Cooper Bayiha (photo courtesy William Jewell College) is one of two players transferring to Park for the 2010-11 season.

PARKVILLE, Mo. – Park University head men’s basketball coach Jason Kline has added two transfers to a 14-man returning roster for the 2010-11 college basketball season, bringing Melvin Gatson (Kansas City, Kan/Kansas City Kansas CC) and Cooper Bayiha (Douala, Cameroon/William Jewell) to Parkville for the upcoming season.

A 5-foot-10, 175-pound guard, will join former KCK players Derrick Howard and Travis Fairley on the 2010-11 roster, bringing 10.2 points and 3.5 rebounds per game to the Pirates from the Blue Devils.

Gatson led KCK with 140 assists a season ago, also adding 31 steals to the Blue Devil defense.

“Melvin’s a guy who can get to the basket and score,” Kline said. “He’s tough with the ball, and he’s the kind of defender we like at Park. He’ll fit into our system really well and challenge for playing time right away.”

Bayiha also joins the Park men’s basketball program from a nearby school, transferring to the Pirates from cross-town rival William Jewell, where he played in 11 games and shot 85.7-percent from the floor for the Cardinals, who also competed in the 2010 Buffalo Funds-NAIA Men’s Basketball National Championship, bowing out in the first round to Concordia (Calif.).

A 6-foot-6 junior from Cameroon, Bayiha should also compete early on for playing time, adding depth to Park’s front-court with a 240-pound frame that could prove troubling for opponents in the American Midwest Conference.

“Cooper fits the Park mold,” Kline said. “He’s a hard-nosed guy that’s not scared to mix it up and go get the ball. He’ll help us defensively and inside in the post. We’re looking forward to getting both of these guys in our system to see how they mesh with the rest of our team.”

The Pirates return 14 players from a season ago, including Howard and Goldeng Deng, who were staples in the Park backcourt last season. Juston Hairston and Kyle Rausch also return, bringing back more than 40 blocked shots between them in the paint for Park in 2009-10.

Park will officially announce its 2010-11 schedule at a later date, and it will also be posted at www.parkathletics.com.