Miami Men's Basketball Inks Bramos, Dierkers and Fletcher
11/10/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 10, 2004
OXFORD, Ohio--In what he is calling the best recruiting class of his 14-year collegiate head coaching stint, Miami University men's basketball coach Charlie Coles announced the signing of 6-foot-5 guard/forward Mike Bramos (Harper Woods, MI/Grosse Point North), 6-foot-8 forward Tyler Dierkers (Cincinnati, Ohio/Moeller) and 6-foot-9 forward/center Adam Fletcher (St. Albans, W. Va./St. Albans).
"Each of these three guys were our top choices--the guys we wanted from day one--and we are excited about them joining our program," says Coles.
This trio not only brings proven talent and untapped potential, but compliments the existing group of RedHawks, which makes Coles and his staff enthusiastic about the future of Miami basketball.
"Everybody recruits need, and this is why I believe this is the best class I've recruited," says Coles. "Two years ago, we recruited Monty St. Clair and Nathan Peavy, and I felt like those two guys would be very good players along with our previous players. Last year we got Chad Troyer, Tim Pollitz, Eric Pollitz and Lawrence Ross, so I felt like that group would go very well with our existing players. Now getting Bramos, Dierkers and Fletcher, not only do I think they are very good players, but they are going to go along with guys that I have great regard for in our previous recruiting classes. I can see it coming together, and that's what I'm really excited about with this class."
Bramos--a 6-foot-5, 220-pound, guard/forward--earned third-team all-state honors and was the MVP of his conference, while earning first-team all-East Detroit News distinction. He helped his team to a 21-3 record and league and district championships, while averaging 18.0 ppg, 9.0 rpg and 4.0 apg. Bramos is a four-year letterwinner in basketball and has served as team captain three years.
"Mike Bramos reminds me of a guy I coached up at Central Michigan--Dan Majerle. He's rugged, he can run, he can finish plays and is an aggressive player," says Coles. "He not only has great potential, but he's on his way to that potential right now. He's got a good all-around game, and I believe he's going to end up being a good scorer in college."
Fletcher--a 6-foot-9, 220-pound forward/center--garnered second-team all-state honors and is a candidate for West Virginia Player of the Year this season. Fletcher also was a first-team all-league selection. He averaged 21.0 ppg, 12.0 rpg, 4.0 apg and 2.0 bpg last season and led his team to a 17-7 record, district and region championships and a berth into the West Virginia State Tournament. He is a four-year letterwinner and serves as team captain this season.
"Adam Fletcher is a good runner, a good shooter and a very good low-post presence," says Coles. "When I went to see him play, one of the things that impressed me most was that he had multiple skills and wasn't strong in just one or two areas. When I was driving home, I thought to myself, `This guy can help us right away'."
Dierkers--a 6-foot-8, 215-pound, forward--was a part of Moeller's state championship team as a sophomore. As a junior, he averaged 8.0 ppg and 7.0 rpg, while backing up all-state standouts Josh Duncan and Andrew Brackman at Moeller last year. Currently, he is a stand-out wide receiver on Moeller's football team, which is making a push for a state title. He is a three-year letterwinner at Moeller.
"I watched Tyler Dierkers play practically the entire summer recruiting period, and came away feeling that we not only had to recruit him, but that I was going to miss not seeing him play for a while. Every day I watched him play he improved. He's a player who can play three positions for us. He has a lot of skills, and I'm very excited about him coming to Miami because he's got off-the-chart potential."
"We feel good about our future roster, because there's a lot of potential there," continues Coles. "These three guys are highly regarded and we are very excited about bring them to Miami."
