In a testament to how far the Navy program has come, Lange and staff were able to be a bit more selective this recruiting campaign. The Midshipmen graduated their top swingman and leading scorer Greg Sprink this past May. They will lose three more perimeter players next year in off guard Kaleo Kina along with small forwards Adam Teague and Clif Colbert.

Lange thought it was important to find some replacements in this class and thinks Navy has landed three well-rounded recruits who will eventually fill the shoes of the departed. He also thinks that guard Jordan Sugars, swingman John Corrigan and forward Nate Kasper fit the Mids' free-wheeling, up-tempo system.

"These players are more specialized and fit our needs very well, instead of the mass recruiting we have done in the past," Lange said. "Our biggest need at this stage was for perimeter players. We wanted to get these guys in the program and get them some experience so they will be ready to contribute as sophomores."

Corrigan, Kasper and Sugars all have one thing in common, Lange said. "I think all these guys can put the ball in the basket. We needed some guys who could shoot and score. This group fits the bill."

Corrigan, a product of Bishop McDevitt High in Harrisburg, Pa., averaged 19.3 points and was a first team Mid-Penn Conference selection as a senior. The 6-foot-4, 195-pounder showed long-range shooting ability by connecting on 33 3-pointers.

"John is far and away the best jump shooter we have recruited here at Navy," Lange said. "I went to see his high school team practice and

John put on a shooting display that was unbelievable. He was knocking down threes, 15-footers off the dribble, spot ups off the break. It was impressive."

Patriot League rivals Lehigh and Lafayette along with Princeton, Columbia and Yale of the Ivy League also recruited Corrigan, a two-time Student Council president and three-year member of the National Honor Society.

"What sets John apart is that he really wants to graduate from the Naval Academy and become a great officer," Lange said. "He is a tough-minded, gritty kid that defends very hard and really knows the game well."

Kasper, a graduate of Wheeler High in Indiana, ranked fifth in the state with a scoring average of 24.3 points per game as a senior. He scored 1,170 career points, sixth-most in school history.

Lange first noticed Kasper in a back gymnasium at an Amateur Athletic Union Tournament in Las Vegas. The 6-foot-8, 235-pounder caught the coach's eye by scoring on three straight possessions in three different ways.

"Nate drained a three, beat a guy off the dribble then made a strong post move," Lange said.

Navy sent Kasper to Western Reserve Academy, a prep school at which he averaged 13.5 points and 7.5 rebounds. The former volleyball player is a thick youngster with broad shoulders, according to Lange.

"Nate just loves to play and compete. He's a very coordinated kid who runs the floor well," Lange said. "He is an inside player that can step up and hit the outside jumper. He is comfortable handling the ball and playing defense on the perimeter."

Sugars, out of Millbrook High in Virginia, showed tremendous versatility by averaging 16.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.5 steals. He shot 52 percent from the field and 40 percent (44-for-109) from 3-point range en route to earning second team All-State honors from the Associated Press.

Several Ivy and Patriot League schools recruited Sugars, who also recorded nine double-doubles in leading Millbrook to a 29-1 record and Group AA state championship. He finished as the school's all-time leader in points (1,323), rebounds (623) and steals (190) while ranking third in assists (181).

"Jordan brings a great deal of athleticism to the floor and really fills up the stat sheet. He has great size for a guard and is very quick off the floor, evidenced by his rebound totals in high school," Lange said. "He has a high basketball IQ and plays with a lot of moxie. He is very skilled offensively. He has the ability to attack the rim and finish, but his outside shooting is probably his best asset."

Lange is sending two other recruits to prep school and both are big men. Pete Banos, a 6-foot-10, 225-pound product of Christian Heritage Academy in Trumbull, Conn., will attend the Naval Academy Prep School. Alex Newsome, a 6-foot-10, 235-pound graduate of East Lincoln High in Charlotte, N.C., will spend next year at Hargrave Military Academy.