UWGB men land junior college recruit
GREEN BAY – The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay men added their second recruit in two weeks on Saturday when it received a commitment from Northwest College guard-forward Sukhjot Bains.
The 6-foot-6 Bains, who was born in India and raised in British Columbia, has spent the past two seasons at the junior college in Powell, Wyo.
He was in Green Bay on Friday and spent the day before leaving Saturday morning.
“After meeting with the coaches, I really liked the whole coaching staff,” said Bains, who will have two seasons of eligibility. “I really liked the academic part and the athletic part. I met with the team and they were all really nice.
“The system that (UWGB coach Linc Darner) runs, I think I can thrive in it and flourish. It will be a good fit for me.”
Bains said one of the Phoenix coaches saw how he played in his last game this season, and the team reached out to him during his spring break. They eventually expressed more interest, which led to him visiting.
He averaged 13.4 points and 8 rebounds last season, shooting 45.3 percent overall. He scored a career-high 27 points in a win over Sheridan College on Feb. 8.
Bains averaged 12.2 points and 8.2 rebounds his freshman season and scored in double figures 15 times in his final 16 games after doing it four times in his first 12.
“I’m able to shoot, I’m pretty versatile, I can guard multiple positions,” Bains said when asked about his strengths. “The system Coach Darner runs, he likes to press full court for 40 minutes, he likes to play up-tempo and fast. That is something I think I am pretty good at.
“I’m excited to play at the next level. I had a really great experience here at my JUCO. I learned a lot. I’m ready to move on and play at the Division I level and see how my career goes there.”
Bains joins Kenwood Academy (Illinois) forward Manny Patterson as the latest Phoenix additions. Patterson made his commitment March 28, and now with Bains in the fold, the team has one more scholarship to offer for the 2017 class.
Bains is the second junior college recruit of this class, joining College of Central Florida shooting guard Paul Turner.
Darner and his coaching staff hit on their first two junior college recruits when they landed Charles Cooper and Jamar Hurdle before Darner’s first season in 2015-16.
Those two helped lead the Phoenix to the NCAA tournament in 2016 as juniors, and Cooper led the team in scoring with 13.7 points per game as a senior.
Bains and Turner will be the veterans of a first-year class that includes prep stars in Patterson, Kimberly forward Will Chevalier, Lemont (Illinois) guard Shawn “PJ” Pipes and Joliet West (Illinois) forward Trevian Bell.
But there still is work to be done, both on the recruiting trail for Darner and on the court for Bains.
“I need to work on my mid-range game, my ability to go left and my ability to finish at the hoop,” said Bains, who expects to arrive in Green Bay sometime in June. “I’m just trying to work on my whole entire game to become the best possible player I can be.”
