TAHLEQUAH – Northeastern State head men's basketball coach
Ja Havens announced its full 2023-24 signing class, consisting of nine additions.
The RiverHawks will add four transfers and five incoming freshmen to its program.
Information on each of the signees can be found below along with a statement from Havens.
Northeastern State opens its regular season at home on Nov. 10 hosting the University of Mary (N.D.)
Ethan Blackmon
Lewisville, Texas
iSchool Lewisville
Freshman
"Ethan brings a great combination of size, strength, and skill to our program. He has a knack for scoring and rebounding, and he will provide a physical presence to our front court. Ethan is a savvy player that can score in the post or facing up, and he has the ability to finish through contact. He has been well-coached and has played in a high-level program at Lewisville iSchool."
Keon Edwards
Houston, Texas
Transfer from UW-Milwaukee
Junior
Previous -- Played in 16 games and started in three contests during the 2022-23 season at UW-Milwaukee ... scored a season-high 15 points against North Park on Dec. 11 ... spent the 2021-22 season at Nebraska, appearing in 19 games, making five starts … in limited minutes with the Cornhuskers, scored 10 points and grabbed 14 rebounds … transferred to Nebraska in April of 2021 after spending the 2020-21 season at DePaul … originally in the class of 2021, reclassified and enrolled in December of 2020, making appearances in five games for the Blue Demons … was one of the top players in the 2021 class coming out of high school … ranked a four-star prospect and a consensus top-100 recruit … checked in at No. 41 by ESPN, No. 75 by 247Sports, and No. 80 by Rivals .. ESPN also had him rated as the eighth-best small forward in the 2021 class, while Sports Illustrated had him in its top 99 high school seniors in the class of 2021.
High School -- Spent his final high school campaign at Hillcrest (Ariz.) Prep, averaging 14.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 2.4 steals, and 1.9 blocks in 18 games, helping the school rank as high as second nationally … shot 45 percent from the field, including 43 percent from 3-point range for Hillcrest, highlighted by a 44-point effort … prior to transferring to Hillcrest, played for Findlay (Nev.) Prep as a sophomore in 2019 … also participated in a pair of USA Basketball Men's Junior National Team minicamps that year … played AAU basketball with Drive Nation on the EYBL Circuit for former NBA all-star Jermaine O'Neal.
Personal -- Son of Carl and Georgia Edwards ... most memorable sports experience was a dunk at the John Wall Tournament in high school … hobbies include swimming and playing NBA 2K … has done extended hours of community service and volunteer work with youth outreach programs and camps … born May 2, 2002.
"Keon is a high-character young man with loads of basketball talent. He possesses a rare combination of size, skill, athleticism, and basketball IQ that will allow him to make an immediate impact on our program. Keon brings a wealth of basketball experience at the highest levels that will enable him to be a leader both on and off the court."
Eli Eaves
Atoka, Okla.
Atoka HS
Freshman
High School -- Earned four letters in basketball, two in track ... Oklahoma Native All-State and OBCA All-Star ... averaged 23 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists per game ... was team captain as a senior and junior ... named to Wampus Cat Classic All-Tournament team twice ... averaged over 15 points per game through four seasons ... sprained his ankle early in the first half of the regional consolation championship and played the entire rest of the game after getting it taped up to lead Atoka to the area tournament for the first time in years ... member of the National Honor Society ... was top in his class with a 4.0 GPA.
Personal -- Son of Erin and Ryan ... has two sisters, Eden and Emery ... his father played four years at East Central (Ada) in basketball ... has an aunt, Emily Eaves Hookem who played basketball at Northeastern State and Northeastern Oklahoma Junior College ... his uncle Joshua Eaves played baseball at Oklahoma Wesleyan ... his maternal grandfather, Mark McPherson, played football at East Central and Northeastern Oklahoma Junior College .. played club with ER Prodigy and Tulsa Hawks ... raised and worked on his family's farm ... grew up baling hay in the summer for area farms.
"Eli is a tremendous young man who possesses the qualities that we desire in our program on and off the court. He has the versatility to play multiple guard positions, and he can score in a variety of ways. Eli will bring a strong work ethic, a high basketball IQ, and the toughness and intangibles that NSU basketball fans will love and appreciate."
Wes Harris
Phoenix, Ariz.
Transfer from Arkansas Tech
Fifth-Year
Previous -- Played his senior season at nearby Arkansas Tech ... started 14 games and played in 28 over Tech, shot .623 from the field and averaged 8.3 points per game ... made a start and played in four games at Cal State LA before missing his sophomore season due to injury, he did not play the COVID-19 season ... was a UC Davis during the 2019-20 but did not play ... had his true freshman year at Otero Junior College where he led the team with 15.0 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game ... earned All-Region honors. Ranked No. 7 in the country in rebounds, No. 17 with rebounding average, No. 20 in field-goal percentage (.653) and No. 25 in blocked shots (60).
High School -- Was a two-time team Most Valuable Player ... averaged 20.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 1.1 blocks per game earned first-team All-League honors twice and made the Tarkanian Classic All-Tournament Team twice ... earned the Hoopball West Dream Champion Award.
Personal -- Son of Joanie Smith ... has a daughter, Artemis.
"Wes is a strong, athletic forward who will provide much-needed size, physicality, scoring, and rebounding to our front line. He has great mobility and is an explosive finisher at the rim. We expect Wes to play a significant role on both ends of the court."
Seth Pratt
Tulsa, Okla.
Tulsa Memorial HS
Freshman
High School -- OBCA and OCA All-State selection ... Oklahoma Indian All-State ... highly decorated career at Memorial High School and helped lead them to a 5A State Title in 2022 with a record of 27-1 ... reached the State semifinal in 2023 holding a 23-4 record, averaging 19.4 points per game ... went to the state quarterfinal in 2021 and was Green Country Conference Freshman of the Year in 2020 ... scored over 1,000 points and hold the program record for most career three-pointers.
Personal -- Son of Mike and Phyllis ... his brother Jace played basketball for Eastern Oklahoma State and is a graduate assistant for NSU .... his brother Peyton played basketball for the RiverHawks during the 2015-16 season.
"Seth is a young man that we identified as a priority prospect early in his high school career. He is an elite shooter, but he contributes to winning in many other ways. Seth is highly-skilled and tough. He understands how to play and has the ability to make big shots. Seth knows what it takes to compete consistently, and he will bring a winning mentality to NSU from a great Tulsa Memorial High School program."
Marcus Scott V
Hinesville, Ga.
Transfer from Central State (Ohio)
Fifth-Year
Previous -- Comes in NSU with 1,198 career points between Savannah State and Central State ... Averaged over 14 points per game and landed 219 three-pointers … led Central State in scoring during the 2022-23 season with 14 points per game and shot 39.6 percent from the field ... named HBCU National Player of the Week on Jan. 9, 2023 ... transferred after graduating in three years at Savannah State ... won the SIAC Tournament and played in the 2022 NCAA Division II Postseason ... named SIAC Tournament MVP ... holds school and conference records with 80 made three-pointers during the 2021-22 season ... limited to three games in the 2020-21 season ... was a three-time SIAC Player of the Week as a Freshman and as top-10 in the league in scoring averaging 16.4 points per game.
High School -- Four-year letterwinner with 930 points scored and won 96 games between Jenkins High School and Brunswick High School ... All-State selection ... Region Player of the Year in 2018, also earned Postseason Region Player of the Year and Preseason Player of the Year ... led his team to a runner-up finish at State in 2017 and was a Second Team All-Region selection ... won state title as a freshman ... graduated with a 3.7 GPA.
Personal -- Son of Marcus Scott IV.
"Marcus is a talented guard who brings an abundance of college basketball experience to NSU. He is a tremendous shooter with great range and has proven that he can score in multiple ways throughout his career. We expect Marcus to instantly impact our program with his shooting and playmaking abilities as well as his work ethic and leadership qualities."
Hayden Smith
Park Hill, Okla.
Tahlequah HS
Freshman
High School -- All-State selection after averaging 15.2 points per game at Tahlequah as a senior ... scored his 1,000th point on a dunk against Pryor High School ... four year letterwinner, playing at center.
Personal -- Played club with AAO Flight, Griffin Select, and Tulsa Hawks ... son of Chris and Laura ... has one brother, Hunter and one sister, Harley.
"Hayden is great young man who has a bright future with the RiverHawks. He will bring size, good hands, solid footwork, and a great shooting touch to our team. Hayden impacts winning with his ability to score and rebound. He is a hard worker and a great student who will represent our program well on and off the court."
Trey Quartlebaum
Lawrence, Kan.
Transfer from St. Francis (N.Y.)
Fifth-Year
Previous -- Lettered four times at St. Francis ... played in 101 games and started in ten, averaging 12 minutes per game ... scored 326 career points and had 46 assists ... scored a career best 17 points against Merrimack as a senior and played all 40 minutes at Sacred Heart (2/23/23).
High School -- Originally from Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. and played AAU ball for KC Run GMC ... averaged 16.0 points per game during his senior year at Lawrence and was a Kansas 6A All-State member ... tabbed to the Kansas Sunflower League First Team and Kansas All-Area Team ...advanced to the Kansas State Tournament all four seasons he was on the team ... as a junior, he averaged 13.0 points per game at Lawrence and was a Kansas 6A All-State Honorable Mention ... earned a Kansas Sunflower League Honorable Mention and Kansas All-Area Honorable Mention ... tabbed to the Blue Valley Shootout All-Tournament Team and was a member of the Kansas Sub-State Championship team.
Personal -- He is the son of Christy and Fred Quartlebaum Jr ... his mother Christy ran track at Maryland ... Fred Quartlebaum Jr. is currently a member of the men's basketball coaching staff at Kansas, where he serves as the Director of Basketball Operations ... Quartlebaum Jr. was a standout basketball player at Fordham where he was a four-year letter winner from 1985-89 ... Trey's uncle, Ray Gant played football at the University of Georgia ... his younger brother Mayson is a member of Missouri - St. Louis men's basketball team.
"Trey brings experience, competitive toughness, basketball IQ, and a high skill level to NSU. He plays with a high motor, has the ability to create offense for himself and his teammates, and he is known as a tenacious defender. Trey's leadership and work ethic will be invaluable for our team this season."
Kieler Young
Broken Bow, Okla.
Broken Bow HS
Freshman
High School -- Scored the second most points all-time at Broken Bow ... over 2,000 career points scored ... OCA All-State selection.
Personal -- Born in Durant, Okla.
"Kieler is one of the top-scoring guards in the state of Oklahoma for the 2023 class. He is a very talented and skilled player who consistently tests the defense with his ability to shoot the basketball, and he has great range. Kieler has a great work ethic and a competitive drive that will impact our program in a positive way."
