ELMHURST, Ill. - Elmhurst University Head Men's Basketball coach John Baines announced the addition of seven new Bluejays to the program Friday afternoon.

Jeffrey Williams, Vinnie Adjahoungbeta, Jack Cherry, and Talen Pearson all join the Bluejays as incoming freshmen in the class of 2028, while Dylan Engler, Ryan Isaacson, and Simon Weisserman join the Bluejays as transfer student-athletes.

"Our 2024 recruiting class is superb. With seven players graduating from our recent NCAA tourney squad, we have many spots to fill and leadership roles to turn over. In this recruiting class, we have coupled athletic, high-potential incoming freshmen with a group of very talented transfers. These players succeed in the classroom and are all competitive, high-character people. I couldn't be happier about the additions to our Bluejay program" Baines said.

JEFFREY WILLIAMS // 6'5" GUARD // WEST LAFAYETTE, IN // WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON HS

• Four-year letterwinner in basketball
• Also competed in track and field, cross country, and baseball in HS
• Sectional champion in track and field, school and school record holder in 4x400m relay
• Intends to study Health Science Technologies at EU

Baines on Williams: "Sometimes you just know a player fits in with your team, and Jeffrey is one of those guys. He has a positive personality and simply plays his tail off. Jeffrey can shoot the ball, rebound, and really has a high basketball IQ. Jeffrey is going to continue to develop his body and game. In the meantime, he is going to add so much passion to our roster and we're simply going to love coaching him."

VINNIE ADJAHOUNGBETA // 6'6" FORWARD/GUARD // MOLINE, IL // MOLINE SENIOR HS

• Four-year letterwinner in basketball
• Three-year letterwinner in track and field
• All-conference academic team
• Intends to study Sports Management with a minor in Finance at Elmhurst

Baines on Adjahoungbeta: "Vinnie is a player that bursts with potential. He has played alongside some great high school players at Moline and his teams have been extremely successful. Vinnie is a maturing player who shows signs of being an elite defender and transition guard at our level. As Vinnie dedicates his effort towards his game, he is going to make huge strides in his development as an outstanding college player."

JACK CHERRY // 6'2" GUARD // CARMEL, IN // GUERIN CATHOLIC HS

• Four-year letterwinner in both basketball and football
• Four-time sectional finalist, three-time semi-state finalist
• Member of state runner-up team in junior season
• Two-year captain
• Intends to study Business Administration with a minor in physical therapy at Elmhurst

Baines on Cherry: "Jack is a flat-out winner. The minute we saw Jack play, we knew he was the type of player that makes teams better. Jack has good size for the point guard position, is blessed with offensive skill, and has a knack for making the right plays. Although he is a soft-spoken person, Jack is hugely competitive, leads by example, and is mature beyond his age. I'm so anxious to see Jack grow in our program and he is going to be one Bluejay fans really appreciate watching."

TALEN PEARSON // 6'5" GUARD // LA GRANGE, IL // NAZARETH ACADEMY HS

• Four-year letterwinner in basketball
• Two-time first team all-conference honoree
• All-area honorable mention in sophomore season
• Intends to study Psychology and Business at Elmhurst

Baines on Pearson: "We have watched Talen grow up in the Nazareth program over the years. He has always had ability and now he is making huge strides with his talent level. Talen does so many things well… He shoots it at a high percentage, he now can handle the ball well, and his length defensively is something you can't teach. In addition to his skill, Talen is a guy that always wants to compete. As Talen adds strength to his frame and gets comfortable at the college level, I truly believe he will be an All-League caliber player."

RYAN ISAACSON // 6'8" FORWARD // MERRIMACK COLLEGE // WILLOWBROOK, IL // HINSDALE CENTRAL HS

• Four-year letterwinner at Merrimack College appearing in 35 career games
• Two-time Northeast Conference regular-season champion, one-time Northeast Conference tournament champion
• Averaged 18 points, seven rebounds and three blocks per game as a senior at Hinsdale Central HS
• Named to the All-Tournament Team at the Hinsdale Central Holiday Classic (2019-20)
• Dupage County All-Area Team honors (2019-20)
• Intends to receive his MBA at Elmhurst

Baines on Isaacson: "I'm absolutely pumped that Ryan is joining our program. He is a familiar player from the western suburbs that has really developed over the past 4 years at Merrimack. Ryan has such skill for a big man and we think his scoring ability will blossom at Elmhurst. He is an extremely humble person who shows all the signs of being a wonderful teammate, as well as a hard worker. Ryan will be completing his MBA at Elmhurst and will make an instant impression in the Baby 'n Navy."

DYLAN ENGLER // 6'5" GUARD/FORWARD // NORTHWEST NAZARENE UNIVERSITY // OSWEGO, IL // OSWEGO HS

• Comes to Elmhurst after three years at The Citadel (2020-23) and one year at Northwest Nazarene (2023-24)
• At The Citadel
  • Appeared in 27 career games, averaging 1.8 points and 1.9 rebounds
• At Northwest Nazarene
  • Appeared in 15 games, starting two, averaging 1.3 points and 0.9 rebounds
• Three-year letterwinner in basketball at Oswego HS
• Three-time all-conference honoree
• Averaged 16.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game as a senior, picking up all-conference, all-area and All-State Honorable Mention honors
• 1000 point scorer in high school
• Intends to receive his MBA at Elmhurst

Baines on Engler: "Dylan is going to immediately make a major impact in our program. He has the athletic ability and work ethic to be a plus player on both ends of the floor. He can really score and he can defend multiple positions. Additionally, he is as good a person as he is talented on the basketball floor. Our returning players have really loved getting to know Dylan and that is one of the biggest draws to bringing him here. He is a bright, skilled player that is really going to flourish here while working on his MBA."

SIMON WEISSERMAN // 6'7" FORWARD // MACALESTER COLLEGE // LAKE FOREST ACADEMY

• Comes to Elmhurst after spending previous year at Macalester College
• Appeared in 20 games, averaging 2.5 points and 1.8 rebounds
• Named to the All-Lake County First Team
• Named All-Lake County All-Star MVP
• Intends to study Psychology and minor in Business Administration at Elmhurst

Baines on Weisserman: "Simon is the type of player that every teammate wants to play with. He has the ability to stretch the floor for a big and simply knows how to make the right plays. I've been extremely impressed with his jump in physicality and strength over the past year at Macalester. Simon is an uber-smart person that is really going to be fun to coach. Something tells me that Simon is going to just continue to improve and will be awesome in a Bluejay uniform throughout his career."