Augustana inks a pair of talented locals
Augustana University head men’s basketball coach Tom Billiter announced Thursday the signing of three high school standouts to letters of intent for the 2017-18 season. Jameson Bryan (Apple Valley, Minnesota), Matt Cartwright (Sioux Falls), and Tayton Vincent (Volga, South Dakota) have all signed letters of intent to continue their academic and athletic careers at Augustana.
The first day of the NCAA early signing period for men’s basketball programs was Wednesday, Nov. 9.
“All three of these young men are outstanding students and will be great representatives of Augustana University,” Billeter said.
Jameson Bryan, a 5-foot-10, 160-pound guard from Apple Valley, Minnesota is a senior at Eastview High School in 2016-17. He will be a four-year letterwinner and starter for the Lightning and enters his senior season 10 assists shy of Eastview’s all-time mark. Bryan is a member of the National Honor Society at Eastview and is a three-time All-Academic letterwinner. He is a two-time team captain who earned all-conference honors as a junior after averaging 12.0 points, 5.5 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game last season. Bryan earned all-conference honorable mention honors as a freshman and sophomore. He averaged 8.0 points, 4.5 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game as a sophomore after a freshman campaign in which he averaged 5.0 points and 3.0 assists per contest.
Coach Billeter on Jameson Bryan: “Jameson has been playing a varsity point guard for Eastview since his freshman season. He is a very solid player who has faced some of the best high school competition in the region. This is a fun signing for me personally too, as Jameson’s father, John, was my student assistant when I coached at North Dakota State.”
Matt Cartwright, a 6-foot-4, 180-pound guard out of O’Gorman High School in Sioux Falls. He is a four-year letterwinner and was named a team captain heading into his senior season. Cartwright helped the Knights to a 19-6 record in 2015-16 averaging 13.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. Cartwright shot 43 percent from 3-point range last season and knocked down 81 percent of his free throws to go along with 18 blocks. He earned first team all-conference honors last season and was named to the all-city and all-state teams.
Coach Billeter on Matt Cartwright: “Matt is a young man we identified early in the recruiting process as a complete offensive player. He has excellent ball handling, passing and scoring skills. We have also seen a definite improvement in his defensive skill-set the last couple of seasons. He has been very well coached throughout his career and we are happy to have him as a part of our future.”
Tayton Vincent, a 6-foot-3, 180-pound guard out of Sioux Valley High School enters his senior season as a three-year letterwinner and starter. He was a first team Class A all-state selection as a junior after averaging 18.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game in 2015-16. Vincent averaged 15.0 points, 5.0 points and 5.0 assists per game as a sophomore after a breakout freshman season in 2013-14. He averaged 15.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists during his freshman campaign and went on to earn all-conference and second team Class A all-state honors.
Coach Billeter on Tayton Vincent: “We first saw Tayton as a freshman in the South Dakota State High School Tournament. He has a tremendous basketball IQ and a true passion for the game, which is not surprising with coaches for parents. He is a very hard-working young man who is always in the gym and a person who absolutely knows what it takes to be successful on and off the floor.”