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Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
Men's Basketball Adds Four in Class of 2015
June 13, 2011 | Men's Basketball
Brian Fabrizius, Bobby Garbade, Denton Koon and Clay Wilson are the four who will join the Tigers, who won the program's 26th Ivy League title and made the team's 24th NCAA Tournament appearance, both Ivy League record totals, this past season.
Fabrizius (Arlington Heights, Ill./Kimball Union Academy [N.H.]/Hersey) is a 6-11 forward who played AAU basketball for Full Package Athletics with current Tiger Mack Darrow among his teammates. At Hersey High School in Illinois, he was a co-captain as a senior in 2009-10 before taking a postgraduate year at Kimball Union Academy in New Hampshire. Fabrizius' older brother Luke will be a senior on the University of Dayton basketball team in the fall.
"We are very happy to have Brian as a part of the Tiger family here at Princeton," Henderson said. "He will be exciting to coach over the course of his years here as he is highly skilled, has size and length and the kind of high character that you like to see in young players. He attended a very demanding school in Kimball Union in New Hampshire and I know he is excited and ready for the challenge here at Princeton both on and off the court. Brian is very smart in his approach to the game and as he continues to grow and get stronger, his high basketball IQ will be a great weapon. Our staff is very excited about his potential and I know the fans will enjoy watching Brian develop in Orange and Black."
Garbade (Binghamton, N.Y./Seton Catholic) is a 6-10 center. Garbade was an all-section pick as a junior by the Basketball Coaches Association of New York and was a fourth-team all-state selection in Class B as a senior. In his final season at Seton Catholic, Garbade averaged 15 points, 10.3 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game.
"Bobby has really developed into a quality big man in high school," Henderson said. "He has a knack for putting the ball in the basket, he works very hard, and he is a great teammate. He comes to Princeton after being a standout student athlete at Seton Catholic Central High School. His dad was a former player so he's been taught the right way from the beginning. I know Bobby is excited to enter into a program that has a long tradition of great centers that have pursued a versatile approach on offense and defense. Our staff is very excited about what the future may hold for Bobby as he continues to grow and develop into a high quality post player at Princeton."
Koon (Liberty, Mo./Liberty) is a 6-7 forward who played for the KC PumpNRun AAU team. As a junior, Koon was an all-state pick by the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association, averaging 16 points and eight rebounds. He was a finalist for the DiRenna Award, which is given to the Kansas City area's top senior. Koon was also a Suburban Big 6 conference player of the year as a senior.
"Denton brings a very diverse skill set to Princeton," Henderson said. "In addition to being a very good player with lots of room to grow, he is also a great student and leader at Liberty High. He is unique in his ability to play different positions on the court and as he continues to grow and get stronger in his time here, he will be a great fit to our team in the years to come. He is the kind of person that takes pride in doing all things well and those are the kinds of guys to build a team around. I know he is ready to be here and he is ready to take the next step here with his teammates at Princeton."
Wilson (Tulsa, Okla./Lincoln Christian), a 6-3 guard, was the Wendy's High School Heisman honoree for the state of Oklahoma and averaged 27 points per game as a senior. Three times during the past season, Wilson scored more than 40 points in a game.
"We are very excited to have Clay join us as a Tiger. He brings all of the intangibles you want in someone representing your team on the court, in the classroom and in the community. From a basketball perspective, his toughness, court sense, and willingness to compete will make him an important contributor to our team. He has the tools to be a very good shooter in addition to possessing very good leadership qualities that are vital, especially at a program like ours. If he continues to develop on the court, as we envision, Tiger fans will have lots to cheer about in the next few years.
The four will join 13 Tigers eligible to return for the 2011-12 season. Among those are eight of the team's top 10 leading scorers, including second-leading scorer Ian Hummer (13.8 ppg) and career 1,000-point scorer Douglas Davis (11.9 ppg).