WALLA WALLA, Wash. – Whitman College's men's basketball program struck gold a year ago when they landed six recruits that meshed seamlessly with returning players to reach new program heights (24-5 record, Sweet 16 appearance, No. 7 National Ranking to end season). Needless to say, with those returners and a year of experience under their belts, Whitman will be primed for another great season.
 
However, filling the void that its seven graduating seniors left was not going to be an easy task. The Whits knew what they needed to look for this off-season in order to pick up where they left off in March. The team feels this recruiting class fills that void. "Graduation hit hard. Our roster lost multiple players with length," head coach Eric Bridgeland said. "We needed to add length that is skilled and can move; that is rare." 
 
Class of 2020:
 

Ben Beatie, sophomore
6-9, 210 lbs
Bainbridge Island High School, Trinity University
 
Beatie led Bainbridge Island in scoring in 2015 and received All-SCAC Honorable Mention at Trinity in 2016. He averaged 10 points per game, shooting 40-percent from beyond the arch, and contributed 6.6 rebounds per game. Beatie helped organize a community service project which donated 2,000 pounds of shoes to third world countries.
 
Bridgeland said, "Ben hails from the same high school as former Whitman All-American/Israeli Pro, Ben Eisenhardt, but this Ben shoots the three at a 40-percent clip. His feathery touch from deep and offensive versatility will be welcomed in our high-octane offense from the get-go.  With the departure of all three interior players, Ben's size, length and skill, are critical to our program."
 
Bainbridge Island coach Scott Orness spoke of Beatie's maturity and play over the course of four years, saying "Ben's growth in high school was exponential between his freshman and senior seasons, and he still had tremendous room for improvement. I believe the same holds true at the collegiate level. Ben has the work ethic and the drive to reach his ceiling.  I can't think of a better place for his skillset than Whitman. Ben will be a positive contributor both on and off the court."
 

Jaron Kirkley, first year
6-1, 185 lbs
Mossyrock High School, ROOTS AAU
 
Kirkley was a two-time, First Team All-State player and the 2016 2B State Player of the Year. He led Mossyrock HS to a second place state finish and was the 2016 Lewis County "All-Area" Player of the Year. Kirkley averaged 26 points, 10 rebounds and 5.5 assists per outing at Mossyrock and is the school's all time leading scorer. In the classroom, Kirkley posted a 3.97 GPA and was named class salutatorian.
 
"Jaron is an exceptional talent.  Besides leading Mossyrock on a storybook season, Jaron may also be the most under-the-radar recruit Whitman has ever landed," Bridgeland said. "Jaron's work in the weight room has paid dividends as he is the epitome of 'playing through contact'. Whitman's penetration-based offense will welcome Jaron with open arms.  With an uncanny focus and work-ethic, Jaron is capable of anything he sets his mind to."
 
ROOTS AAU coach Casey Frandsen said, "Jaron will have a great career at Whitman. He has the perfect combination of skills, athleticism and work ethic. Despite being a dominant player at every level he's played at so far, he's still hungry to get better and humble enough to be extremely coachable."
 

Leighton Kingma, first year
6-7, 205 lbs
Sehome High School, Northwest Greyhounds AAU
 
Kingma averaged 18 ppg for Sehome HS and was named to the All-Northwest Conference second team. Off the court, Kingma posted a 3.9 GPA, was an AP Scholar and volunteered as a tutor in Geometry, Algebra II, Calculus AB, Calculus BC and Physics.
 
Kingma received praise from both his future head coach and past head coach. "One doesn't know what 'play hard' means until they've met Leighton," Bridgeland said. "Although Leighton's armed with an exceptional three-point shot and mobility, these may pale in comparison to the energy he plays when he laces up. Leighton's drive carries over in all aspects of his life. The epitome of a student-athlete, he is also Whitman ready in terms of community involvement.  Expect Leighton to make positive contributions in every area of Whitman's relationship-driven program."
 
Sehome's Steve Call reiterated some of what Bridgeland said, while adding, "Leighton loves the game of basketball and is a proven scorer. As one of the captains this past year, he led our team in scoring and rebounding and was a second-team All-Northwest Conference member. Leighton's commitment and love for academics, as well, make him a special student-athlete for Whitman basketball."
 

Robert Colton, first year
6-6, 205 lbs
Australian Institute of Sport, Arch Bishop Riordan HS 
 
Colton suited up for the U17 Australian National Team from 2012-14 and played in the U18 National Championships for Australia in 2014. He averaged 22 points on 44-percent from three-point land which ranked No.1 in Nation. Colton was a starter for the 2013 Australian High School Championships National Champion and a participant in the Nike NBA Asia Pacific Team Camp in Nanjing, China. He was an Australian Institute of Sport Member from 2012-14 with a 4.25 GPA and was awarded the President's Award for Academic Excellence in English, History, and Government.
 
Bridgeland was pleased that Colton had chosen Whitman saying, "Robert is a steal. Armed with an array of offensive weapons, once he learns the nuances to becoming a full-time combo guard, he could potentially be a legitimate Player of the Year candidate at our level.  Robert is physical and has a very high basketball IQ from playing the last four to five years in Australia's National Program. Whitman will use him in a variety of ways from the get go."
 
Warrior Coach Randy Besselo added, "Robert is a great young man who is smart, hardworking and coachable.  He loves to play physical on both sides of the ball and is a versatile scorer."
 
 

Andrew Harvey, first year
6-5, 205 lbs
Walla Walla High School
 
Harvey averaged 12 points, eight rebounds and three assists per game for Wa-Hi and was awarded second team All-MCC honors, as well as second team All-Area honors. One of his biggest feats in Walla Walla HS came against Kennewick High where he posted a 16 point, 13 rebound, 10 assist game collecting a triple-double. With a 4.0 GPA Harvey was named class valedictorian and was the recipient of the 'Lawrence Jacky' Award for Athletic Achievement, School Spirit and Leadership.
 
"Andrew was born to be in our program.  His drive, determination and work-ethic have clearly made him an inspiration and role model to others on so many levels," said coach Bridgeland. "On the hardwood, he's very skilled.  Whether it be knocking down a perimeter jumper, finding a teammate on a back door cut, or coming from the weak side to block a shot, Andrew impacts the game in a variety of ways."
 
Walla Walla coach John Golden commended Harvey saying, "Andrew was truly our leader this year. He has done more to keep this team together and pointed in the right direction, than any other player we've had in the last 20 years."
 
In order to accumulate minutes, this incoming class will need to arrive ready to go in their first season and the team feels confident they will do just that. The Whits return 75-percent of the team's scoring and rebounding from a year ago and if the class of 2020 can mesh with the returners, the program has a good chance of reaching even bigger feats in the coming season.