UCI adds recruits, loses aid

The UC Irvine men’s basketball program has added three recruits, but has lost top assistant Tod Murphy.

Murphy, the school’s No. 2 all-time scorer who spent the last six seasons on Coach Pat Douglass’ staff, was hired this week as the head coach at Gordon College, a Division III school in Wenham, Mass.

High school seniors Brandon Durham, Brandon Scott and Michael Wilder all signed letters of intent during the spring signing period.

Murphy played five seasons in the NBA and had a 10-year professional career after earning honorable mention in All-American voting at UCI in 1985. A 6-foot-9 forward, Murphy was UCI’s team MVP for three seasons. He finished with 1,778 points, which topped all Anteaters until it was surpassed by Jerry Green in 2002. Murphy was inducted into the UCI Hall of Fame in 2000.

Murphy’s coaching duties at UCI included coordinating recruiting, coordinating the offense and scouting. He is also credited with developing the Anteaters’ front-court players.

Prior to returning to UCI, he spent two seasons as an assistant at UC Riverside.

Murphy takes over for Mike Schauer, who guided the Fighting Scots the last seven seasons.

Murphy will begin work at Gordon on July 15.

Durham is a 6-foot-7 forward who averaged 16 points and 10 rebounds per game at Central Kitsap High in Silverdale, Wash. He was a three-time all-league selection there and was twice named his team’s MVP.

Scott is a 6-2 guard who averaged 17.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists at Archbishop Mitty High in San Jose last season. He was a first-team All-West Catholic League honoree and also was named first-team All-Santa Clara County.

Wilder is a 6-2 guard who starred at Long Beach Wilson High, where he shared Moore League MVP honors as a senior. After making 70 three-pointers in 29 games, he was named All-CIF Southern Section in Division I-AA. A four-year varsity starter, he earned all-league recognition three times.

He was also a standout in volleyball for the Bruins, and he was senior class president.

“The new players’ contributions could be immediate in that the guards add needed depth and both Michael and Brandon Scott are very savvy guards who are multi-faceted players,” Douglass said in a statement.

“[Durham] is not afraid to battle on the boards. He is a very versatile player who can play the high or low post effectively.

These players join an incoming class that includes three players who signed in the fall.

Those players are Peter Simek, a 6-9 center from Butte College, Pavol Lasonsky, a 6-8 forward from Butte, and 6-0 guard Derick Flowers from Pacific Hills High in Los Angeles.

— From staff reports