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McDermott lands seven for Raider hoops squad ASHLAND - In what he touts is a "major shift in the program's strength" from defense to offense, Southern Oregon men's basketball coach Brian McDermott announced the addition of four junior college transfers and three high school all-star standouts on Wednesday. Slated to don Raider jerseys next season are Jared Abell of Prineville; Blaine Bartholomew of Oakland; Nick Borrevik of Reedsport; Gabe Burchfiel of Medford; Jordan France of Gresham; Ryan Gabel of Tigard; and Zac Olson of Salem. "Overall, this is the most athletic group I have signed at SOU," the seventh-year coach said. "We have a solid core returning from last year, but this group gives us the potential for some very exciting offensive play. In terms of athleticism, we'll match up with teams much better than the last few years." Abell, a 6-foot-7, 205-pound forward, attended Oregon State the past two years after earning Intermountain Conference co-MVP honors as a senior at Crook County High. The first-team all-league and second-team Class 4A all-state selection averaged 24 points and eight rebounds in 1999-2000. Bartholomew, a 6-foot point guard who redshirted at Western Oregon last season, was the 2000-01 Big Fir League MVP and a first-team Class 2A all-state performer at Oakland High, where he participated in a 56-game win streak and finished as the school's single-season scoring leader. He averaged 20 points and five assists as a senior and played on a state championship team. Borrevik, a 6-6, 205-pound forward, garnered Class 3A all-state honors in both basketball and football (as a defensive back and wide receiver) at Reedsport High. As a hoopster, the three-time Far West League all-star averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds the past two years and finished as the school's all-time leading scorer. Burchfiel, a 6-4, 215-pound forward, earned second-team Southern Oregon Conference for North Medford High last season after compiling 15-point and 11-rebound clips. "I really like Gabe's tenacity and work ethic," McDermott said. "Those are the attributes that could make him a key player in our program." France is a 6-10, 260-pound junior transfer from Umpqua Community College in Roseburg. Gabel is a 6-4, 195-pound forward who led Tigard High to the 2002 Class 4A state championship and finished with a long list of honors, including Pac-9 Conference MVP and second-team all-state. Olson is a 6-2, 180-pound senior guard from North Salem High who was also the 1997 regional junior college player of the year at Chemeketa Community College. The newcomers augment two starters and eight letterwinners eligible to return off last year's 15-16 squad that ranked among the Northwest's best for scoring defense and advanced to the Cascade Conference tournament championship game. "I think we now have a very good balance of players in terms of inside and outside abilities," McDermott said. "Our ultimate goal is to match what we've been doing defensively with a more up-tempo, balanced offense." Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.