AU Men's Hoops Features Full Recruiting Class
May 4, 2006

The Ashland University basketball team has added five players to the roster for next season. The newcomers will start classes next fall.

AU was 19-10 last season and advanced to the Final Four of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

A summary of the recruits can be found below. Quotes from AU head coach Roger Lyons are included.

Chad Fender (Poland, OH) – Fender is 6-2 guard. He’s a three-time Metro Athletic Conference player of the year and twice was honored as the Inland District player of the year. Fender is a two-time first team All-Ohio selection.

Fender is Poland’s career scoring leader with 1,525 points. As a senior he averaged 19.2 ppg., 5.0 apg., and 4.0 rpg. Fender holds the school record for consecutive made free throws (26).

The backcourt star led the Bulldogs to the state Final Four. With Fender in the lineup, Poland won four conference championships, three district crowns and a regional championship.

Fender’s brother, Eric, plays for Mount Union. He is the son of Tom and Holly Fender.

“He originally committed to go to Youngstown State, but with the coaching change there, he decided to change,” said Lyons. “He’s the son of a coach who I’ve known for a long time. We know he’ll be fundamentally sound. He’s a two guard.”

Steve Gansey (Olmsted Falls, OH/Cleveland State) – A 6-3, 195-pound guard-forward, Gansey is the brother of West Virginia’s Mike Gansey. Like his brother, Gansey is a lethal outside shooter. He’ll be a junior in the fall – he’s played the last two years at Cleveland State. In high school, Gansey was first team all-state and the Northeast Ohio player of the year. He played in the North-South All-Star Game and was the most valuable player in that contest.

Gansey was a two-time, first team all-conference selection. As a senior, he averaged 22.1 ppg., 4.8 rpg., and 3.2 apg. He ranks fifth in career points (1,311) at Olmsted Falls.

Gansey led his team to a 22-3 mark his senior season and the finals of the state tournament. Olmsted Falls was 78-15 with Gansey in the lineup. All four years he played, Olmsted Falls won a conference crown.

The son of Tony and Gale Mazzella, Gansey is a sports management major.

“He comes to us with a lot of experience,” said Lyons. “He played significant minutes at Cleveland State. Steve’s an outstanding perimeter shooter. Anytime you can get a Division I player with experience it’s a plus.”

Carlos Raymore (Detroit, MI/Consortium College Prep) – Raymore averaged 17.0 ppg., 8.0 rpg., and 4.0 blocks per game this past season. The 6-4, 195-pound Raymore was fourth team all-state this past season and during his career, played in the postseason three times. He set the single-game record for most rebounds in a Class C game (25).

The new Eagle was tabbed second team all-conference.

Raymore was honored as Consortium’s defensive player of the year. He lettered four times on the hardwood and two times in track and field.

Raymore’s parents are Kim and Greg Humphries.

“Carlos is a player we recruited all year,” recapped Lyons. “He was recruited by a number of GLIAC schools. He’ll provide us with athleticism on the perimeter.”

Kale Richardson (Carroll, OH/Bloom-Carroll) – Richardson is a 6-8, 230-pound forward. This past season he averaged a double-double – 17.0 ppg., and 10.0 rpg. Those figures helped him earn first team all-league and second team all-state laurels. He played on teams that won one conference championship and three district titles.

Richardson also played football and baseball. On the gridiron, the tight end was first team all-league and all-state. As a senior he had 61 catches for 954 yards and 14 touchdowns.

The son of Don and Carol Richardson, the AU forward has an interesting off-court hobby – he plays the mandolin for Bo Richardson and the Tallgrass, which was selected as the best new talent at Nashville Star Search’s 2005 Trowbridge Symposium. The rest of the bluegrass band consists of brother, Bo (lead singer), sister, Tara (harmony singer), father, Don (banjo) and mother, Carol (bass). Another brother, Luke, serves as roadie and sound man.

“He adds size to our program,” Lyons explained. “He’s been All-Ohio in football as well as basketball. Kale will provide depth in our inside positions.”

Klaye Rowe (Papillion, NE/Iowa Central Community College) - The 6-6 Rowe was named a first team junior college All-America. He was also first team all-conference. Rowe, who will be a junior at AU, was first team all-region and the region’s most valuable player. Rowe led the conference in scoring (17.7 ppg.) and was fifth in rebounding (7.5 rpg.). In tournament play he averaged 20.7 ppg., and 13.0 rpg.

As a senior in high school, he averaged 18.0 ppg., and 7.5 rpg., and was first team all-league.

Rowe is the son of Steve and Wendi Rowe. Rowe’s grandfather was a pitcher for the Minnesota Twins from 1960-66.

“We think he’s the steal of our recruiting class,” said Lyons. “He’s from Nebraska and had a tremendous junior college career. He felt at home on his visit. We think he’ll contribute immediately. He plays hard all the time and he’s very good defensively.”