Eastern Michigan Athletics
EMU Announces 2006-07 Men's Basketball Recruiting Class
5/15/2006 12:11:42 PM | Men's Basketball
Head Coach Charles E. Ramsey adds three more to current class
YPSILANTI, Mich.--Eastern Michigan University Head Men’s Basketball Coach Charles E. Ramsey has made an already strong recruiting class even more solid with the addition of three more players for a total of six players in his second group of incoming student-athletes for the 2006-07 season.
In the early signing period in November, the Eagles signed a versatile trio that included 6-foot-8 forward Justin Dobbins (Cleveland, Ohio-Glenville), 6-foot-6 wingman William Cooper (Detroit, Mich.-Pershing-Bridgton Academy), and 6-foot-2 combo guard Devon Dumes (Indianapolis, Ind.-Decatur Central).
Ramsey and his staff got busy during the spring recruiting season and have added 6-foot-6 Brandon Bowdry (Taylor, Mich.-Truman), 6-foot-4 junior college player Jesse Bunkley (Detroit, Mich.-CMA-Mott Community College), and 6-foot-7 junior college player Nenad Banjanin (Lon Morris (TX) J.C.).
"I thought that we had an outstanding recruiting class when we signed William Cooper, Justin Dobbins, and Devon Dumes in November, but the addition of Brandon Bowdry, Jesse Bunkley and Nenad Banjanin this spring has sent the group right through the roof," Ramsey said of this six-man recruiting class. "All six young men have the natural ability to come in and be impact players for us and we expect them to make us better right away. We expect that all six players will blend in nicely with our returning letterwinners."
Bowdry, originally from St. Louis, MO, has been in Michigan for just two years and enjoyed a breakout season in 2005-06 at Taylor Truman. He averaged 17.6 points, 12.3 rebounds, 2.5 steals, and 2.2 assists while leading Truman to the Class A quarterfinals and a 21-5 record. The 6-foot-6 Bowdry was selected first-team All-Area, second-team All-Metro, and third-team All-State by The Detroit News. In addition he was a fourth-team Class A All-State pick and a first-team All-West selection by the Detroit Free Press.
Bunkley enjoyed an outstanding 2005-06 campaign for Mott Community College. He averaged 16.5 points and 5.0 rebounds while helping Mott record a 26-5 record on the way to the Michigan Community College Athletic Association (MCCAA) Eastern Conference title as well as the state NJCAA Division II title. Mott lost in the championship game of the NJCAA Region XII regional tournament. The 6-foot-4 Bunkley, who played his high school basketball at Detroit CMA, was named first-team All-MCCAA All-Region Division II, was a first-team All-MCCAA All-Conference pick and a first-team All-MCCAA Eastern Conference selection.
The 6-foot-7 Banjanin averaged 6.0 points and 4.8 rebounds a game for a talented Lon Morris J.C. team. Banjanin, originally from Belgrade, Serbia, shot 54 percent from the field and 67 percent from the free throw line.
Cooper was part of Ramsey’s first recruiting class after averaging 11.5 points, 7.5 boards and 4.0 blocks as a senior at Pershing. Cooper decided to attend Bridgton Prep Academy in Bridgton, Maine, out of high school, but chose to re-sign with Eastern Michigan.
A versatile forward who can play inside and out, the 6-8, 235-pound Dobbins pledged to the Eagles after a successful summer playing for the King James Shooting Stars on the AAU circuit. Dobbins has been tabbed the No. 3 wing forward in the state of Ohio by the National Premier Scouting Service and as one of the top five players in Cleveland by Street & Smith Magazine.
The EMU staff rounded out the class with a key pickup in Dumes, a combo guard who can play both the point and shooting guard positions. Dumes finished his career with a flourish, averaging 24.4 points a game. He made 63-of-177 three-point shots for 35.6 percent and added 5.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 2.4 steals. Dumes completed his career as Decatur Central High School’s leading scorer with 1,306 points. He was selected as one of the Top 40 Indiana High School Seniors by Hoosier Basketball Magazine and he was an honorable mention All-State selection by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA). Dumes was named to the All-Marian County team as a junior and senior, joining the likes of top 10 national recruits Greg Oden and Mike Conley in 2006 and Eric Gordon in 2007.
Eastern Michigan University
2006-07 Men’s Basketball Recruits
Name Ht Class Hometown-High School Ppg Rbp Apg Bpg Spg
Brandon Bowdry 6-6 Fr. Taylor, Mich.-Truman 17.6 12.3 2.2 2.5
Jesse Bunkley 6-5 Jr. Detroit, Mich.-CMA-Mott Comm. Coll. 16.5 5.0
William Cooper 6-6 Fr. Detroit, Mich.-Pershing-Bridgton (Maine) Academy 11.5 7.5 1.0 4.0
Justin Dobbins 6-8 Fr. Cleveland, Ohio-Glenville 15.0 9.0 5.0
Devon Dumes 6-2 Fr. Indianapolis, Ind.-Decatur Central 24.4 5.8 4.6 2.4
Nenad Banjanin 6-7 Jr. Belgrade, Serbia-Lon Morris (TX) J.C. 6.0 4.8
