After assembling a recruiting class that includes Minnesota transfer Jamir Harris and three-star recruit Kelton Samore, the AU men’s basketball team earned another commitment from Junior College recruit Connor Nelson on July 16.
Nelson, who will be eligible to suit up immediately for the Eagles, played his freshman season at Central Wyoming College after a strong prep career at Denver South High School and Impact Academy.
A presence inside and out, the 6-foot-6 Nelson averaged 13.4 points and 5.6 rebounds per game while shooting 33 percent three-point range this past season at Central Wyoming.
In a 2017 interview with Prep Hoops, Nelson’s high school coach at Denver South, Malik Fletcher, spoke highly of his former player. “He’s taken every responsibility and every challenge, and he knows he has to cover up a lot of things for us on the defensive end and score a lot as well,” he said.
Nelson’s style of play should be beneficial for an Eagles team trying to replace Sam Iorio, last year’s second leading scorer who transferred to South Alabama this off-season.
In addition to Nelson’s versatile skill set on the court, he is known as a standout student, hard worker and team leader.
“[I will] never coach another junior college kid like Connor. 4.0 Student. Ultimate teammate. Gym rat. American is getting a good one,” Nelson’s Central Wyoming head coach Brad Schmitt said of the Denver native via Twitter.
jkolodny@theeagleonline.com
