CALGARY – University of Calgary men's basketball coach Dan Vanhooren unveiled his 2010 recruiting class Wednesday, with no fewer than eight new faces set to don the red, gold, and black this fall.

The solid group of newcomers includes the Manitoba high school player of the year, two of the top players out of B.C. high schools, and the best talent coming out of Calgary as well.

“Overall it's one of the top recruiting classes I've ever had,” said Vanhooren, who enters his 11th season as head coach in 2010-11. “To get the top player out of Winnipeg, a couple of key guys from B.C., some outstanding transfers, and of course the best Calgary players is huge for this program. We're really excited about our future.”

The incoming class will certainly get a chance to contribute with the graduation of four seniors, including starters Ross Bekkering, Jamie McLeod, and Robbie Sihota. The Dinos have consistently been ranked in the top five in the nation over the past three seasons, making back-to-back trips to the national semi-final.

Here is a player-by-player look at the Dinos' 2010 recruiting class:

PHILIP LABONGO • 6'4” guard • Dakota Collegiate HS • Winnipeg, Man.

For the second straight season, Vanhooren signed the Manitoba high school player of the year in shooting guard Phil Labongo out of Winnipeg's Dakota Collegiate. Labongo is a veteran of the Manitoba provincial team with an outstanding work ethic and a close friend of Jarred Ogungbemi-Jackson, the two-time Manitoba high school MVP who led the Dinos in minutes played last season.

Born in Nairobi, Kenya, Labongo is “quick, tough, he can score in many ways, and he's strong on the defensive end as well,” according to Vanhooren.

“He's the real deal.”

He averaged nearly 30 points per game in his senior year with the Dakota Lancers, scoring 66 in the final of the St. Vital Invitational Tournament in Winnipeg. He took his team to the provincial semi-final in 2010.

JOSH WOLFRAM • 6'9” forward • South Kamloops HS • Kamloops, B.C.

Wolfram and teammate Tyler Jaroszuk of the South Kamloops Titans will make the journey over the mountains to suit up for the Dinos next fall.

One of the top prospects coming out of B.C. this year, Wolfram is a multi-talented scorer and veteran of the B.C. provincial team who can pound the ball inside but is equally effective from the perimeter as a solid three-point shooter.

The Titans grabbed third place at the B.C. AAA championship in 2009, taking a 31-0 record into the provincial tournament. South Kamloops placed seventh at the 2010 event.

“Josh is a very, very good shooter,” said Vanhooren. “We're pleased he decided to commit to us over the weekend.”

An honour roll student, Wolfram plans to enter the Haskayne School of Business.

MATT LETKEMAN • 6'7” forward • Yale HS • Abbotsford, B.C.

Considered one of the top graduating players in the nation at his position, strong forward Matt Letkeman will join the Dinos from the B.C. AAA provincial champion Yale Lions out of Abbotsford.

The 6'7” forward was a first team all-star at the provincial tournament last month in Vancouver, when the Lions defeated White Rock Christian Academy 49-40 in the B.C. championship game. In the Fraser Valley championship, Letkeman scored 24 and hauled in 10 rebounds in an 84-60 Lions win, also over WRCA.

He averaged a double-double in his senior year with 20 points and 10 rebounds during the regular season and is also a veteran of the B.C. U17 provincial team. He will enter the Faculty of Kinesiology at the University of Calgary this fall.

NEBOJSA KULJIC • 6'5” forward • Western Canada HS • Calgary

A 6'5” wing man from the Alberta provincial champion Western Canada Redmen, Kuljic is a solid outside shooter who can hit the three and the long deuce but can also mix it up down low.

He was a key player in Western Canada's provincial title win at the University of Lethbridge in March, scoring a game-high 21 points in the 89-69 win over crosstown rival Bishop Grandin in the final.

After winning a provincial title as the biggest player on the Redmen team, Kuljic will be able to move to a more natural spot on the outside as a shooter with the Dinos.

He plans to study in the Haskayne School of Business.

BRAD CLARK • 6'8” forward • Sir Winston Churchill HS • Calgary

Arguably the most dominant big man in Calgary high school basketball this past season, Clark was the first player to commit to the Dinos out of high school for 2010-11.

Possessing very good speed for his size, Clark was a force for the Sir Winston Churchill Bulldogs this season and impressed at the Dinos' ID camp in late March. He is known for his work ethic and is a good competitor who will look to gain strength and experience as he makes the transition to CIS basketball.

Clark will enter the Schulich School of Engineering this fall.

YOURI ANISSOVETS • 6'7” forward • Missouri State University West Plains (Vaughan Road Academy) • Toronto, Ont.

Anissovets comes to the Dinos by way of Missouri State University (West Plains), where he last played in 2008-09 – meaning he will be eligible to suit up for Calgary immediately this fall. He redshirted with the Dinos in the winter semester in 2010 after beginning classes in the Faculty of Arts.

Originally from Russia, Anissovets grew up in Toronto and joined Bevill State Community College in Alabama before heading to Missouri State. A tough inside player with an edge, he is a solid defender who is tough to play against. Having practiced with the Dinos since his January enrollment at the University of Calgary, Anissovets will be able to step in immediately in September. He will enter his third year of eligibility this fall.

KEENAN MILBURN • 6' guard • SAIT Polytechnic (Mark R. Isfeld SS) • Royston, B.C.

A first team all-star from the recent CCAA Men's Basketball championship at SAIT, where the host Trojans completed a Cinderella run to the silver medal, Keenan Milburn will transfer across town to the Jack Simpson Gym in September.

A graduate of Mark Isfield Secondary on Vancouver Island, Milburn was the Trojans' second-leading scorer in 2009-10 with just over 12 points per game. In the national semi-final against Champlain College, he scored nine of his 18 points in the fourth quarter to lead SAIT to its first championship game in 14 years after a tight 69-67 upset win.

After studying business administration at SAIT, Milburn will enter the Haskayne School of Business this fall.

TYLER JAROSZUK • 6'9” forward • South Kamloops HS • Kamloops, B.C.

A teammate of Wolfram's at South Kamloops, Tyler Jaroszuk also made the decision to enroll at the University of Calgary, where he plans to enter the Faculty of Science.

A very good athlete, Jaroszuk also has B.C. provincial team experience at the U15 level and played a key role in the success of the South Kamloops program in the last two seasons.

Jaroszuk will study in the Faculty of Science.

-UC-