LIBERTY, Mo. – William Jewell head men's basketball coach
Chris McCabe has announced the signing of six student-athletes for the 2021-2022 season. The class consists of five incoming freshman and one transfer and come from two states as well as the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
"Recruiting is always a highly competitive endeavor, but it was never more competitive and uncertain than during the past 18 months," said McCabe. "For our program to sign the quality of player, student and person that we did speaks volumes to the value of our institution and the excitement around our program. They complement our strong group of returnees, and I am excited about their prospective careers as Cardinals."
Jalen George
6'0 • Guard
Hallsville, Mo. • Hallsville HS
George was a three-year starter at Hallsville High School under coach Brandon Crites. He scored more than 1,000 career points, averaging more than 19 per game as a senior to go along with 4.3 rebounds, three assists and 2.8 steals, earning Team Offensive Most Valuable Player honors. During his career he also earned All-District and All-Conference selections. Off the court, he was a starter on both sides of the ball on the football field and is a member of the Honor Roll. The son of Jason and Amanda George and plans to major in health science.
"We are very excited about bringing Jalen into our program. He is a competitor and embraces the work it takes to have success. He will push our returners and learn a lot from them in the process." – Christian Hildebrandt, Assistant Coach
Luke Jordan
6'1 • Guard
Lee's Summit, Mo. • Lee's Summit West HS
A local product from Lee's Summit West High School, Jordan was a First Team All-Conference and All-District selection as a senior for the Titans. As a senior, he averaged better than 14 points, two assists three rebounds and 1.5 steals while shooting better than 45% from the floor and 81% from three free throw line. Competitively, he suited up for 810 Hoops under coach Austin Burch. The son of Tom and Nicole Jordan, he intends to major in business administration.
"Luke is going to fit right in with our roster. He is a high-achieving individual who can shoot lights out." – Chrisitan Hildebrandt, Assistant Coach
Waylon Masters
6'3 • Guard
Dora, Mo. • Dora HS
Masters comes to Jewell from the strong program Dora High School where he led the Falcons to a 2020 Class 1 State Championship, after finishing second the previous season. During his career he was a three-time All-Conference honoree, including being named the Most Valuable Player as a senior in 2021, along with two All-District honors while scoring more than 1,000 career points and earning an Academic All-State nod. In 2020, he was selected All-State with a ranking of No. 22 and was a Prep Hoops All-Tournament Show-Me Showdown Honorable Mention honoree. Also a standout in cross country, Masters was a three-time All-Conference performer and state qualifier while earning an All-District selection twice. He is the son of Tim and Angela Masters.
"Waylon was very successful both on and off of the court in high school. He is a good athlete who will work to get better every day." – Christian Hildebrandt, Assistant Coach
Isaac Patterson
6'5 • Guard
Leawood, Kan. • Blue Valley North HS
Patterson comes to the Cardinals from across the state line at Blue Valley North High School where he played under coach Ryan Phifer and led the Mustangs to a 2021 Class 6A State Championship. During his career he has been a two-time All-State honoree along with Third Team All-Conference and All-Kansas City Metro. An excellent student, he was a member of the Principal's Honor Roll and National Society of High School Scholars. The son of Sam and Lori Patterson he plans to major in business administration.
"Isaac is a winner! He is a three-level scorer with a track record that speaks for itself through his tremendous high school career. We had interest in Isaac from the very first day we saw him and are ecstatic to have him join the Cardinal family." – Christian Hildabrandt, Assistant Coach
Heri Tshiyoyo
6'9 • Forward
Kinshasa, DR of the Congo • Tarleton State University (Ranger College)
The lone transfer in the class, Tshiyoyo comes to The Hill from Tarleton State University after playing two seasons at Ranger College. With the Texans, in their first season at the Division I level, he appeared in 15 games with four starts, averaging nearly 11 minutes per outing. At Ranger he was one of the winningest players to ever wear the uniform, helping his team to a 59-7 record with two conference titles and two trips to the NJCAA National Tournament, including the 2019 national final. During his two years, he appeared in 49 games with 36 starts. During his prep career, he played internationally in Spain for Real Madrid C.F. for three seasons. During that time, he earned two Tournament Most Valuable Player awards and an additional All-Tournament nod, leading his team to the 2018 Spanish National Championship. The son of Omar Ngalamulume and Brigette Kikadi Luzolo he is majoring in business administration.
"Heri will make an immediate impact in the conference as he brings a rare set of experiences that we believe helped mold him into the player that he is today. He moves great for his size and is all about winning." – Christian Hildebrandt, Assistant Coach
Eli Wingert
6'8 • Forward
Blue Springs, Mo. • Blue Springs HS
A three-year starter at Blue Springs High School, Wingert led the Wildcats to two district championships while playing under coach Adam Jones. During his career, he was a two-time All-District selection and earned All-Conference honors as a senior after averaging 13 points and eight rebounds. Additionally, he was named to three All-Tournament Teams, including the William Jewell High School Holiday Classic and was a 2021 Direnna All-Star. He played club ball for YOBO and coach Victor Williams and was a member of the Honor Roll and National Honor Society off the court. He is the son of Matt and Lisa Wingert and is the second in his family to come to The Hill, as older sister Maddie played volleyball for the Cardinals from 2017-2021. He plans to major in business administration.
"We are thrilled to have Eli coming to The Hill. He has a unique skill set and we believe that his potential is through the roof. We anticipate him having a great career at William Jewell." – Christian Hildebrandt, Assistant Coach
The Cardinals lost four players to graduation this spring, including two-time All-GLVC performer
Eysan Wiley. However, Jewell will welcome back 11 players from 2021, including three-year starter
Mason Alexander and a slew of underclassmen, such as GLVC All-Freshman Team selection
Grant Stubbs along with
Jordan Jermain and
Trey Shannon who earned valuable experience over the final two months of the season.
