By FHSU SPORTS INFOMATION
Fort Hays State men’s basketball head coach Mark Johnson announced seven additions for the upcoming 2019-20 season on Wednesday (May 15). Four of the seven are transfers, while three will be true freshmen. Transfer signings include Jake Hutchings, Perry Carroll, Alvin Thompson, and Jackson Miller, while the freshman class includes Bjarni Jonsson, Kaleb Hammeke, and Devin Walker.
Hutchings is a transfer from Chaminade University in Hawaii with one year of eligibility remaining. A 6-foot, 7-inch native of Las Vegas, Nevada, Hutchings spent his junior season of 2018-19 with the Silverswords, playing in all 31 of the team’s games with one start. He averaged 7.0 points and 2.1 rebounds per game, while shooting over 50 percent from the field and over 85 percent at the free-throw line to help Chaminade to a 23-8 record and appearance in the West Regional of the NCAA Division II Tournament. Prior to his season at Chaminade, Hutchings played two seasons at Howard College in Texas. As a sophomore in 2017-18, he earned All-Western Junior College Athletic Conference First Team honors by averaging 13.8 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. As a freshman in 2016-17, he averaged 5.3 points and 2.0 rebounds per game. During his prep days, Hutchings was an all-state honorable mention selection at Centennial High School in Las Vegas.
Carroll is a junior transfer from Allen County (Kan.) Community College, where he played two seasons. He was an All-KJCCC East Division Second Team selection as a sophomore in 2018-19, averaging a team-best 16.4 points and 3.8 assists per game as the team’s point guard. He also added 4.1 rebounds per game. He scored 20 or more points in a game 12 times, including a pair of games with at least 30 points. As a freshman in 2017-18, Carroll averaged 10.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game. A native of Ottawa, Kansas, the 5-foot, 10-inch Carroll was a two-time all-state selection in his prep career at Ottawa High School.
Thompson is a junior transfer from Cloud County (Kan.) Community College, where he played two seasons. He was an All-KJCCC East Division First Team and All-Region 6 Second Team selection as a sophomore in 2018-19, averaging 16.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game. He scored at least 20 points in a game 13 times, reaching a season-high 27 points twice. He shot over 50 percent from the field, over 40 percent beyond the 3-point line, and over 75 percent at the free-throw line. As a freshman in 2017-18, Thompson averaged 11.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game. A 6-foot, 3-inch guard, Thompson is a native of St. Louis where he was an all-state selection at Cardinal Ritter Prep and also a two-time Class 3A state triple jump champion.
Miller is a junior transfer from Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College, where he played for two years. He is a 6-foot, 7-inch native of Montezuma, Kansas. As a sophomore in 2018-19, Miller played in 19 games averaging 1.7 points and 1.2 rebounds per game. As a freshman in 2017-18, he played in 27 contests averaging 2.9 points and 1.9 rebounds per game. He was a member of two consecutive teams that advanced to the NJCAA National Tournament, including a national semifinal appearance in 2018-19. He also helped Coffeyville to a pair of KJCCC Championships. Prior to college, Miller was a two-time all-state selection at South Gray High School.
After a successful run with the U-18 and U-20 Icelandic National Teams, Jonsson comes to the United States for his first year of collegiate basketball. Standing at 6-feet, 7-inches, he had success with Iceland in the European Championships. He played with club team Skallagrimur of the Dominos League, averaging 12.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per game in 2018-19. The year prior, he averaged 9.6 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. He played alongside former Fort Hays State standout Dom Samac with Skallagrimur, comprised of both amateur and professional players. For the U-20 Iceland National Team in 2018, he averaged 9.6 points and 3.4 rebounds per game in the European Championships. With the U-18 Team a year earlier, he averaged 8.4 points and 6.6 rebounds per game.
Hammeke comes to Fort Hays State from Hutchinson, Kansas, where he competed at Trinity Catholic High School. Hammeke was a two-time all-state selection in basketball, including first team honors as a senior in 2018-19. He was also named to the Hutchinson News All-Area First Team, while earning the distinction of Hutchinson News Player of the Year. During his senior year, Hammeke averaged 17.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 2.8 steals per game. He scored 1,371 points in his prep career, second in Trinity history.
Walker comes to Fort Hays State from Ulysses High School in Ulysses, Kansas. Standing at 6-feet, 8-inches, he was an honorable mention all-state selection in both basketball and football. He received second team all-state honors in basketball from Sports in Kansas. As a senior in 2018-19, he averaged 10.3 points, 9.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 2.4 blocks, and 2.0 steals per game.
| Name | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Yr. | Hometown | Previous School |
| Jake Hutchings | F | 6-7 | 200 | Sr. | Las Vegas, Nev. | Chaminade University |
| Perry Carroll | G | 5-10 | 195 | Jr. | Ottawa, Kan. | Allen County (Kan.) CC |
| Alvin Thompson | G | 6-3 | 170 | Jr. | St. Louis, Mo. | Cloud County (Kan.) CC |
| Jackson Miller | F | 6-7 | 210 | Jr. | Montezuma, Kan. | Coffeyville (Kan.) CC |
| Bjarni Jonsson | F | 6-7 | 200 | Fr. | Borgarnes, Iceland | Borgarfjardar HS |
| Kaleb Hammeke | G | 6-0 | 165 | Fr. | Hutchinson, Kan. | Trinity Catholic HS |
| Devin Walker | F | 6-8 | 215 | Fr. | Ulysses, Kan. | Ulysses HS |