CEDAR CITY, Nov. 19 - Southern Utah University's men's basketball team has signed three players with Utah ties to National Letters of Intent during the early signing period, which ended yesterday. Center Cal Hanks and forwards Kyle Davis and Tyson Koehler have all signed to join the Thunderbirds next fall.

            Hanks, a 6-foot-11, 235-pound senior at Mountain Crest High School, earned all-region five honors last season after averaging 7.2 points, 9.2 rebounds and three blocks per game in helping Coach Jim Crosbie's Mustangs to a state tournament appearance. Hanks has been tabbed by the Intermountain Hoops Scouting Service as the top 2010 post prospect in Utah.

            Davis, a 6-foot-7, 175-pound senior earned all-conference honors last season at Boise, Idaho's Centennial High School. He averaged 14 points and 10 rebounds as a junior at Centennial. He has moved to Utah, however, and will play at Alta High School this season before joining the Thunderbirds next fall.

            Koehler, a 6-foot-9, 250-pound sophomore prepped at Alta High, where he earned second-team all-state honors in 2007 after averaging 13 points, nine rebounds and nearly three blocks per game and helping the Hawks to their second straight region championship. He went on to play one season at Grayson County College, where he earned first-team all-conference honors after averaging 9.6 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. Koehler, who is currently serving an LDS church mission in North Carolina, originally signed with the Thunderbirds in the spring of 2008 but due to an NCAA rules change the Thunderbirds were required to re-sign him.

            "We're very excited to have signed the three players who have committed to us during the early signing period," SUU Coach Roger Reid said. "We've signed two high school kids from Utah and another with one year of junior college experience and I think they'll help us fill some gaps we'll have in the future. We're very excited these three players have decided to come here.

            "Cal Hanks and Kyle Davis are both going into their senior seasons in high school, but we've seen them both play and have been impressed with their potential," Reid added. "They both played at a high level with their summer teams as well. Tyson is a player we signed before he went on his mission and we're excited to be able to resign him. He will give us size and strength in the future and we're looking forward to having him join us when he returns from his mission."

-- SUU --