Coach Ryan Looney at Central Washington, March 11, 2001
Head Coach Ryan Looney and his staff signed their third recruiting class

Two Local Prep Stars to Play for SPU Men

Will Parker & Mitch Penner inked letters of intent to play basketball for the Falcons

11/17/2011 1:22:00 PM

SEATTLE – Two prep standouts from the state of Washington, Will Parker and Mitch Penner, signed letters of intent to attend Seattle Pacific University and play men's basketball, Coach Ryan Looney announced Thursday.

"These are two high-level high school recruits for us to get during the early signing period," third-year Falcons coach Ryan Looney exclaimed.

Mitch Penner 2011 prep action
A 6-foot-5 wing from Kennedy High School in Burien, Penner is a two-time Seamount League Most Valuable Player. He was rated the state's No. 4 overall prospect in the class of 2012 by WashingtonPreps.com and is projected as a 2012 second-team all-state selection by ESPN High School.

Penner led the Seamount League with 22.8 points per game in 2011 while also averaging 10.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists. He poured in 37 points against Hazen (Dec. 11, 2010) and grabbed 18 boards versus River Ridge (Dec. 30, 2010).

As a sophomore Penner posted 21.9 points and 8.8 rebounds per game.

“We are excited that Mitch Penner has decided to attend Seattle Pacific University. He is a perfect fit for what we do at SPU," Looney said. "Mitch has size for a perimeter player and plays with a high level of passion. His character and toughness will allow us to continue to grow our program in a positive direction.”

Will Parker 2011 prep action
Parker is a 5-foot-10 point guard from Skyline High School in Sammamish. At SPU, he will join his former prep teammate Cory Hutsen who is currently a red-shirt freshman for the Falcons.

A second-team All-KingCo Class 4A point guard last season, Parker scored at a 9.5-point clip while averaging 3.9 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game. ESPN High School projected him as a 2012 third-team all-state player for all classifications.

“We feel like we hit a home run with the addition of Will Parker," said Looney. "Our coaching staff felt like it was important to add another ball handler with this recruiting class. He is tough, can run a team, make open shots and defend. Will Parker knew early that he wanted to be at SPU and we are grateful for that.”

Parker and Penner both received interest from Division I schools. They will arrive at SPU in the fall of 2012 to help replace three Falcons seniors who will depart after the 2011-12 campaign.

“In the recruiting process it is important that we identify high character and toughness. Mitch Penner and Will Parker have consistently demonstrated both over a long period of time," Looney said.

"They played together at Emerald City Basketball Academy for SPU alum Jasen Baskett. Their team had a tremendous summer and a lot of it can be attributed to the leadership, character, and ability of Mitch and Will."

Seattle Pacific is an NCAA Division II competitor and a member of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. The Falcons finished last season with a 20-10 record and made their seventh straight NCAA Tournament appearance.

The SPU men (2-0), ranked No. 22 in the preseason national coaches poll, play their first home games this weekend in the Sodexo GNAC/PacWest Challenge. They meet Hawaii Pacific on Friday and No. 3 BYU-Hawaii on Saturday. Tip-off both nights is 7 p.m. at Brougham Pavilion.


2011 SPU Men's Basketball Letter of Intent Signees
Will Parker, PG, 5-10, 160, Sammamish, Wash. (Skyline HS)
Mitch Penner, W, 6-4, 195, West Seattle, Wash. (Kennedy HS)



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