GOLDEN, Colo. – Colorado School of Mines men's basketball has signed two future Oredigger forwards during the early national signing period.
 
The frontcourt duo of Austin Means (Frenchtown HS, Mont.) and Landon Walker (Scottsbluff HS, Neb.) inked National Letters of Intent to join Pryor Orser's program in 2017-18. Orser went to his native Montana to get Means, and Big Sky Country has provided several standout Orediggers over the years, most recently Brian Muller '15 (Billings HS). Walker will be the second Nebraskan on the roster, joining current freshman Will Schenken (Creighton Prep).

After going 24-8 last year with a berth in the NCAA Tournament, Mines is 5-1 this season with a #13 ranking in NCAA Division II by the NABC. The Orediggers have made the NCAA Tournament six out of the last seven years under Orser.

---

Austin Means – F – 6-8 – 220 lbs. – Frenchtown, Mont. – Frenchtown HS [Video]
PROFILE: 2015-16 All-Montana … Two-time First-Team All-Conference … Two-time Academic All-Montana … Team MVP as a junior … Averaged 14.0 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 blocks per game as a junior for Frenchtown … Invited to play in the Montana Hi-Line Invitational Tournament in 2015-16.

ORSER ON MEANS: "We are thrilled to have Austin sign with Colorado School of Mines. He fits the profile for a successful student athlete here at Mines. He is an outstanding student and a quality young man. He is also a very good basketball player with a tremendous upside. We have won a lot of games and been to six NCAA tournaments in the last seven years with versatile stretch-4 guys, and Austin definitely can fill that void in the coming years. He is big with great length, sneaky athletic, moves his feet well defensively, and is an above-average and willing passer. He also can shoot from the perimeter and score inside, and at times, will have what I would call a high-level finish game, especially on the break. His best basketball days are ahead of him and I personally look forward to developing Austin to his fullest potential."
 

---

Landon Walker – F – 6-8 – 225 lbs. – Scottsbluff, Neb. – Scottsbluff HS [Video]
PROFILE: As a junior, led Scottsbluff to the Nebraska state Class B title game and a 24-4 record … Was a 2016 Associated Press All-Nebraska selection and a 2015 Omaha World-Herald honorable mention all-Nebraska pick … Ranked the #70 forward in the ESPN100 and the #2 recruit overall out of Nebraska … Also played football and track & field for Scottsbluff.

ORSER ON WALKER: "Landon was a guy we zeroed in on as a sophomore. He could have played at many other schools, but chose his education first over basketball. We feel Landon is in the mold of our previous all-conference post players.  He has a big upside and will improve his game leaps and bounds. He is very coachable, and a great team player. He is very good around the basket, but can also face up and shoot the ball well. He also is a great fit for the Colorado School of Mines in what we look for as a student-athlete character-wise. With improved defense and rebounding, Landon will be a very good player in our system. I look forward to coaching him in the years to come."