Lumberjacks Add Zac Downing
5/20/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
May 20, 2010
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Stephen F. Austin basketball coach Danny Kaspar announced Wednesday the addition of Zac Downing to the Lumberjacks' 2010-11 roster. Downing is a junior college transfer from Arizona Western College in Yuma, Ariz.
Downing is a 6-5, 205-pound small forward who will have two seasons of eligibility remaining at Stephen F. Austin.
"Zac can really shoot the basketball," Kaspar said. "We recruited him so we could have someone who can consistently shoot the ball from beyond the 3-point line. He played in a very successful program that emphasizes defense and intelligent play. I believe that his transition into our system will be an easy one.
"Zac's also a great student."
Downing helped the Matadors to a 24-8 record in 2009-10. Arizona Western reached the semifinals of the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference playoffs and was ranked as high as No. 13 in the nation, while finishing among the top 10 in the country in points allowed. Included among the Matadors' 24 wins were a title in the Miami Dade Classic and an 80-64 verdict against eventual national champion Howard College.
Downing contributed to that effort with 8.7 points and 2.7 rebounds per game. He shot 40.5 percent from 3-point range and led the team with 60 made 3-point baskets. Downing shot 44.6 percent overall and was an 80-percent shooter at the foul line. He led the team in scoring on five occasions, including three games with a season-high of 18 points.
As a freshman, Downing averaged 3.6 points per game in 28 appearances and shot better than 32 percent from the field. The Yuma native played his prep basketball at Cibola High School.
Downing's signing brings SFA's 2010 class total to seven student-athletes. He joins collegiate transfers Antonio Bostic (Shawnee, Kan./Neosho County CC), Dion Prewster (Wellington, New Zealand/San Jacinto), and Brandon Cutler (Lawton, Okla./Northern Oklahoma-Tonkawa), along with prep recruits Darius Gardner (Houston/Yates), Amos Olatayo (Houston/Alief-Elsik), and Desmond Haymon (Durant, Miss./Sullivan).
The Lumberjacks are coming off their third straight 20-win season. SFA went 23-9 overall with an 11-5 record in league action to win the Southland Conference East Division title and finish second in the overall standings. SFA reached the championship game of the Southland Conference Tournament for the second consecutive year.
-- SFA --
