WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – With the 2010-11 season now in the rearview mirror, it is no secret that the Hartford men's basketball team is losing the services of a talented and productive senior class. As Milton Burton, Kevin Estes, Anthony Minor, Morgan Sabia and Joe Zeglinski prepare to walk across the stage at graduation, head coach John Gallagher and his staff have already signed six incoming freshmen to National Letters of Intent to restock the Hawks' depth. Most recently, Jamie Schneck, Nate Sikma and Corban Wroe have committed to the Hawks, joining Dustin Clarke, Wes Cole and Yolonzo Moore who signed their NLIs last fall.

“I'm very excited about this group,” Gallagher said of the class. “If I had to define them, I'd say that this is a class that loves the game. They're a bunch of gym rats. When you're putting together your first recruiting class, you want to bring in guys that really love the game, and this is a group that really fits that mold.”

Corban Wroe becomes the second Hawk in program history to hail from Australia, concluding his career at the prestigious Australian Institute of Sport before coming to Hartford. A battle-tested defender who can be relied upon to completely disrupt the opponent's offensive flow, Wroe also brings an invaluable maturity and awareness on the offensive end that has made him a natural leader on the court at the guard position. Wroe spent three years at AIS prior to committing to Hartford.

“Corban is a tenacious and tough on-ball defender,” AIS coach Paul Goriss remarked. “He is a physical defender and a very competitive player. Corban is a hard worker and comes every day to weights, practice and games with the utmost energy, work ethic and leadership. He is a leader on and off the court and sets a good example for our younger players. He has very high values as a player and person, and is a good teammate and well-liked amongst his peers.”

Australian U-19 national coach Damian Cotter also chimed in on the Hawks' new recruit.

“Corban will bring an uncompromising, never-say-die mentality to the Hartford program,” Cotter promised. “His defensive flexibility is a strength and will help Hartford establish and control tempo throughout games. Corban will also provide leadership as he is mature beyond his years, and he understands that it's doing the little things daily that brings success to the program.”

“Corban brings a level of toughness and great decision making to the team,” Gallagher said. “He really knows how to play. He's a physically strong kid and a tough defender. He was on the team that won the gold medal in the Albert Schweitzer games in Germany, so watching the film from those games, you can tell he is a high-level basketball player and has a bright future.”

Nate Sikma joins the Hawks after completing his high school career at Bellevue High near Seattle. Sikma, a 6'6” forward, is comfortable scoring from the outside or stepping inside and mixing it up down low. The Kingco Conference MVP and an Associated Press First Team All-Washington State selection as a senior, Sikma led his team to a 24-6 record and an appearance in the state title game. Although Bellevue fell in that game, Sikma scored 28 points and pulled down 13 boards. He averaged 19.6 points and 8.8 rebounds per game last season, adding 3.8 assists a contest.

Sikma comes from a basketball family as the son of seven-time NBA All-Star Jack Sikma, who won the NBA title in 1979 with the Seattle SuperSonics. Nate's brother Luke recently concluded his collegiate career at Portland University. Sikma also received a scholarship offer from New Hampshire, as well as being recruited by the University of San Francsico and the University of Montana.

“Nate flourished his senior year and ended up being one of the best all-around basketball players in the state,” his coach Chris O'Connor pointed out. “Nate is a very skilled player who can score inside or outside. He makes his teammates better with his ability to pass, and they love to play with him because he competes and because of his good understanding of the game.”

“Nate has tremendous feel for the game,” Gallagher pointed out. “He will be a four-man in our system. He will be great inside-out for us. He has a nice release and will be able to shoot the three for us. One thing that stood out to me when I went out to see him was that he sees things develop before they actually develop. He's got a guard's mentality in a big man's body.”

Jamie Schneck was a Milwaukee All-Suburban and First Team All-State selection at Whitefish Bay High School just outside Milwaukee. A captain of the team his senior season, Schneck led his team to a 20-7 record and the Wisconsin State Division II Championship. Schneck averaged 16 points per game as a senior, shooting 65 percent from the field. The 6'8” forward also pulled down 8.5 rebounds a contest, while blocking 2.4 shots a game.

“Jamie is the type of young man who is constantly working to make himself better,” his high school coach Kevin Lazovik remarked. “He helped our team to its first state title since 1998. He is a team-first guy and I think that is what his teammates appreciate the most about him. Whether he is playing tough defense against a team's top post player, helping break the press, or supporting his teammates, Jamie will do whatever he can to help the team.”

“Jamie has great length, and he is really crafty,” Gallagher commented. “He is a tremendous out-of-his-area rebounder. When we watched all the tape that we did, he really went after the ball out of his area. He's also a skilled kid who can play outside-in.”

That trio joins an already impressive class for Coach Gallagher and the Hawks, featuring three big scorers that recently wrapped up memorable senior seasons.

Dustin Clarke comes to Hartford after an exemplary four-year career at Avery County High School in Newland, N.C. A four-time All-Western Highlands Conference selection, Clarke was the league MVP as a junior and a North Carolina First Team All-State performer as a senior. This past year, Clarke led his team with 23.9 points per game, 7.5 rebounds a game and 4.3 assists per contest. A sharpshooter, Clarke shot 42.9 percent from beyond the arc, nailing 2.0 three-pointers a game. He was also a 92.3 percent free throw shooter.

“Dustin thrives at being the best on and off the court,” Avery coach Bo Manis remarked. “He is such a smooth operator when playing that he makes it look so easy out there. I have had the joy and privilege to coach him for three years, and I have never seen anyone work as hard as Dustin does. He has definitely spoiled me, and now Hartford gets the luxury of a fierce competitor.”

“Dustin can really score, and has a really good knack for scoring off the bounce,” Gallagher said. “He gets to the rim, and is very athletic. We think he's a high-level athlete, and his skill level is really good. He is always a threat to score, and his decision making is very good. We're fortunate to have him.”

Wes Cole concluded his high school career at the Woodlands High School in The Woodlands, Texas this spring after leaving his mark as the second-leading scorer in the history of the program, compiling 1,276 career points. Cole averaged 14.6 points, 2.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game throughout his Woodlands career. A First Team 14-5A All-District selection as a junior and senior, Cole was the Montgomery County Offensive MVP for 2010-11. That year, he was also a Texas Association of Basketball Coaches (TABC) All-Region and All-State honoree.

“Wes is the definition of a gym rat,” Woodlands coach Dale Reed explained. “He is constantly working and trying to improve his game. With a great shooting touch and the ability to slash to the basket, Wes led us to the most successful season in Highlander history with a record of 32-4 [last season]. We expect him to do great things at the University of Hartford as well. No one will outwork Wes Cole.”

“Wes is a three-point shooting specialist,” Gallagher remarked. “He has great range, and can pass. He's always in the gym. Out of everybody, I think his range is the deepest. If you've watched us play, we put a premium on shooting, and Wes gives us that.”

Yolonzo Moore also comes to Hartford from the Lone Star State, a product of Akins High School in Austin. Putting up 22.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.4 steals and 3.1 assists per game as a senior, Moore was named the District 15-5A Player of the Year. The Westlake Picayune, which published the selection, cited not only his offensive prowess but also keying the Akins pressure defense. He also earned a nomination to the McDonald's All-American team for his stellar senior season.

“Yolonzo is a coach's dream,” Akins coach David Peavy commented. “He is an ultimate leader and competitor. He leaves behind a great legacy at Akins High School, but I am sure he will start another one at Hartford.”

“Yolonzo is a tremendous athlete,” Gallagher said. “He'll be our point guard of the future after Andres Torres. We really love his communication skills. We love the way he plays without the ball. He's constantly moving, and is a tremendous on-the-ball defender.”

The six newest Hawks will join the returners from a team which advanced to the America East semifinals for the first time since 2008 last March. The Hawks went 7-9 in the America East, earning the conference's sixth seed and ousting third-seeded Maine, 66-63, before falling to the eventual champion Boston University Terriers in the semifinals, 55-49.