Colonels add 2 newcomers in 2011

Senior forward Anatoly Bose may be gone, but the international basketball pipeline continues to flow for the Nicholls State men’s basketball team.

With Bose heading toward the graduation stage and a possible spot in the NBA, Colonels coach J.P. Piper unveiled his 2011 signing class this week, one that again has some foreign flavor.

And while replacing Bose and the team’s other seniors won’t be easy, Piper believes this five-player group is up to the task in keeping Nicholls competitive in the always deep Southland Conference.

“Between the guys who were sitting out and the guys who are initially enrolling, we are very excited about this group,” Piper said. “We’ve addressed everything we are losing, and having those three guys come in after sitting out will help.”

Headlining the 2011 class is point guard Pedro Maciel, who lands at Nicholls after what has been a well-traveled college career. Originally from Sao Paulo, Brazil, Maciel played prep basketball in Mississippi and signed with Southern Miss out of high school.

From Southern Miss, the point guard transferred to Centenary, where he played the 2009-10 season. Following one year with Centenary, he moved again, this time to Pearl River Community College, where he played in 2010-11.

Piper said the 6-foot-1-inch and 180 pound guard will go a long way in replacing the void left by starting point guard Kenny Franklin’s graduation.

The coach added that he’s been wanting Maciel in his program for a few seasons now, trying to bring him to Thibodaux when he transferred from Southern Miss to Centenary.

“We’ve been tracking him for two years, and I think he will be very good in our system,” Piper said. “The way we play our game, he is ideal for us, and we thought that two years ago as well.”

Once the guard begins donning the Nicholls red, Piper said fans shouldn’t expect a lot of flash and points from Maciel, who he labels as a “pass first” guard.

“Pedro is a classic, old school point guard,” Piper said. “He’s pass first, and a really heady kid. He’s got a high IQ for the game. He’s constantly thinking and makes the other four guys on the floor better. He’s special because he also has the ability to score the ball. If you don’t guard him, he’ll get you. He has a great sense of that balance.”

Joining the point guard in the recruiting class is Brother Martin High School guard Shane Rillieux.

Rillieux is one of several New Orleans-area prospects to land with the Colonels in Piper’s tenure, joining Bryan Hammond, Jeremy Smith and Elridge Moore from this past season’s team, guys he went to battle against during his time with the Crusaders.

“He knows Bryan Hammond and Elridge Moore,” Piper said. “They were rivals in school. There’s kind of a New Orleans pride there that they have.”

The reason for that pride starts with the ability to put the ball into the basket and play defense, two things that Piper touts Rillieux can do.

The coach said that it might take some time for the prospect to fully grow into the college game, but when he does, the sky will be the limit.

“He plays the half-court game very well. He’s tough on defense and likes to grind it out on offense,” Piper said. “He comes from a program with a great tradition. He knows how to win, and he expects to win. He has a chance to be a pretty special guard in our league.”

Rounding out Nicholls’ 2011 signing class are Trevon Lewis, Sam McBeath and Linden Smith-Hyde, who are all already on campus.

Lewis, a former Ellender standout, committed to the Colonels after high school, but didn’t play this past season.

He will join the squad as a freshman in the fall.

Like Lewis, Smith-Hyde also has been in the Colonels plans. He sat out all of last season after transferring from Vermont Tech last summer.

Rounding out the class is McBeath, who signed during November’s early signing period and enrolled early on campus.

Piper said that this group, combined with some talented underclassmen already on the roster, has him excited about the future foundation of the program, one he believes could easily compete for a Southland Conference title.

“By the time we get to conference, they should be seasoned enough to be competitive and be ready to win some conference games,” Piper said.