PORT ARTHUR — PORT ARTHUR – A season after earning the title of NJCAA Region 14 co-Champions, the Lamar State College-Port Arthur Seahawks will start from scratch … literally.

    From the coaching staff to the players reporting this fall, the Seahawks will have a completely new cast of characters.

    Coach Lance Madison started his tenure at Lamar State with a blank slate and immediately began searching for the country’s best juco players to fill out his roster. Now, just two months later, Madison is announcing the commitment of 12 players who hope to continue the tradition of winning established at Lamar State.

    Madison went hunting for both athletically and academically talented players and set his sights on athletes far and wide, signing as close to home as Port Arthur and Silsbee and as far away as Croatia and the Bahamas.

    Josh Cormier , a 5-foot-8 point guard from Port Arthur Memorial High School , will be among those counted on for leading the offense on each trip up the court. Cormier was not on the roster a year ago but spent some time with the past coaching staff in its development of the team. Madison says Cormier is likely the fastest player on the team and comes with great credentials.

    During his senior season at Memorial, Cormier averaged 12 points, eight assists, four rebounds and three steals. He was the MVP of the annual James Gamble Tournament and was listed as a Top 30 Prospect by several sources after his AAU basketball performances with the Port Arthur Heat.

    “Josh is a competitor and has the qualities I like in a point guard in the Seahawks program,” said Coach Madison. “He can push the ball in transition, makes good decisions running the team, can be a lock-down defender, and has the ability to score the basketball.”

    Signed from nearby Silsbee, D.C. Stallworth is a 6-4 guard/forward who is considered by some to be one of the best local players Southeast Texas has produced in recent memory. Stallworth spent a semester as a red-shirt at Cedar Valley College in Lancaster, Texas.  He was a four-year starter at Silsbee, where he earned all-district, all-region and all-state honors. He averaged 20 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, three steals and two blocks a game during his senior season.

    “D.C. is a versatile player who can play the guard and forward positions and can defend any position on the floor,” Madison said. “He is a hard-working, hard-nosed, fierce competitor who can do it all on both ends of the floor.”

    Croatian Ivan Jelencic stands 6-9 and will play power forward and center for the Seahawks. Described as having skill and toughness, Jelencic is expected to be a threat in the paint and from the perimeter. He comes to Port Arthur after a solid showing for the under-17 Croatian National Team and the GKK Sibenik Basketball Club.

    “Ivan is a multi-dimensional forward who can play three different positions,” Madison said. “He is a strong rebounder, can score in the post, shoot the perimeter jumper, and handles the ball well. He has the European post skills that will be a perfect fit in our system and allow us to stretch defenses.”

    Another candidate for center is 7-1 Anthony Allen , a graduate of Bassick High School in Bridgeport, Conn. Allen, the first-ever 7-footer to play basketball for Lamar State, has only been playing organized basketball for four years but showed enough talent that he was signed out of high school by the University of Ohio. He instead red-shirted at the College of Southern Idaho and transferred to Lamar State for his first season on the collegiate floor.

    He led Bassick High School  to two state championships in 2008 and 2010 and continues to develop in the paint as he heads into his first season for the Seahawks.

    “He is a developing post presence who is very athletic, runs the floor well, and can be a game changer,” Madison said. “I look for Anthony to score in the post, chase down rebounds, block shots, and be a force in the paint for the next two seasons. If he improves his footwork and continues to develop, he has the potential to be a big-time Division I player.”

    Coming from the Bahamas are 6-4 shooting guard Garth Brown and 6-5 forward Travis Wildgoose, both graduates of Tabernacle Baptist Christian Academy.

    Brown left Tabernacle to attend as an international student at Athens Christian in Atlanta where he was named Northeast Georgia Player of the Year in his one season playing basketball in the U.S. He averaged 27 points and 9.2 rebounds a game and was named to the 8A All-Region and Georgia Sportswriters All-State teams.

    Wildgoose led his team in the Bahamas to the GBSSAA Championship in 2011, scoring 17 points in the title game. He also showed his ultra-athleticism by winning the Arby’s Classic Slam Dunk Classic (Bristol, Tenn.) while dunking with a football helmet and shoulder-pads in the finals.

     “Travis is a strong, multi-dimensional player who can play either forward position. He can score in transition, attacks the basket, finishes with thunderous dunks, and can really chase down rebounds.  He is an aggressive, attacking-style player on both ends of the court and will bring some toughness to our team,” said Madison.

    “Garth will bring plenty of high-level playing experience and an International flavor to our program. He was a star performer as a prep player in Georgia and will be a great fit in our system.  He can attack the basket off the bounce, handles it well, has a nice jump shot, shoots the 3, and uses his athleticism to chase rebounds and be a tenacious defender.”

    Charles “Tre” Bennett III , a 5-10 point guard from Houston, spent two years at Milby High School before joining the storied program at Yates for his senior season. During his one year at Yates, he had one of the best performances in the state, scoring 46 points with eight rebounds, nine assists and eight steals … in one game.

    He was a three-year all-district performer, averaging 20 points, eight assists, four rebounds and four steals his senior season. He also spent one season at Charis Prep in North Carolina and was part of a national championship team for the 2011-12 season.

    “Charles is a very versatile point guard who can act as a floor general and create scoring opportunities for his teammates or finish himself,” said Madison. “He handles it well, can attack the rim, shoot a pull-up, or knock down the open 3. I really like the defensive intensity and toughness he will bring to the floor every night.”

    Dewitt “D.J.” Lewis III is a 6-2 guard from Jesuit High School in New Orleans. He spent a year at New Mexico State University this past season, serving as a backup guard on the WAC tournament championship team that advanced to the NCAA Tournament. After being displaced by Hurricane Katrina, Lewis split time between Jesuit HS and New Horizons Prep. He was named to The Clarion Herald’s Elite Basketball Team.

    “D.J. will bring much-needed experience and leadership,” said Madison. “He is a multi-dimensional guard who can play either the point or the shooting guard slot.  He can attack the rim, really shoot the 3-pointer, score off the dribble and create scoring opportunities for his teammates.”

    Jamal Shabazz is a 6-6 forward from Pflugerville High School and has the opportunity to be a real impact player as a freshman Seahawk, according to Madison.  “He has the potential to be a go-to-guy as a freshman. He is a multi-dimensional wing scorer who can attack the rim, has good range on his jumper, chases rebounds, and has triple-double ability,” Madison said.

    Shabazz was selected as all-district twice, all-state and was an honor student at Pflugerville. He played for the Texas Thunder and the Austin ATX AAU programs, competing in several high-profile tournaments across the nation. MaxPreps had him ranked as the ninth best small forward in the state and 51st in the nation.

    Evan Sims comes to Lamar State as a transfer from Eastern Oklahoma State where he averaged four points and four rebounds as a true freshman. He was an all-district performer, averaging nearly a double-double during his senior season at Cypress Springs High School in Houston. At 6-8, he has the ability to play the power forward or center positions.

    “Evan is a solid athlete and is a high-motor guy in the post. He is a great rebounder, can score in the paint, has good range on his jumper, and handles the ball well,” Madison said. “He is multi-dimensional, can be a scorer on the secondary cut after setting a ball screen, runs the floor well, and can finish with power.  Evan has good footwork and great hands, which are the two key ingredients to being a successful offensive player in the post.”

    Evan White hails from San Antonio where he graduated from East Central High School. A 6-3 shooting guard, he was the first player to commit to Lamar State this recruiting season.

    White was a standout player at East Central, averaging 16 points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks his senior season. He earned multiple all-district accolades, finished ninth in San Antonio in scoring his senior season, was MVP of the San Antonio ISD (Large Division) Tournament, and led his team to the Class 5A playoffs each of his three varsity seasons.

    “Evan brings the work ethic and determination we like to see in our incoming student-athletes,” Madison said. “He is a good athlete, handles the ball well, and is a very good 3-point shooter.  Evan works hard to get open, has a good basketball IQ, and will be a deep threat for the Seahawks.”

    Kieren Woods is transferring from Indian Hills Community College for his sophomore season. He was a standout at Crane High School in Chicago where he led his team to a top 10 finish in the city with a 22-4 record. He won numerous all-conference and all-city accolades and in one game, scored 21 straight points against 19-ranked Orr to finish with 34 points and help lead Crane to a one-point victory.

    Woods was a participant in the exclusive United Hoops Classic and CPLBCA Luther Bedford All-Star Games after his senior season. MaxPreps had him ranked as the No. 31 prospect in Illinois and in the top 600 nationally as a senior.

    “Kieran is a super-athletic guard who can attack the rim off the bounce, create for his teammates, and score the ball both at the rim and on the perimeter,” Madison said. “He can defend, rebound, and is a great leader with experience playing in the NJCAA National Tournament last year.”

    The Seahawks will open their season on Nov. 3 at the Carl Parker Center when they take on Lone Star College-Kingwood at 4 p.m.