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Cougars Sign Former Pickerington Hoops Standout
written by Dave Parsons, Sports Information Director

MOUNT VERNON, Ohio - The Mount Vernon Nazarene University men’s basketball team has added another important recruit for the 2006-2007 season with the addition of Dustin Ultican, who has decided to further his education and continue his basketball career with the Cougars.

Ultican, a 6-foot guard from Pickerington, Ohio, spent the past two seasons at the University of Charleston (W.V.), an NCAA Division II school. As a sophomore in 2005-2006, he saw action in 28 of the team’s 29 games as the team posted an 18-11 overall record. As a standout at Pickerington High School, he finished his career record second in points in school history. He was named to the Ohio Capital Conference First Team as both a junior and a senior, and he was selected to the Central District Second Team, the District 11 First Team, and the Super 12 First Team as a senior.

"Dustin should be able to step right in and help us at the point guard position,” said MVNU head coach Scott Flemming. "His experience will be a plus, and he has the personality type to be a leader on our team. He is solid fundamentally as a ball-handler and he is a threat as a perimeter shooter.”

"Being a coach’s kid, Dustin has a good feel for the game,” Flemming added. "He is a very good student, and he has already demonstrated that he will be a great fit with our present players.”

In addition to playing basketball, Ultican was named to the Dean’s List at Pickerington High School all four years and was a Dispatch Scholar-Athlete.

"There are several reasons why I chose MVNU,” said Ultican. "I liked the campus, school, and basketball program. I think it is a great fit for me academically and athletically.”

MVNU finished the season with a 27-9 overall record and was ranked 15th in the final NAIA Division II poll. The Cougars, who have topped the 20-win mark in nine of the past 10 seasons, won the American Mideast Conference Tournament, earned a berth in the NAIA Division II national tournament, and knocked off Embry-Riddle (Fla.) University, the top-ranked team, to advance to the quarterfinals before falling.