Middle Tennessee signs Cuyler
MURFREESBORO — Francis Cuyler strives to be a difference-maker on the basketball court, but he realizes it takes more than an individual to make an overwhelming impact.
Cuyler, a 6-foot guard from Leesburg, Fla., believes accomplishing dreams and reaching new heights requires the unified effort of a hard-working team that shares the same goals, which is why he has signed a letter-of-intent to continue his college basketball career for coach Kermit Davis at Middle Tennessee.
Cuyler averaged 18.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.5 steals per game to help lead Cowley County (Kansas) Community College to a 23-9 record in 2003-04. A preseason junior college All-American in 2003-04, Cuyler led the Jayhawk Conference in steals with 80 and his 583 points were the 12th most in a single season at Cowley County.
Cuyler said he also considered Evansville, Illinois State, Houston and Southwest Missouri.
“When I visited Middle Tennessee I saw that the players are people who like to win and work hard,” said Cuyler, who goes by the nickname, “Fats,” a moniker given to him as a “chubby baby.” “That’s the way I like to play, hard, because when others play as hard as I know I’m going to play, good things happen. I like to win. If you just play hard good things are going to happen to you.”
Davis said the Blue Raiders are inheriting a combination guard who will make a perfect fit for the Blue Raiders, not only because of a workmanlike approach, but because he comes prepared.
“Fats represents what we are all about – toughness, winning, and he’s been extremely well-coached at (Leesburg High School) and in junior college,” Davis said. “He has a big heart, he wills his team to win, plus he’s a very talented guy. He shoots for a high percentage, and he has a skill level that makes others around him better.”
Success has been part of Cuyler’s basketball resume for a long while.
Cowley County coach Randy Smithson says it is no coincidence Cuyler led Leesburg to the state semifinals for the first time in 25 years as a high school senior, or that he helped Cowley County reach the Region VI championship for the first time in 50 years as a freshman.
“Middle Tennessee is getting a player who knows how to play the game,” Smithson said. “He elevated this program to where we were 10 minutes away from the national tournament for the first time in 50 years. It’s no coincidence he plays for winning teams. On the floor, the young man has played for a demanding high school coach, a demanding junior college coach, and he’s won all of his life. I don’t think there will be adjustments there. They are going to get a kid who is going to elevate their program.”
Cuyler earned first-team All-Jayhawk Conference and second-team All-Regional VI honors as a sophomore, after being named third-team all-conference as a freshman. His 89 3-pointers were the fourth most in the Jayhawk Conference this season.
The versatile guard also was a two-time All-State and All-Region selection, as well as a three-time All-District pick, at Leesburgh High School.
“When he gets it going, he gets it going. I’ve seen him bust out 22, 24 points in a half,” Smithson said. “He can score in a variety of ways. He can shoot the 3-pointer, but he can also create his shot. He’s a guy you can bring off screens, and he will catch and shoot. He also can get the basketball to people, run offense, it’s just awful nice when you have a point guard that when things break down, he can go get his.
“Defensively, he will flat out guard you. He knows how to play on the ball and off the ball, and how to get after people. He knows how to compete.”
Cuyler joins 6-foot-9 Tim Blue from Indian River Junior College, and 6-foot-9 Steve Thomas, who transferred from the University of Georgia last fall, as part of the Blue Raiders’ 2004 signing class.