Dec 21 2041: 2-star prospect Geming Ming committed.
Dec 19 2041: 3-star prospect Pernell Rutherford committed.
Dec 05 2041: 3-star prospect Aarón Cisneros committed.
Oct 03 2041: Major Brady was hired as the new assistant coach.
Oct 03 2041: Assistant coach Forrest Knutson was let go.
Aug 29 2041: Chandler Santoro was hired as the new assistant coach.
Aug 29 2041: Forrest Knutson was hired as the new assistant coach.
Aug 29 2041: Assistant coach Rickey O`Reilly leaves to pursue head coaching opportunities.
Aug 29 2041: Assistant coach Sid Baumann leaves to pursue head coaching opportunities.
Aug 29 2041: Demoted to conference III.1.
Pts Ave: 86.0 - 84.4 Pts Diff: +1.6 Team Power Index: 149.1
Press Releases:
Feb 04 2012: Prairie View Finalizes Recruiting Class - by cwb on April 19th, 2020
Head Coach Cliff Schultz had a big mission ahead of him coming into this season -- not only did he have to fill four scholarships, but he had to fill four scholarships after just losing the most successful class of players in school history, and he's set to lose even more high-impact players after this season. But, despite having large shoes to fill, high expectations for a program on the rise, and tough recruiting competition in an increasingly competitive state, he did it -- he landed those he had been scouting for years.
The first domino to fall in the recruiting class was stand-out SG Tucker Deaton. With two of the most prominent three-point shooters in school history set to graduate this season, in Nic Lance and Neil Wright, getting a sharpshooter was a priority for Coach Schultz. Deaton brings excellent shooting to Prairie View, and along with strong defensive abilities, will fit in nicely to Coach Schultz's scheme to build around 3-and-D players.
To pair with Deaton in the backcourt, Coach Schultz decided to go out of state, landing his first recruit from the state of Illinois in PG Al Arthur. While Arthur is also able to pose a threat from the three-point line, his smothering defense and well-developed ability to run the point are what ultimately landed him an offer from Prairie View. Without a doubt, Arthur and Deaton should form a formidable backcourt duo for the future.
Finally, after landing the star frontcourt duo of PF Jean Brink and C Carter Lee last season, it was important for the Panthers to build depth at PF and C in this recruiting class. In turn, they secured an in-state commitment from heavily recruited PF Kris McKnight and an out-of-country commitment from Australia big man C Alfred Giles. While McKnight is averaging a respectable 13.9 PPG in his senior season, he's actually known more for his defensive and rebounding abilities -- items which should immediately translate to the next level, especially given his length. Giles should pair nicely -- already demonstrating the ability to score and rebound at high levels. The two big men will form a strong defensive and rebounding duo for years to come.
All four recruits plan to redshirt.
Mar 05 2011: #20 Prairie View Gets Recruits, Ready for Tournament - by cwb on March 2nd, 2020
When Head Coach Cliff Schultz took over eight years ago, Prairie View A&M ranked 922nd, and after his first season on the job, stood at 990th. But those days are no more, as the Panthers, coming off a Division II championship and finishing ranked 95th in 2010, have now completed their first year in Division 1 with a 41-8 regular season record and are ranked 20th going into the conference tournament.
"I think a lot of people thought last year was the tip of the iceberg for us and expected us to kind of dial down our expectations now that we made it to Division I," said Schultz. "But these guys have a lot of fight in them, and we've got a good system in place."
That system is sure to get better, too, as the Panthers have added their two top targets for the 2011 recruiting class, PF Jean Brink and C Carter Lee.
Brink is a four-star recruit who should be a four-year starter after a redshirt year. He brings a strong scoring punch at the PF position for the Panthers, having averaged 15.4 PPG his senior year, including shooting 45% from beyond the arc. His ability to stretch the floor, while also bringing size, defense, and rebounding as a PF, made him an eye-popping prospect for many.
Lee, on the other hand, was a silent killer in high school, attracting less recruiting attention despite being a 6'8 and growing C. His senior year saw him averaging a respectable 11.7 PPG and 7.9 RPG. He also plans to redshirt in his first year at Prairie View, and then should partner with Brink to form a formidable front court for years to come.
In the mean time, the Panthers turn their attention to a conference tournament which they are favored to win and the school's first appearance in the Division I National Championship.
It's unclear if Prairie View can repeat their Division II success, but one thing is certain: It's a good time to be a Panthers fan.
Apr 05 2010: Prairie View Wins It All - by cwb on January 16th, 2020
Capping off the best season in school history, the 2009-2010 Panthers team brought home the Division II Championship Trophy with a 77-69 win over the Robert Morris Colonials.
As Head Coach Cliff Schultz shared, "It's been an amazing run. We knew we had something cooking these past couple seasons, and after returning everyone from last season's [Elite 8] squad, we came out hungrier than ever and did what we needed to do."
The Panthers were led by All-Tournament Center Farrell Harper, who averaged 17.7 PPG and 7.5 RPG in the National Tournament and 17.1 PPG and 8.7 RPG on the season.
A trio of Seniors also had strong performances in the tournament and on the season. SG Kirk Seeley averaged 16.8 PPG and 3.2 APG in the tournament and 14.1 PPG and 2.9 APG on the season. PF Mason Schaffer averaged 16.5 PPG and 7.0 RPG in the tournament and 14.2 PPG and 8.2 RPG on the season. And SF Bradley McCormick averaged much smaller offensive numbers, including 5.8 PPG in the tournament and 6.4 PPG on the season, although his biggest contributions came on the defensive end, which don't always show up in the stat sheet.
However, the defensive numbers that did stand out in the Panthers' tournament run were the shooting percentages of their opponents. Most notably, the defensive performances of SG Kirk Seeley and SF Bradley McCormick eliminated some of the best shooters in the tournament, holding their matchups to 29.4% and 33.3% shooting, respectively.
Another quiet contributor was Junior PG Lincoln Hamilton, who averaged 11.2 PPG and 5.0 APG in the tournament and 9.6 PPG and 6.2 APG on the season. Hamilton and Harper will return for their Senior seasons, providing veteran leadership and a dangerous pick-and-roll combination for the Panthers next season.
But for now, the team will celebrate their championship, including a championship parade in the small town of Prairie View, Texas, and get some much needed offseason rest. They've earned it.
Mar 25 2010: Prairie View Finishes Recruiting Class, Makes Elite Eight - by cwb on January 13th, 2020
Crane is the true gem of the 2010 recruiting class, continuing the strong Point Guard recruiting that Head Coach Cliff Schultz has become known for in his time in Texas. Given the depth at the PG position, Crane may not earn a starter role for a few years, but fans are thrilled to see him when he finally makes it on the court.
On the other hand, Turnbull is likely to see a large role early on in his career, projecting to play PF in college. With star PF Mason Schaffer graduating, Coach Schultz was on the lookout for another speedy defender to fill his shoes, and Turnbull was an in-state steal for the Panthers.
Clinton was the least recruited among the signing class, but perhaps the biggest steal. Having grown up a Panthers fan, Clinton was waiting to jump as soon as they offered. His strong shooting potential makes him an intriguing SG prospect to watch in the years to come, although he is unlikely to play a role early on in his collegiate career.
With recruiting out of the way, Prairie View has turned their attention to the National Tournament, where they have just made the Elite Eight for their second year in a row. Even with all the success in recent years, Prairie View has continued to set records and out-do themselves, securing a promotion bid to Division 1 next season. It's hard to believe that Prairie View was in Division 3 and had never had a winning season a few years ago, but Coach Schultz has led a remarkable turn around and Prairie View has become a program to be reckoned with.
Nov 21 2009: Prairie View Signs Hayes - by cwb on December 7th, 2019
With its first signing of the 2010 recruiting class, the Prairie View A&M Panthers got one of their top targets: SF Paul Hayes. Hayes is an in-state, three-star recruit with an elite scoring ability, including being able to consistently knock shots down from deep.
"Coach Schultz has been recruiting me longer than any team, so I felt really at home with him and the guys here," said Hayes. "They've really developed a strong system here and made it clear where I could fit in."
Hayes is expected to redshirt in his first year on campus, then he will team up with rising stars PG Josue Munoz and SG Jake Braun to form a dominant three-headed attack for the Panthers moving forward.