GREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) – Three standout recruits entering their senior years of high school signed National Letters of Intent on Wednesday to play their college basketball for the Green Bay men's basketball program, head coach Linc Darner announced. The versatile trio includes Trevian Bell (Joliet, Ill.), Will Chevalier (Kimberly, Wis.) and Shawn “PJ” Pipes (Woodridge, Ill.), who will join the Phoenix in 2016-17.

“We are very excited about the signing of these three. They each will help us individually in replacing our heavy senior class, which will graduate this spring. We identified what we needed and were able to go out and get what we were looking for during our early signing period. Each of them are not only outstanding basketball players, but all three excel in the classroom and are outstanding young men. We look forward to having them join our program,” Darner said.

Bell is a 6-foot-6 versatile wing who can play multiple positions and score in a variety of ways. From Joliet West High School in Illinois, he has risen in the ranks of players in his state.  Bell has received both All-State and All-Conference honors for his standout play over the last two seasons. He will lead one of the top teams in the state of Illinois this season in hopes of reaching their high expectations of a State Championship.

“Choosing Green Bay was one of the easiest decisions I've had to make in the long run. Coach Darner and Coach Swank have been in full support for pretty much a whole year now. There was at least one coach there to watch every one of my games this summer. They made it known that I was their top priority, which meant a lot to me,” Bell said.

Chevalier, a 6-foot-8 stretch forward from nearby Kimberly, came on strong last season as his averaged ballooned to over 18 points per game. He averaged just two points per game his sophomore season, but became one of the premiere forwards in the region over the past year. Chevalier plays in one of the best leagues in Wisconsin in the Fox Valley Association, where he has elevated himself as a potential Player of the League candidate.

“Green Bay is an awesome place and has a great environment. They have great coaches and a great program. They are all very welcoming and I am very excited to be a part of it,” Chevalier said.

Pipes is a one of the most prolific scorers in his school's history and became a household name on the AAU circuit over this past summer. The 6-foot-1 guard was named his AAU program's (Illinois Stars) MVP and was also recognized by NY2LA as one of the best players in the state, despite him flying under the radar for most of the summer. Pipes will look to make an immediate impact in a Phoenix uniform as soon as next season.

“I chose Green Bay because I knew it was the best fit for me to continue my education while also playing in a competitive basketball league. The coaches believed in my abilities and showed me that they believed in me as a person and as a player,” Pipes said.

Trevian Bell
Height: 6-6
Position: Guard/Forward
Hometown: Joliet, Illinois
High School: Joliet West High School
AAU Team: Illinois Wolves

Accomplishments

· All-Conference (Junior and Sophomore)

· Third Team All-State (Junior)

· Pontiac Holiday All-Tournament Team

· WBCA First Team All-State (Junior and Sophomore)

QUOTES

Trevian Bell: This program is without a doubt on the rise with Coach Darner being the great coach that he is. I want to help lead this team to big things and to help go big places. Their education program is very strong in the areas I want to study and when I went on my visit, the staff made it clear how important education really was. All of the pieces fell right into place, making it very easy for me to choose Green Bay.

Darner: Trevian is a versatile, tough and talented basketball player. He can play multiple positions for us. He's one of the top players in the state of Illinois and plays on one of the best teams in the state. He can score at the rim, he can knock down the three and he can score off the bounce.

Mike Mullins, AAU Coach: Trevian is a tremendous young man and teammate. He is a player who continues to improve and evolve both physically and with his skill package. Trevian has his best days ahead of him and I look forward to following him both as a student and as an athlete during his time at Green Bay.

Nick Diforti, High School Coach: Trevian is one of the sincerest student-athletes I have ever coached. Green Bay will receive a good person with the relationships he makes. His skill set will allow him to be valuable at many different positions. Year after year, Trevian developed a solid foundation of skills that have enabled him to continue his education in college and as a student-athlete. Joliet West is proud of Trevian's accomplishments as a player and as a person.

Will Chevalier
Height: 6-8
Position:  Forward
Hometown: Kimberly, Wisconsin
High School: Kimberly High School
AAU Team: Wisconsin Playground Warriors

Accomplishments

· First Team All-Conference FVA (Junior)

· Averaged 18.8 PPG and 6.5 RPG his junior season

· Plays for one of the elite AAU programs in the state

QUOTES

Darner:  We identified him early on in my career at Green Bay as a top front line player in the area and his numbers speak to that. We are looking forward to watching him progress as a player. He can stretch the floor and as he continues to gain strength and experience, he will only get better as a player. I'm looking forward to his progression as a player and scorer.

Lucky Wurtz, Head School: Will works very hard in the gym, takes the extra workouts and goes above and beyond to become a great player. He has one of the purest shots I've ever coached and he can score from all areas. He's very effective in the post and he's a great three-point shooter. He really has put it all together and playing at Green Bay is a dream for him. He felt at home with the coaching staff and Coach Darner. For him as a player, it's a perfect fit.

Ritchie Davis, AAU Coach: Will has worked very hard the past 18 months to improve as a basketball player in all areas. His passion and work ethic are contagious. His toughness and ability to shoot the basketball and stretch the floor as a 6-foot-8 forward will allow him to experience tremendous success at Green Bay and within the Horizon League. I look forward to watching Will grow and compete over the next four years.

Shawn “PJ” Pipes Jr.
Height: 6-2
Position: Guard
Hometown: Woodridge, Illinois
High School: Lemont High School
AAU Team: Illinois Stars

Accomplishments

· All-Area First Team by the Herald News and My Suburban Life(Sophomore, Junior)

· IBCA All-State Fourth Team (Junior)

· Romeoville Christmas Classic All-Tournament team

· Led area in scoring and averaged a career high 20.1 PPG last season

· All-Time single season record holder for free throws made at Lemont HS

QUOTES

Darner: This summer while at NY2LA I watched PJ Pipes be the second-leading scorer. I saw him put his team on his back and get them to the final four. He scored at will and from that moment on we went after him hard. He has the ability to score and get other people involved as well.

Antonio Curro, the National Recruiting Editor for NY2LASports.com, said about PJ in September: A lead guard who hit the spring looking to score and by the back end of the spring had elevated his play to being a more complete floor general that could distribute, defend, and score, Pipes was impressive in terms of both his production and his willingness to adjust and improve. Pipes has his best years on the hardwood in front of him and a lot of schools sleeping on him will eventually regret it at the next level. This kid can play.

Troy Johnson, AAU Coach: Shawn “PJ” Pipes comes from a strong line of recent guards from our program (Aaron Jordan, Illinois; Cole Gentry, South Dakota State; KJ Santos, UIC) to sign Division I scholarships the past couple of years. Shawn's leadership, shooting, and natural ability to score are all attributes that will help the basketball program immediately. His competitiveness and leadership skills are strong points that he will have the moment he steps on campus. He seems to thrive in high pressure and intense situations. He received the right offer from Green Bay, a program that truly believes in him.

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