Saint Martin’s basketball signs three more recruits to 2017 class

Alex Pribble is busy building a championship program at Saint Martin’s University.

The Saints’ third-year men’s basketball coach locked in three more recruits — including two former Division I players — to his 2017 class Monday.

EJ Boyce (San Jose State), Luke Chavez (South Puget Sound) and Matt Dahlen (Oregon State) will join SMU next season. The incoming class includes seven players, and Pribble is aiming to get one more.

Boyce, a junior, played in 21 games for San Jose State as a sophomore, averaging 13 minutes. He shot 39.4 percent from the floor for the Spartans, averaging 3.9 points per game.

Boyce is a 6-foot-2, 170-pound guard and has an impressive shooting stroke. Pribble said he could play either guard position for the Saints.

“I think he’s more athletic than people give him credit for,” Pribble said. “What he does at an elite level is knock down shots. He’s done it everywhere he’s been.”

Boyce is the son of former Boise State assistant Ed Boyce and played at College of Southern Idaho before joining San Jose State. Boyce averaged 9.6 points per game at CSI, shooting 42.5 percent from the floor and 43.6 percent from the perimeter, logging 72 total 3-pointers.

He graduated in 2014 from Rocky Mountain High School in Meridian, Idaho, where he set school records for 3-pointers (167) and 3-point percentage (46.6).

“He plays like the son of a coach,” Pribble said. “He’s competitive, he understands the game and he’s a team-first guy. … When we brought him here on campus he was a great fit for the team.”

Chavez, a 6-4, 185 guard, originally is from San Anselmo, California. He spent his sophomore season at SPSCC. He helped the Clippers to a first-place finish in the Northwest Athletic Conference’s western division, averaging 15.4 points per game and 48 percent shooting.

Chavez is a graduate of Sir Francis Drake High School — the same school Pribble attended — and made a stop at College of Marin before heading north.

“We’re excited about Luke and his potential here at Saint Martin’s,” Pribble said. “Luke is a young man we’ve known for a long time. It’s nice to keep that pipeline going.”

Pribble said he sees Chavez as a combo guard capable of guarding multiple positions. He said Chavez can run the point and is a proficient shooter. He can play off the ball.

“We expect him to come in and have an immediate impact,” Pribble said.

Dahlen played in 30 games for Oregon State his junior season, starting 10 games, after walking on as a freshman in 2014.

He was the Intermountain Conference player of the year for Redmond High School in Oregon in 2013, and was named second-team all-state by the Oregonian, averaging 17 points, six rebounds and four assists per game as a senior.

“We recognized right away that Matt Dahlen is a missing link for us here at Saint Martin’s,” Pribble said. “He’s been the epitome of a team guy for Oregon State. He found his way onto the court and made his way into 10 games as a starter by just doing what coaches asked.”

Pribble said the versatility Dahlen, a 6-7, 215 forward, offers on defense is key for the Saints.

“He can defend a lot of positions,” Pribble said. “He allows us to defend in multiple ways.”

Cameron Chatwin (Saint Martin’s), Tavian Henderson (St. Patrick-St. Vincent High School, California), Jared Mathews (Blue Mountain) and Caden Smith (Pendleton High School, Oregon) signed with the program in April.

Pribble has led the Saints to back-to-back winning seasons in his first two years, compiling a 32-26 record, and he took SMU to the Great Northwest Athletic Conference tournament semifinals in March.

This story was originally published May 2, 2017 at 1:30 PM with the headline "Saint Martin’s basketball signs three more recruits to 2017 class."