Lights add Washington forward

Montana State University-Northern head basketball coach Shawn Huse is adding size to his 2015 recruiting class. One week after announcing the signing of Broadview-Lavina big man Seth Christians, Huse has added another big post player.

The Lights announced recently that Justin Dunsmore, a 6-6 forward from Zillah, Washington, has signed an NAIA national letter of intent to play at Northern.

“Justin is not just another good forward, but someone who has the ability to raise his game another notch higher than his competition,” Huse said. “He has that knack of making big-time plays in big-time moments. He plays with fire and emotion at the right times, which lifts himself and his team. I really like his demeanor and approach to the court. He is an inside/out scorer, which makes him an extremely difficult matchup. Once he adapts to defending at this level, and in our system, he has as much potential as any forward coming out of high school that we have seen in the Frontier Conference. Justin is a very smart player, a hard-worker, is physically very strong, and is a talented athlete. I do not think the adaptation process will take him long.”

Dunsmore is coming off a fantastic high school career. He played on varsity for four years and his teams went 97-8 in his career. This past season, he was named the AP Washington State 1A Player of the Year, while leading Zillah to a third-place finish at the state tournament, He also played on a state championship team in 2014 and team’s that went second and third as well. Dunsmore is also a two-time 1A All-State First Team selection, a three-time SCAC First-Team selection and the MVP of the SCAC as a senior. This past season, he also averaged 21 points and 12 rebounds per game.

"Justin is a fantastic student-athlete,” said Zillah head coach Doug Burge. “He has a ton of potential and will grow as a player with a basketball-only focus and his desire to excel. He was a three-year captain for me at Zillah High School. He is a great kid, a leader with his peers, and the kind of person you want on your basketball team. He will be a great addition to MSU-N’s squad. He is extremely coachable and a player that will continue to work hard and get better and better as he adapts his game to the college level. Most of all, Justin is a high character guy — one that you want to represent your program. I feel very fortunate to have coached him and very proud of his accomplishments. He deserves every accolade he has received and it has been an honor to coach him at Zillah High School during the past four years.”

Dunsmore’s career stats at Zillah High School include, 1,282 points (1st on school list), 556 points in a season (1st), 23 rebounds in one game (1st), 320 rebounds in a season (1st), and 721 rebounds in his career (1st).

“Off the court, Justin is a great person who has been raised right,” Huse said. “We have really enjoyed getting to know his family in this process, and look forward to watching him grow and succeed over the years ahead. He will make a great fit with our group, he is a team guy that chose our program, MSU-Northern, and our area for all the right reasons. Justin is a guy that appreciates great support, great teammates, and great people. Much like where he is from, those are the characteristics that make it extra special up here, he saw that’s what we have to offer … so he chose us. I really look forward to getting to know him more, and watching him grow and succeed over the years to come.

 “Although Justin would be considered a sleeper by many, he had some other very good schools recruiting him,” Huse continued. “We are honored and excited that he and his family chose to add Lights to their names for the years to come.”