MOSCOW, Idaho – Idaho men's basketball has added two more talented newcomers for next year's roster, bringing in Ja'Vary Christmas and Keyshaad Dixon.
 
Ja'Vary Christmas - A 6-4 guard, Christmas played for Sheridan College last season.  He averaged 12.1 points per game as a sophomore, to go along with 4.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists per contest.  Sheridan had an exceptional season, finishing at 31-4.  The Generals won the Region IX regular season and eventually earned a spot in the NJCAA National Tournament.
 
"We are excited to add Ja'Vary to our program," said head coach, Don Verlin.  "He brings size and length and versatility to the wing and has the ability to score in a variety of ways."
 
As a freshman, Christmas averaged 9.6 points per game at Cloud County in Kansas.  Prior to Cloud County, Christmas walked on at Oregon during the 2016-17 season and took a redshirt during the Ducks' run to the Final Four.
 
"We believe his experience in two very tough junior college conferences, along with the experience he gained his freshman year at Oregon, have prepared him to step right in and contribute immediately," Verlin added.  "We have had a lot of success recruiting guys from the Portland area, and we expect Ja'Vary to continue that trend."
 
Christmas, originally from Portland, Ore., played his high school ball at De La Salle North, where he was the 3A state and conference player of the year.  He averaged 25.1 points per game as a senior, and finished his high school career on the Dean's List with a 3.3 GPA.
 
Keyshaad Dixon - Dixon averaged 6.6 points per game during his two-year stint with Ranger Junior College in Texas.  He really stepped up at the point during his sophomore season, nearly doubling his assist output and posting an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.4.  Dixon has continued to improve as a shooter as well.  Last season, he shot nearly 43 percent from beyond the arc, including connecting on 45.5 percent of his 3's in conference play.
 
"Keyshaad is an old-school, no frills point guard who doesn't dribble the air of the ball, doesn't care how many shots he gets and isn't concerned with how many points he scores," Verlin said.  "He only cares about one thing: winning."
 
"In addition to his selflessness and efficiency on the offensive end, he is an outstanding defender both on the ball and off the ball, who can help us get back to being one of the best defensive teams in the conference," said Verlin.  "He was very well coached at Ranger by Billy Gillispie, and there is a reason why coach Gillispie rarely took Keyshaad off the floor."
 
Gillispie has a history of coaching talent, with stops as head coach at Kentucky, Texas A&M and Texas Tech.  Ranger thrived with Gillispie leading Dixon.  After a 22-9 freshman campaign, Ranger went 31-4 during Dixon's sophomore season and earned a spot in the NJCAA National Tournament.  Ranger would advance all the way to the National Championship game, but ultimately fell to powerhouse, Vincennes.
 
A 6-1 point guard, Dixon spent one season at St. Andrew's Prep in Rhode Island.  He played his high school ball for Braintree High, just south of Boston, Mass.
 
Men's hoops also announced the signing of Bruce "BJ" Simmons on Monday.  The trio joins Jack Wilson as new additions that will surely have an immediate impact on the program.
 
Fans can stay up-to-date on all things Idaho men's basketball by following the team on twitter, @VandalHoops.  Ticket packages are on sale at GoVandals.com/Tickets.

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