Vandal men add three more, including former NIC star Mims

MOSCOW — The Idaho men's basketball team welcomes three additional signees for the 2023-24 season, in transfers Julius Mims (North Idaho College, Trevon Blassingame (Fairleigh Dickinson) and D'Angelo Minnis (Western Washington).

Mims, a 6-9 forward, played two years at NIC.

"Juice is an elite athlete who had a terrific career at North Idaho College, and his best basketball is still ahead of him," first-year Idaho coach Alex Pribble said. "His combination of length, agility and shooting touch is unique for this level. He is a great young man that we expect to have an immediate impact in our frontcourt."

As a sophomore in 2022-23, Mims played and started in 24 games for the Cardinals. He tied for a team-high 16.9 points per game while shooting 58.3% from the field (sixth in the NWAC) and 41.3% beyond the arc. Mims led the team with 9.9 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game — both ranked fifth most in the NWAC. He scored in double-digit figures in 23 of 24 games played, including a career-high 29 points at Community Colleges of Spokane.

The Billings, Mont., native was named the 2023 NWAC East Region Defensive Player of the Year and made the All-Region First Team for a second time. Mims also earned 2022-23 All-American honors from the National Association of Basketball Coaches.

The Cardinals entered the NWAC Tournament as the No. 1 ranked team after recording a perfect 28-0 record. NIC fell to eventual champion Bellevue in the NWAC Sweet 16.

During his freshman year at NIC, Mims appeared in 21 games starting in 20 of them. He led the team with 17.4 ppg on 56.2% shooting, while also grabbing 9.1 rebounds per game.

The Cardinals went 20-7 overall and 14-2 in conference play. Mims was named to the All-Region First Team.

Mims attended Skyview High in Billings where he was a two-sport athlete in track and basketball. He helped the Falcons win the 2020 Montana State AA tournament co-championship. The forward was selected to the Midland Roundtable All-Star Basketball Series to represent Montana against Wyoming.

In track, Mims won the 2019 Montana state AA title in the high jump clearing 6 feet-9 inches.

Blassingame, a 6-4 guard from Auburn, Wash., spend his freshman year with the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights.

"Tre is a natural leader. He's won everywhere he's been," Pribble said. "He will have an immediate impact in our locker room. He competes at an extremely high level defensively, and he is a good decision-maker on the offensive end of the court. He is a very mature kid and has a bright future in this program."

As a freshman at FDU, Blassingame appeared in 24 games for the Knights, totaling 48 points. He drilled four three-pointers en route to scoring a career-high 14 points versus Centenary on Dec. 31.

Blassingame was a member of the historic FDU team that took down the one-seeded Purdue Boilermakers in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in March of 2023. The upset marked the second time in NCAA history that a 16-seed knocked off a one-seed.

Blassingame graduated in 2022 from Auburn High. As a senior, he helped the Trojans win the 2021-22 WIAA Section 3A Championship while earning All-Tournament Team recognition.

Blassingame was named 2021-22 NPSL Most Valuable Player and won NPSL All-League First-Team honors three times. The guard also won 2021-22 WIBCA 3A Player of the Year. He scored 1,346 points in his career with the Trojans, which marks the second most in the school's 120-year history.

Minnis, a 5-11 guard from Kent, Wash., played four years with the Western Washington Vikings. Minnis made 83 total starts at WWU and recorded 1,081 points which ranks 22nd all-time in program history.

"D'Angelo is a veteran guard. He is a true leader, with an incredible work ethic," Pribble said. "He plays the game with great pace, putting pressure on the ball defensively and playing in attack mode offensively. He makes the players around him better."

As a junior in 2022-23, Minnis started in all 28 games for the Vikings. He averaged 14.3 points and 3.1 assists per game (both team-highs). The guard scored in double figures in 25 of 28 games. He shot career highs with 49.3% from the field and 44.4% from three.

Minnis earned second team All-GNAC honors.

He ranked top 10 in the GNAC in scoring (sixth), assists (sixth), three-point percentage (fourth), three-pointers made (fourth), and minutes played (tied for fourth).

During his sophomore campaign, Minnis appeared and started in 26 games for WWU. He averaged 12.4 points, 4.5 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. Minnis dropped a career-best 35 points against Alaska Fairbanks (1/8/2022) on 13-of-24 shooting. The guard scored in double-digits 16 times.

Minnis was named GNAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2021-22, becoming the first Viking to do so.

In 2019-20, Minnis started in 29 of 30 games during his redshirt freshman season. He averaged 12.3 points per game and posted in double figures 19 times.

Minnis helped the Vikings to a GNAC title and averaged 14 points per game in the tournament, including 14 points in a championship win over Alaska Anchorage. He was named All-GNAC Honorable Mention following the season.

Prior to Western Washington, Minnis attended Kentwood High in Covington, Wash., where he was named 2017-18 4A North Puget Sound League Cascade Division MVP as a senior. He averaged 15.3 points, 4.3 assists, and 2.2 steals during his senior campaign. Minnis was a 4A All-State Selection by the WIBCA.

Minnis helped the Conquerors win a 4A state championship his junior year.