MINOT – Coming off a thrilling postseason run that included a triple-overtime road victory, the Minot State men’s basketball team is preparing for even greater success in the coming year with the addition of four star recruits.
Beavers head coach Matt Murken introduced Minot State fans back in November to two of the top high school big men in North Dakota in Carson Yale, from Des Lacs-Burlington High School, and William Ware, from Bismarck’s Century High School, who each signed a National Letter-of-Intent.
Joining those standout incoming freshmen will be a pair of All-American transfers who Murken signed to a Letter-of-Intent this spring in guards Jake Lieppert, an NCAA Division I transfer from Rice, and Kameron Givens, the Minnesota College Athletic Conference (MCAC) Player of the Year who played this past season at Rochester Community and Technical College.
“Minot State basketball is extremely excited to welcome Jake, Kameron, Will, and Carson to our program,” Murken said. “All four of these young men are high character and used to winning championships!
“In Will and Carson, we added two of the most dominant front-court players in the state of North Dakota in the early signing period,” Minot State’s head coach added. “They went on to both have dominant senior seasons and lead their teams to the state tournament. In the spring we added Kameron and Jake to give our team depth, athleticism, experience and scoring in the backcourt. Both have been junior college All-Americans and led their teams to national tournaments.”
Here is a look at the Beavers incoming recruiting class:
Kameron Givens, a 6-foot-1 guard from Minneapolis, Minnesota and junior transfer from Rochester Community and Technical College in Rochester, Minn.
Named the MCAC Player of the Year and a 1st Team NJCAA All-American, the 6-1, 180-pound guard averaged 20.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game while shooting 50.6 percent from the field in 31 games as he led the Yellowjackets to a 3rd-place finish at the NJCAA National Tournament this past season. Givens was also named to the NJCAA National Tournament All-Tournament Team.
A product of Minneapolis, Minnesota who graduated from DeLaSalle High School, Givens started his collegiate playing career at Central Lakes College (Minn.) where he played in 27 games during the 2019-20 season and averaged 9.9 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game for the Raiders.
Jake Lieppert, a 6-foot-4 guard from Scottsdale, Arizona and senior transfer from Rice University in Houston, Texas
A 6-4, 200-pound NCAA Division I transfer, Lieppert played in 61 games for the Owls in three seasons, averaging 2.4 points and 2.0 rebounds per game and helping Rice to berths in the College Basketball Invitational postseason tournament each of the last two years. Lieppert was also twice named to the Conference USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll.
A product of Scottsdale, Arizona who graduated from Saguaro High School, Lieppert began his collegiate career playing one season at Pima Community College (Ariz.) where he earned 3rd Team NJCAA All-American honors and was named the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference (ACCAC) Player of the Year after averaging 23.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game for the Aztecs. He also led the nation in 3-pointers with 125 made.
William Ware, a 6-foot-6 forward from Century High School in Bismarck, North Dakota
A 6-6 power forward who signed with Minot State in November prior to his senior season, Ware will be a freshman on the hardwood and in the classroom this fall when he joins the Beavers.
During his senior season with the Patriots, Ware led the Western Dakota Association (WDA) with a 60.8 field-goal percentage, which was also second in all of Class A basketball in the state of North Dakota. His efforts on the court helped Century go 25-2 and finish 4th at the Class A State Tournament as he averaged 13.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game.
Ware was also named to the North Dakota Lions All-Star Team which features the best seniors in the state. The 47th annual showcase will be held at Fargo Davies High School on July 10-11.
Carson Yale, a 6-foot-9 forward from Des Lacs Burlington High School in Des Lacs, North Dakota
The Lakers’ 6-9 power forward signed with Minot State in November prior to his senior season and will be a freshman in the hardwood and in the classroom this fall.
This past season, Yale was named to the All-District 12 and All-Region 6 Teams during his final high school campaign, to the Class B State Tournament All-Tournament Team, and 2nd Team All-State.
Yale averaged a double-double on the season for the Lakers with 19.9 points and 11.2 rebounds per game, while adding 3.0 assists, 1.7 blocked shots, and 1.3 steals per game for Des Lacs-Burlington, which made its first trip to the state tournament in 30 years and finished 4th with a 20-8 overall record.
Yale was also named to the North Dakota Lions All-Star Team which features the best seniors in the state. The 47th annual showcase will be held at Fargo Davies High School on July 10-11.
