Meet the JuCo Transfers: LMU’s David Humphries

With the roster overhaul that has occurred at Loyola Marymount following the firing of head coach Max Good and the arrival of Mike Dunlap, the Lions needed to quickly recruit players who could make an immediate impact.

One of the players Mike Dunlap quickly scooped up was 6-4 Australian guard David Humphries.  Humphries, who was a standout player at Northern Iowa Area Community College (NIACC), will be counted on to help replace the loss of wing Elijah Stewart, a highly touted newcomer who was going to be a freshman this coming season at LMU but decomitted from the program when Good was fired.  

The Lions also need to replace the loss of Nick Stover and C.J. Blackwell on the wing, as both players were key contributors at LMU last season before transferring after Good was gone.  There should definitely be minutes for a player like Humphries to fill during Mike Dunlap’s first year at Loyola Marymount.

Time at NIACC

Humphries was a very good scorer, rebounder and passer at NIACC, and should be poised to have an impact an LMU after his impressive accomplishments in junior college.

As a freshman in 2012-13, Humphries averaged 20.6 PPG, 7.8 RPG, and 4.3 APG, all while shooting over 50% from the field and over 40% from beyond the arc.  For his efforts, he was named a  first-team NJCAA Division II All-American as a freshman.  

As a sophomore, Humphries posted similar numbers, averaging 21.1 PPG, 8.4 RPG, and 3.1 APG, and was named a third-team NCJAA Division II All-American.  He was third all time in NIACC scoring and recorded 2 triple doubles during his time there.

Impact at LMU

Humphries will likely be competing with the recently injured Chase Flint and Ayodeji Egbeyemi, along with incoming freshman Simon Krajcovic, 2014 WCC all-freshman selection Evan Payne, and sharpshooting JUCO transfer Matt Hayes.

What remains to be seen is how long it takes Humphries to adjust from Division II Junior College to Division 1 NCAA basketball.  He has shown his abilities against lesser competition, and has a chance to play a decent amount of minutes on the wing at LMU right away.  However he will need to be able to compete against a talented West Coast Conference, which I’m sure he will be able to do with hard work over the summer and a team attitude once practice starts in the fall.  The best case scenario for Humphries is that he could become a player like Gonzaga’s Kyle Dranginis who can shoot, pass, and rebound fairly well with good size for a guard.