NKyTribune staff
Highlands High School standout Sam Vinson signed a national letter of intent with Northern Kentucky University on Wednesday.
NKU also inked Bowling Green High School star Isaiah Mason on the first day of the fall signing period, giving the Norse a pair of impact recruits from Kentucky.
“Recruiting the state is a huge priority for us so we are thrilled to be getting two of Kentucky’s best,” said NKU head coach Darrin Horn. “Both young men are high character winners from winning high school programs. They believe in our vision and commitment to player development and continuing to grow NKU basketball. Both will be outstanding additions to the Norse family.”
A 6-foot-5 guard from Fort Thomas, Vinson is the reigning 9th Region Player of the Year and 36th District most valuable player. He is coming off a junior campaign in which he led the Bluebirds to a 28-4 record, while averaging 24.7 points, 4.8 assists and 8.7 rebounds per game.
Heading into his senior campaign, Vinson is already a 1,000-point career scorer and is garnering early recognition as a 2021 Mr. Kentucky candidate.
“Sam has been a priority for us since the first time I laid eyes on him,” Horn said. “He brings good positional size, athleticism and versatility as a guy that can play all three perimeter positions. Sam is an excellent shooter, possesses tremendous basketball IQ and will fit well with our up-tempo style of play.”
Mason, a native of Bowling Green, joins the Norse after also competing for Manimal Elite. The 6-foot-4 guard averaged 16.1 points and 9.4 rebounds per game, while also eclipsing 1,000 career points as a junior.
In addition to being an honorable mention all-state and All-4th Region selection last year, Mason is being mentioned as an early 2021 Mr. Kentucky candidate.
“Isaiah impressed me early on with his high motor, ability to impact the game in multiple areas on both ends, and the enthusiasm he brings to the game,” Horn said. “He can make shots and fits perfectly as a multi-positional player in our system who will only continue to improve.”
NKU has won five Horizon League titles – two regular-season and three tournament – during the past four years. The Norse captured last season’s Horizon League Tournament championship to earn a berth in the NCAA Tournament for the third time in four years. The NCAA Tournament was later canceled due to the pandemic.
NKU must replace three starters from last season’s team but welcomes back junior guard Trevon Faulkner, who averaged 11.9 points per game. Faulkner also collected 41 steals and is considered one of the top defenders in the Horizon League.
Also returning for NKU is junior forward Adrian Nelson, who averaged 6.3 rebounds per contest. The 6-foot-7 Nelson also shot 68.4 percent from the field. Junior point guard Bryson Langdon is also back after dishing out 101 assists and scoring 7.6 ppg.
NKU WOMEN SIGN FOUR: The NKU women’s basketball team signed four players — Kailee Davis, Paige Hodgson, Khamari Mitchell-Steen and Trinity Thompson — to national letters of intent on Wednesday.
Davis hails from Detroit, where she plays prep hoops for Renaissance High School. As a junior, the 5-foot-4 point guard was named to the Associated Press all-state first team. She was one of 16 players garnering recognition as the “Best of the Best” by the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan.
After averaging 16.8 points, 3.4 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game last year, which included leading Renaissance to a city title with a 34-point showing in the championship, Davis was named Miss PSL and highlighted the all-league first team.
A native of Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, Hodgson brings a familiarity with Horizon League territory. Hodgson is a 6-foot-2 power forward who helped the Golden Beavers reach the WIAA Division 2 state tournament and go 23-3 overall. An All-Badger North Conference performer, she averaged 5.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 0.8 blocks per game.
A 5-foot-7 guard, Mitchell-Steen joins the Norse from Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and Oak Ridge High School. She is a two-time all-district, all-region and all-state honoree who also has a District MVP nod on her resume. Mitchell-Steen averaged 20 points, three assists and five rebounds per game as a junior, improving on marks of 15 points, three assists and five boards an outing as a sophomore.
Thompson is a 6-foot forward/center coming out of Gary, Indiana, and Michigan City High School. She averaged 28.3 points and 15.8 rebounds per game as a junior. Thompson was also an Indiana All-Star and all-state honoree.
“This talented group brings versatility, athleticism and a diverse set of skills that will have an immediate impact in our program,” said NKU head coach Camryn Whitaker.
NKU posted a 20-12 record last season and advanced to the semifinals of the Horizon League Tournament.
(Information compiled from NKU Athletics Communications and staff reports)