NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. – First-year men's basketball head coach Patrick Beilein has announced the new additions to the program – Shandon Brown, Italo Cicotti, Nicholas Kratholm, Nick MacDonald, Kobi Nwandu, and Trey Syroka.

"Our staff is really excited with this class to begin a new era of Niagara Basketball," Beilein said. "We are looking forward to having our team on campus taking classes, working out with our coaching staff, learning our style of play - offensively and defensively - and growing together as a program.  
 
 
Brown spent the 2018-19 season as a member of the George Washington University program, seeing action in 29 contests and averaging 7.7 minutes per game. He recorded a season-high five points and three assists in his first career game on Nov. 6 against Stony Brook. He played in a career-high 21 minutes against Michigan on Nov. 17 and Brown made his first career start on Dec. 1 at Princeton.

Prior to GWU, the Boston native earned Second Team All-New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) AAA honors after helping New Hampton reach the 2018 NEPSAC AAA Finals. A nominee for the 2018 McDonald's All-American Games, his senior year at New Hampton featured a career-high 17.7 points, 14.0 assists and 2.3 rebounds, highlighted by a 31-point performance effort in the NEPSAC AAA Semifinals.

Recognized in 2015 as the NEPSAC Class B Eastern Independent League player, he averaged over 11 points and 11 assists per game in his junior season, to the tune of a 22-9 record his junior season. Brown also played AAU for the Boston Amateur Basketball Club starting in 2014, helping the team to the 19-and-under national championship in July 2017.
 

"Shandon Brown is a tough physical guard who competes and has a great basketball IQ. His presence on the floor makes everyone around him better."
 

Attends to major in business
Career aspiration is to become a real estate agent
Favorite players are Chris Paul, Mike Vick, and Usain Bolt

   
Cicotti played two seasons at Miami Dade College. As a freshman, he averaged 8.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in 29 games. He scored in double figures 11 times and his 42.9 field goal percentage was third best on the team. As a sophomore, he averaged 3.1 points and 3.2 rebounds per game will shooting 75 percent from the free-throw line. He was the team's MVP for his high school (Avanco) in Sao Paulo and was a member of the U18 State Championship team.
 

"Italo Cicotti is a strong versatile forward, who is athletic and can do a little of everything offensively. He will also be impactful on the defensive end."
 

About Italo Cicotti
Would like to play professional basketball after college
Favorite athletes are LeBron James, Serena Williams, and Neymar Jr.
Hobbies are fishing, reading, and playing video games

 
 Kratholm spent last season attending Miami Dade College where he averaged 10.2 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. He was a member of the Duquesne Dukes program for the 2017-18 season where he saw action in nine games.
 
Prior to Duquesne, he played one season at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. He was second on the team in scoring (13.0 ppg) and rebounding (5.5 rpg) on a squad that went 23.7.
 
Kratholm, who intends to study in the bio-technology field, attended Waggener High School in St, Mathews, Kentucky. He was the class valedictorian and was a two-time recipient of the Waggener's Outstanding Character Award (2013 & 2015). He was twice named to the regional all-tournament team and was a member of the Junior All-Star team in 2015, and twice received Crusader Classic All-Tournament honors. 
 

"Nicholas Kratholm is a versatile wing with a great skillset who understands the game. His ability to stretch the floor will be a huge asset to our offense."
 

About Nicholas Kratholm
Participated in the Greater Louisville Medical Society
Favorite players are Kobe Bryant, Paul George, Rajon Rondo and Albert Pujols
Career aspiration is to become a prosthetics designer

 
MacDonald played one season (2018-19) of prep basketball at St. Thomas More in Oakdale, Conn. MacDonald averaged 13 points per game, 3.0 rebounds per game and 2.0 assists per game while shooting over 40 percent from behind the arc.
 
MacDonald, the son of former Canisius College and current Daemen College men's basketball head coach Mike MacDonald, played high school basketball at Canisius High School. He was member of the team that won the Monsignor Martin League championship in 2017. He captained Canisius as a senior, averaging 12.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game to earn All-WNY Honorable Mention recognition.
 

"Nick MacDonald is a versatile guard/forward who can really shoot the ball. We will look for Nick to compete for minutes as a freshman this year."
 

About Nick MacDonald
Honor roll student at Canisius High School
Favorite athletes are Steph Curry and Klay Thompson
Favorite team is the Buffalo Bills

 
Nwandu comes to Niagara after playing the 2018-19 season with the Le Moyne Dolphins, under Patrick Beilein. He was an instrumental member of the Dolphins team that won the NE10 regular season championship and qualified for their third straight NCAA Tournament appearance.
 
Nwandu averaged a team-high 16.6 points per game while also averaging 3.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.0 steals per game. Nwandu shot over 47 percent from the field and 85 percent from the free-throw line.  He was selected to the All-NE10 Second Team.  
 
Prior to Le Moyne, Nwandu played at East Stroudsburg, an NCAA Division II program in Pennsylvania. He averaged 8.5 points and 3.1 rebounds in two seasons (2016-17 and 2017-18) at East Stroudsburg. He started in every game and was the team's second leading scorer at 11.9 points per game en route to helping ESU to the program's first NCAA DII Atlantic Region championship in 2018.
 
Nwandu scored 1,184 career points at Northeastern York High School in Manchester, Penn. and was a two-time all-county first team selection.  Nwandu, who was a Dean's List student at Le Moyne, intends to major in computer information systems.
 

"Kobi Nwandu will be instrumental in his redshirt year for our program. He understands how we play and what our culture is all about. He has the knack to impact the game on both ends of the floor."
 

About Kobi Nwandu
Career aspiration is to work in the information technology field
Favorite player is Shaquille O'Neal
Was a member of his high school's senate

   
Syroka arrives at Niagara after attending Whitmer High School in Toledo, Ohio. Syroka helped the 2018-19 Whitmer Panthers to a 21-4 record en route to becoming Three Rivers Athletic Conference (TRAC) co-champions and advancing to the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) District Finals. They finished the season ranked 18^th in the state.  Syroka earned TRAC Honorable Mention honors as a junior and first team all-district accolades as a senior.  
 

"Trey Syroka is a steady point guard who understands how to win. Trey can shoot the ball, but more importantly his feel for the game will make others around him better."
 

About Trey Syroka
Graduated Summa Cum Laude and was a four-time presidential award winner
Favorite athletes are Michael Jordan, James Harden, and Kobe Bryant
Would like to own his own business

 
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