Meet the Freshmen: LMU’s Joshua Spiers

Mike Dunlap and the LMU Lions are taking on a different strategy recruiting wise compared to what Max Good and his staff did. Instead of competing for the top players in the United States, Dunlap has mainly focused overseas, looking for diamonds in the rough in the least expected places.

The Lions took a page out of Randy Bennett’s book and landed a commitment from Joshua Spiers, a 6-foot-7 forward from Queensland, Australia. This Australian will add a much needed punch to LMU’s frontcourt, especially when it comes to outside scoring.

International Play

While Spiers played for his club team the Townsville Heat in the Cannons Basketball Club Inc., his biggest accomplishments were in international (or national play).

Spiers played for his hometown Queensland in the recent U20 Australian National Championships, scoring 10.3 points and snagging 4.7 rebounds per game in a tournament where Queensland finished with a silver medal.

Per Spiers LMULIons.com biography, he was a standout golfer, along with basketball player, as a child.

Impact at LMU

First and foremost, Spiers can shoot the ball at a high level for someone that is 6-foot-7, and head coach Mike Dunlap has made that very clear. Both Spiers and incoming freshman Petr Herman are stretch fours with decent outside shots, opening up a lot of opportunities for the Lions offense.

The reports from summer workouts are overly positive on Herman, but the jury is still out on Spiers. If Spiers proves to the coaching staff that he is ready to contribute for a Division I program next season, he will see playing time. If he doesn’t, a redshirt is very much a possibility.

However, Spiers does has an advantage over the upperclassmen at his position – specifically Godwin Okonji and Marin Mornar – as he can step out and make a jumper with consistency. If this element of his game sets him apart from the competition on the roster in the eyes of Coach Dunlap, he will, again, without a double see playing time at both forward spots.