With no player on its current roster taller than 6-foot-6, the Husson University men’s basketball team has gone big with its first recruit of the new year.
Jared Balser, a 6-foot-9, 230-pound senior center from Mt. Ararat High School in Topsham, has committed to join the Eagles next fall, according to Husson.
Balser is averaging 19.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.9 blocked shots and 2.5 steals this winter while leading Mt. Ararat to a 9-6 record good for eighth place in Class A South with three games left in the regular season.
Balser is shooting better than 60 percent from the field and 78 percent from the free-throw line for coach David Dubreuil’s club.
Balser also has played AAU basketball for coach Rick Simonds and the Maine Renegades.
“Jared was a real focus for us in this year’s recruiting class,” Husson coach Warren Caruso said. “We feel he is the best big man in the state and made him a priority.
“Jared is a focused student-athlete and has a very good skill set. We look forward to seeing his career develop.”
Husson is 11-8 overall this winter and 7-2 in North Atlantic Conference play heading into games Friday at Northern Vermont-Johnson and Northern Vermont-Lyndon.
