Kentucky Wesleyan's Dewayne Rogers, Craig Schoen and Joplin Johnson will sit out the 2004-05 basketball season as redshirts, according to KWC head coach Ray Harper.
"This shared decision was carefully thought through by the players, coaching staff and administration," said Harper. "These student-athletes will benefit from sitting out this season by strenghting their academic performance leading to their graduation from Kentucky Wesleyan College. This will also allow each one to fully develop his physical maturity and basketball skills."
Schoen, a 5-10 junior guard, led KWC in assists with 4.8 per game, steals with 1.7 spg, three-point shooting at 47.0 percent, 85.3 percentage at the free throw line and minutes played with 32.6 in starting all 30 games last season. He was the third leading scorer with 12.7 points per contest while shooting 54.8 percent from the field and grabbing 3.4 rebounds.
Rogers, a 6-4 senior forward, averaged 7.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 30.2 minutes in starting 29 of 30 games played in 2004. His numbers also include finishing third in assists with 2.8 per game. He shot a third-best 44.8 percent from three-point territory along with 44.8 percent from the field and 71.7 percent from the free throw line.
Joplin, a 6-9 junior center, averaged 4.4 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 34 games at junior college powerhouse Vincennes (Ind.) University in 2004. He shot 41.2 percent from the field and 63.2 percent from the free throw stripe and blocked 20 shots.
Harper also announced that Jason Aaron, a 5-foot-9, 145-pound guard from Winchester, Ky. (George Rogers Clark HS) and Tyson Martin, a 6-foot-3, 220-pound forward from Rockport, Ind. (South Spencer HS) will join the team as walk-ons. Both started on their high school teams and now play on other Panther squads. Aaron plays golf and Martin starts in left field for the baseball team.
Aaron was a two-year starter and three-year letterwinner at George Rogers Clark. He averaged 8.4 points, 1.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists in leading the Cardinals to a 22-8 record that reached the district title game and the first round of the region tournament in 2004. He shot 44.1 percent from the field, 37.3 percent from three-point territory and 86.2 percent from the free throw line.
Martin was the third leading scorer among Indiana preps with 25.2 points per game for South Spencer and surpassed the 1,000 career point milestone as a senior in 2001. He also averaged 7.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists while shooting 53.1 percent from the field and 73.4 percent from the charity stripe. His accolades include first team small school all-state selection by an Indiana magazine, twice named All-Southwest Indiana, chosen to Hoosier Basketball Coaches Association All-Star team and earned first team all-conference and academic all-conference honors. He was invited to try-out for the Indiana All-Stars in 2001. He was a four-sport athlete at South Spencer.
