Dan Miles has found South Medford High School graduates to his liking.

The Oregon Tech basketball coach, whose team is headed to the NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball Tournament next week with a 27-4 record, has four ex-Panthers on his roster.

And they all contribute.

In fact, it’s not uncommon for senior Alan Johnson, junior Ryan Fiegi and freshmen Brent Johnson and Myles Daley to be on the floor at the same time.

“They’re definitely four of our top eight players,” says Miles, now in his 36th season at Oregon Tech. “They’re fundamentally sound, they come from a winning program and they’ve played in big games. That’s always a bonus when you can recruit kids like that.”

The 6-foot-7 Fiegi was named to the Cascade Conference all-star team and all-defensive team. He’s averaging 17.4 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists. Fiegi played point guard at South Medford but has found a home at small forward with the Owls. He’s expected to move back to the point next season after the Owls’ current point guard — Levell Hesia — graduates.

“(Fiegi) is probably our best post-up player, but he’s also an excellent ball-handler and we use him to take the ball upcourt if teams are focusing their pressure on Levell,” Miles said. “He’s a versatile player.”

The 6-4 Alan Johnson serves as the Owls’ sixth man and is one of the team captains. He averages only 3.5 points and 3.5 rebounds, but produces two assists per game and is often matched up against the opponent’s best offensive player.

Brent Johnson, Alan’s younger brother, and Daley are both producing about six points and a little over three rebounds per game off the bench. Brent Johnson and Daley, who both stand 6-7, were key contributors to South Medford’s state runner-up squad in 2006.

The Owls won the Cascade Conference title but were upset by Evergreen College in the semifinals of the conference tournament, possibly costing them a No. 1 seed at the national tournament.

Oregon Tech won a national title in 2004 and was the national runner-up in 1998.

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