Cavaliers? One can dream. So moving on from our “Way Too Early Preview” article we wrote last week, we realized we need to learn more about the new guys — the freshmen.

Of course the offseason has just begun, and Head Coach Tony Shaver‘s staff still has time to land a late high school recruit or a transfer student. But any way you slice it, next year’s squad will be very young. As of right now, 4 out of 10 players currently slated to be on the team next year are freshmen — that’s almost half the team! Of course, this will likely change, but it won’t change significantly.

So who are these freshmen? It’s time to dive deep and learn more about the new faces that will be arriving to the ‘Burg this Fall.

L.J. Owens (Fr.)

• Height: 6’3″
• Weight: 165
• Position: Combo Guard
• Hometown/High School: Annapolis, MD/Severn School
• Other Notable Offers: Kansas State, Navy, Saint Joe’s, UMBC, Radford, Towson, Hofstra
• Twitter Account: @ljowens_11

via TribeAthletics.com:

“Three-star recruit and ranked in the top 20 in the state of Maryland according to ESPN.com … Named the Capital Gazette Communications boys basketball Player of the Year in 2017 … Averaged 23 points, 5.8 rebounds and four assists as a junior to help Severn School to a 19-10 record and a spot in the MIAA B Conference semifinals … Selected as the Anne Arundel County Player of the Year as a junior … A four-year starter at Severn School … A three-time First Team All-MIAA selection … Earned first team all-county honors the last two years after being a second-team choice as a freshman … Chose the Tribe from over 20 Division I scholarship offers … Scored 1,434 points through his first three seasons at Severn … Played the UAA for D.C. Blue Devils 17U and coach Richardo Rush … Played AAU for Maryland 3D and coach Mike Gielen … A member of Multiculural Alliance club in high school … Was a honor roll student as a junior … Attended the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Conference as a sophomore.”

Thornton Scott (Fr.)

• Height: 6’5″
• Weight: 178
• Position: Point Guard
• Hometown/High School: Glen Cove, NY/Holy Trinity/Vermont Academy
• Other Notable Offers: UMBC, Elon, American
• Twitter Account: @Iso_tscottyy 
• Highlight Tape: via Hudl

via TribeAthletics.com:

“A four-year letter winner at Holy Trinity, before enrolling for a postgraduate year at Vermont Academy of the NEPSAC in 2017-18 … Missed the majority of his senior season at Holy Trinity in 2016-17, but returned to average 18 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists per game over his final month … Averaged 16.5 points and hit 40 3-pointers in 2015-16 … Twice scored 30 points against McClancy in December of 2015 and vs. St. John the Baptist in January 2016 … Averaged 11 points, five rebounds and four assists as a sophomore in 2014-15 … A team captain during each of his final three seasons at Holy Trinity … A three-time all-league selection … Named team MVP in 2016 … Was the 2013 New York state free throw champion in 2013 … Chose the Tribe from over 15 Division I scholarship offers … Played AAU for Crown Basketball … Helped the program to titles at the Live in AC event and the Buzzer Beater Classic in 2017… Named the MVP of the Buzzer Beater Classic and was recognized as one of the best shooters at the Live in AC event after hitting seven 3-pointers in the semifinals.”

Quinn Blair (Fr.)

• Height: 6’6″
• Weight: 220
• Position: Guard/Forward
• Hometown/High School: Livonia, Mich./Dearborn Divine Child
• Other Notable Offers: Penn, Columbia, Brown, Dartmouth
• Twitter Account: @qblair21

via TribeAthletics.com:

“A three-time all-state selection in Michigan … A Class B All-State pick in 2017 after earning third-team honors as a sophomore … A freshman all-state selection in 2015 … Averaged 20 points, eight rebounds and three assists per game as a junior, leading Divine Child to the 2017 Detroit Catholic League AA Championship and the district championship … A three-time all-league selection … Named All-Catholic in both 2016 and 2017 … Selected to the Detroit All-West First Team in 2016 … Ranked one of the top 20 players in the state of Michigan regardless of class … Led Divine Child to a 17-6 record as a sophomore, averaging 17 points, 8.5 rebounds and four assists per game … Scored his 1,000th career point in March of 2016 … Played AAU for Detroit REACH Legends… A First Team All-NY2A Basketball Association pick in 2016 and a second-team selection in 2017 … A three-year letterwinner in football at Divine Child as a wide receiver, quarterback and linebacker … Helped program to back-to-back Catholic League, District and Regional Championships in 2016 and 2017 … A two-time all-league pick on the gridiron and an All-Catholic selection as a senior … Recorded 31 catches for 400 yards and eight touchdowns in 2016 … Chose W&M from 19 Division I scholarship offers.”

Chase Audige (Fr.)

• Height: 6’4″
• Weight: 190
• Position: Combo Guard
• Hometown/High School: Coram, N.Y./The Hill School (Pa.)
• Other Notable Offers: Saint Joe’s, Saint Louis, Hofstra, Towson
• Twitter Account: @ChaseAudige 

via TribeAthletics.com:

“A three-star recruit according to 247 Sports … Ranked as No. 313 nationally, the 76th-best shooting guard and No. 8 in the state of Pennsylvania according to 247 Sports … Playing his third and final high school season at The Hill School in Pottstown, Pa., in 2017-18 … A stat-sheet stuffer averaging 15.2 points, four rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.3 steals per game as a junior at The Hill School … Named the team’s most improved player in 2017 … Selected All-MAPL First Team as a junior … Helped the Hill School to a 20-win season in 2016-17, an undefeated home record for the first time in three decades, the Mercer Invitational Tournament Championship and an appearance in the Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association (PAISSA) Semifinals … Turned in a strong PAISSA tournament, tallying a team-high 21 points to go with six rebounds and five assists in an OT loss to InterAc Champion Episcopal Academy in the semifinals after turning in a 22-point, seven-assist, six-rebound, four-steal stat line vs. Haverford School in the quarterfinals … Hit the game-winning free throws and scored 20 points in the Mercer Invitational Tournament Championship win over Kent School (Conn.) … Named a captain for the 2017-18 season at The Hill School … Played in the 2017 Nike EYBL for PSA Cardinals, averaging 7.1 points per game, including a high of 14 against Wisconsin Playground Elite … Played AAU for the Black Mambas and Long Island Lightning as well.”

Wrap Up

As you can see, Tony Shaver and the coaching staff outdid themselves this year, landing four freshmen with big-time potential. The only piece missing for next year’s roster is another big man behind Nathan Knight, but we’re hoping Shaver can work some magic before the season starts. Either way, we’re excited to see these four freshmen work their way into the rotation over the years to come, and trust that they will carry the program to new heights. The future of Tribe basketball is in good hands. LET’S GO TRIBE!!!