Over the summer, Head Coach Connor Kuykendall announced the Pirate Men's Basketball 2020 recruiting class, his first since being named to the position last year. 

"Coach Graham and I couldn't be more excited to add these five young men to our basketball family at Southwestern. When we first started the recruiting process for this 2020 class, we wanted to identify kids who would be successful members of the Southwestern community while also enhancing our basketball program along the way. We wanted to add toughness, length, athleticism, and also try to keep some local area kids in central Texas. We feel we did all those things with our 2020 recruiting class."

Chris "C.J."Smith Jr. (Abaco, Bahamas) is a junior-transfer from Mountain View Community College. He won the athletic award at Mountain View last year, averaging 8.5 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. In high school, Smith led his district in rebounds and assists. He was also named to the First Team All-District team and won the TCAL State Championship in 2016 with Clear Lake Christian High School. He was also a member of the National Society of Leadership and Success, and active in the Christian Youth Movement in his hometown. 

"Our program is lucky to get someone like C.J. late in the recruiting process as a transfer. He is a big-time athlete who can play and guard multiple positions on the floor," Kuykendall said. "Like everyone else in this class, he is a great young man and as the program's first transfer athlete in three years, is excited to finish out his career at Southwestern. I would expect some fun highlights from C.J. over the next two years!"

Jacob Hester (Cedar Park, TX) had an award-laden career at nearby Cedar Park High School. He was a three-time All-District player, including a First Team nod in his senior season. Hester was also named to the All-Central Texas First Team, an Academic All-District recipient, and named to the Central Texas All-Star Team in 2020. Cedar Park won two district championships during Hester's tenure in the program. He also was active in FCA and Northpoint Church.

"Jacob is a tough, hard-nosed player who will do whatever he can to help Southwestern win. Besides being tough, he also is a talented offensive player who can score at all three levels," Kuykendall said. "Like the other three first-years in this class, he was also a part of a winning program at the high school level so he knows what it takes to be successful. I can't wait to see all the things he accomplishes in the next four years."

Sam Lacy (Leander, TX) is the next member of the incoming first-year class to come from the area. He will reunite with current Pirate Zac Black, who was teammates with Lacy when the pair won a District Championship at Rouse High School. Lacy broke the Rouse record for assists in a season and was a First Team All-District honoree. He was a member of the National Honor Society and active with Northpoint Church, serving on a mission trip to Kenya. 

"Sam is going to fit in perfectly with how we want to play here at Southwestern. He has a high basketball IQ, knows how to play the game, and is unselfish on the floor," Kuykendall said. "He has the ability to make everyone else around him better, which will make him very fun to watch over the next four years."'

Brendan Myers (Fort Worth, TX) will only participate in basketball at Southwestern, but he was a standout three-sport athlete for Westlake Academy. A four-year starter for the basketball team, Myers set school records in career scoring and rebounding. He was a four-time All-District and three-time All-State honoree, and made four trips to the State Final Four, including one championship. A National Honor Society member, Myers also was the head coach of the middle school team during his senior season.

"Brendan is a great young man who is a great addition to our Pirate Basketball family. He is a tall wing who can play multiple positions because of the skill set he has for someone with his size," Kuykendall said. "Brendan has such a bright future and will be such a great addition to the Southwestern community for the next four years."

Gabe Rayer (Austin, TX) is another first-year player that won't have to go far to join the Pirates this fall. A graduate of Vandegrift High School in Austin, Rayer had an outstanding senior season as he helped lead the Vipers to a regional quarterfinal appearance in the State Tournament. He was named First Team All-District, Jack Frost All-Tournament Team, 620 Shootout All-Tournament Team, a Central Texas All-Star, and a Chicken Express All-Star. Rayer was an Academic All-State honoree and completed over 200 hours of service with the Young Men's Service League over the last three years. 

"Gabe is a special talent on the floor and when you watch him play you know he is having fun. He is someone who can play multiple positions on offense and guard multiple positions on the defensive end as well. He is a great person who has been a part of a successful high school program and will further elevate the level of excitement we have for our program over the next four years."