PEORIA, Ill. -- The Bradley men's basketball team doubled its recruiting class for the 2008-09 season Wednesday with the announcement that guards Dorian “Dodie” Dunson (Bloomington, Ill./Bloomington H.S.) and Darian Norris (Las Vegas, Nev./Mojave H.S.) have signed National Letters of Intent to attend Bradley and play basketball for the Braves next year.
“We are excited to add not only two outstanding players, but two quality young men to our program,” said seventh-year Bradley head coach Jim Les. “Obviously the graduation of Jeremy Crouch and Daniel Ruffin creates a large void in our backcourt, but Dodie and Darien have the skills to help fill that void.”
Dorian “Dodie” Dunson ? Guard ? 6-foot-3 ? 190 lbs. ? Blooomington, Ill. ? Bloomington H.S. ? Vincennes University
Dunson will transfer from Vincennes (Ind.) University and will have two years of eligibility remaining for the Braves. As a sophomore in his only season at Vincennes this past year, Dunson helped the Trailblazers to a 28-6 overall record and the NJCAA District 3 Tournament title by averaging 10.7 points, 3.6 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game. The only player to start all 34 games for Vincennes, Dunson shot 35.4 percent from 3-point range, making 58-of-164 long range attempts. He was his team's leading scorer in both games of the District 3 Tournament, pumping in 20 points in a 62-54 victory against Monroe and 19 more in the championship game win versus Globe to send the Trailblazers to the NJCAA Division I national tournament.
The 2005 Pantagraph High School Boys Basketball Player of the Year, Dunson began his college career at Iowa State during the 2006-07 season, averaging 5.2 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game and leading the Cyclones in free throw percentage (.816) during his freshman season. He scored a season-high 19 points in a 66-65 overtime win at Missouri to open Iowa State's Big 12 Conference schedule and he added 11 points in a 68-64 overtime loss to Kansas. Dunson also contributed six points, two assists and two rebounds in 26 minutes off the bench for the Cyclones during Bradley's 76-66 win against the Cyclones Dec. 16, 2006 in Des Moines.
Darian Norris ? Guard ? 5-foot-11 ? 180 lbs. ? Las Vegas, Nev. ? Mojave H.S.
Regarded as one of the top guards on the West Coast, Norris averaged 18.7 points, 7.1 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game as a senior this past winter at Mojave High School. Among his postseason honors, Norris was named the Northwest Division and Sunset Region Most Valuable Player and collected first-team all-state honors. The top-ranked team in Las Vegas and rated as high as No. 16 in the West Region by Rivals.com affiliate Student Sports, Mojave (25-2) reeled off a 22-game winning streak that ended in the semifinals of the Sunset Region tournament.
Norris also averaged 18.8 points and 7.6 assists per game during his junior season, earning second-team all-state honors, while leading the Rattlers to the Class 4A state championship game.
Dunson and Norris join November signees Eddren McCain and Chris Roberts in Bradley's four-man recruiting class for the 2008-09 season. Although the Braves will lose seniors Crouch, Ruffin and center Matt Salley, Bradley returns nine lettermen from a squad that produced a 21-17 overall record and was the runner-up in the inaugural College Basketball Invitational postseason tournament. Bradley now has won at least 21 games in three consecutive seasons and the team's seven postseason wins during the last three years are tied for the eighth most in the nation since 2006.
