XU Rush add Cameroon forward to complete signing class

OLIVIER SIEWE
(pronounced oh-liv-ee-ay see-way)
HOMETOWN: DOUALA, CAMEROON
(hometown pronounced doo-all-uh)
 

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana has completed its signing class for the 2012-13 men's basketball season with the addition of 6-foot-5 forward Olivier Siewe of Douala, Cameroon.
Siewe transferred to Xavier from Southern University of Shreveport, a two-year college, and will be a junior on the Gold Rush roster.

Siewe was a two-year starter at Southern and helped the Port City Jags win Miss-Lou Conference championships and finish second in the Region XXIII playoffs both seasons. Southern was 27-4 in 2010-11 and 22-8 in 2011-12. Siewe averaged 10 points and five rebounds per game this past season and, accoring to coach David Francis, had the school's highest grade-point average.

"Olivier is a good guy. He worked hard for us," Francis said. "He's a good defensive player and a really good student."

Siewe transferred to SUSLA after one season at NCAA Division I Campbell University, where he did not play during a redshirt season. Siewe was first-team all-conference twice at Piney Woods School in Mississippi, where he averaged 19 points, 12 rebounds and 2.5 assists as a senior and 14.5 points and 12.3 rebounds as a junior.

This will be the seventh season of organized basketball for Siewe, 22.

Siewe is a business management major at Xavier. He'll be the first non-U.S. player for the Gold Rush since Nordine Sekour of Marseille, France, in 2004-05.

The Gold Rush have seven signees for 2012-13. Previously signed were guards RJ Daniels of New Orleans, Xavier Rogers of Denton, Texas, Gary Smith of Sugar Land, Texas, and Lucas Martin-Julien of Reserve, La., and forwards John Gibson of Marietta, Ga., and Wesley Pluviose-Philip of Albany, N.Y.

Xavier was 23-9 this past season, shared the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season championship, qualified for the second straight year for the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I National Championship and ranked 24th in the postseason coaches poll. Xavier's 27 seasons of 20 or more victories are the most in the history of Louisiana men's college basketball. The Rush reached the NAIA national tourney six of the past eight seasons.

2012-13 Xavier University of Louisiana Men's Basketball Signees
Name	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	Yr.*	Hometown	High School (College)
RJ Daniels	G	6-4	190	Fr.	New Orleans, La.	St. Augustine
John Gibson	F	6-7	195	Fr.	Marietta, Ga.	Walton
Lucas Martin-Julien	G	6-2	187	Fr.	Reserve, La.	Riverside Academy
Wesley Pluviose-Philip	F	6-7	230	Fr.	Albany, N.Y.	Albany
Xavier Rogers	G	6-2	175	Jr.	Denton, Texas	Lake Dallas   (Grambling)
Olivier Siewe	F	6-5	210	Jr.	Douala, Cameroon	Piney Woods  (SU-Shreveport JC)
Gary Smith	G	6-1	180	Fr.	Sugar Land, Texas	The Village School
* athletic classification at Xavier in fall of 2012 By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director VISIT: XULAATHLETICS VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA