Dartmouth Men's Basketball Announces Class of 2012

HANOVER, N.H. ? The Dartmouth men's basketball team and head coach Terry Dunn announced today that the Big Green will be welcoming five incoming freshmen to make up the Big Green's Class of 2012.

“We are very pleased with this year's class,” said Dunn, “and our incoming class seems to get better and better each year. We have five guys coming in that will be solid contributors for us down the road and possibly earlier. That is how strongly I feel about this class.”

Kirk Crecco
6-3
Guard
Gilford, N.H./Gilford HS

Kirk Crecco is a 6-3 shooting guard from Gilford, N.H. and Gilford High School. He was a two-year New Hampshire Class M Player of the Year (2007,2008) and was named first team All-State in his final two seasons. Crecco was a 1,000 point scorer at Gilford and was a Granite State Scholar Award winner.

Dunn on Crecco: “Kirk is a combo guard that can play either spot and has a great basketball sense. He can score the ball and shoot the ball and I think it is going to be tough to keep him off the floor in years to come. He needs to work on his strength and defensive ability.”

Herve Kouna Metsam
6-8
Power Forward
Cameroon/Cantebury School

Herve Kouna Metsam comes to Dartmouth from Cantebury School in New Milford, Connecticut. The 6-8 power forward arrived at Cantebury from Cameroon two years ago and participated in the Basketball without Boarders (BWB) in Johannesburg, South Africa, and was in the top 100 players to come out of BWB.

Dunn on Metsam: “Herve plays with a lot of spirit and aggressiveness. He plays and works hard out on the floor. He already has a college body and that will make him very competitive right off the bat during practice and receive playing time.”

David Rufful
6-4
Guard/Small Forward
West Warwick, R.I./Northfield Mount Hermon

Next for the Big Green is a versatile wing player in David Rufful, who can play both a shooting guard and a small forward. The 6-4 Rufful is from West Warwick, R.I., and played at Bishop Hendricken before heading to Northfield Mount Hermon. Two-time All-State player in Rhode Island (2006, 2007) in both basketball and volleyball. Rufful was also a two-year Rhode Island Player of the Year (2006, 2007) and averaged 20 points and eight rebounds in his senior year. In his one year at Northfield Mount Hermon he posted 17 points per game.

Dunn on Rufful: “David is a tough wing player and a winner. He won several state championships in Rhode Island. He is a streak shooter and he is a player that has a great feel for the game. Rufful has the ability to knock down four or five shots in a row and has great range.”

Josh Riddle
6-8
Forward
Aurora, Colo./Northfield Mount Hermon

Josh Riddle comes to Hanover from Northfield Mount Hermon and Grandview High School in Aurora, Colorado. He was named first team All-Conference in high school and first team Academic All-State. Riddle averaged 15 points, seven rebounds and four assists in his final season at Grandview. He competed at Northfield Mount Hermon in the New England Prep School Athletic Council Class A Conference last season.

Dunn on Riddle: “Josh will be a very versatile player for us because he can play inside or out as the three or the four. He is a guy who can run the floor well, post up when needed and step back and hit a few 3-pointers. Riddle can also guard his position well and that will determine how much time he sees out on the court. He brings a lot to the table for us.”

Jabari Trotter
6-1
Guard
Northridge, Calif./Phillips Exeter Academy

Jabari Trotter is a 6-1 point guard from California that is coming off an impressive post-grad year at Phillips Exeter Academy, where he lead the team in scoring with 17 points per game and led them to a school record 17 wins in the NEPSAC's top division. In California, he was a first All-Mission League selection and was named Co-MVP his senior season at Harvard-Westlake School.

Dunn on Trotter: “Jabari reminds me of a guard like Baron Davis. He is the kind of point guard that can score points, but can also dish out eight or nine assists and make others around him better players and competitors. He can really defend his position and has the ability to get to the rim. What will determine his success is how well he adjusts to the college game, both the physical nature and the tempo of the game.”

Overall Dunn is excited about the prospect of this class and its ability to put points on the board.

“All five of these guys are capable offensive threats,” said Dunn. “I like the depth of this class and the diversity it brings to our team with reference to the different ways we can score the ball. We are bringing in players who can play multiple positions, which makes us excited about the incoming class.”

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