A boost in classification and the ability to offer athletic scholarships for the first time is allowing Westmoreland County Community College to cast a much wider net in the local basketball recruiting game.

Players who were once untouchable are now willing to give the junior college path a look.

“It changes everything for us,” second-year men’s basketball coach Scott Morrison said. “We have freshmen and sophomores, two-year guys, so you’re going to come in and play.

“With the (transfer) portal, so many good guys are only getting Division III offers, but they don’t think about what one year of junior college basketball can do for them. It’s a tremendous opportunity.”

WCCC is now a National Junior College Athletic Association Division II program, which has upped the level of competition for the Wolfpack, while affording the school the chance to help pay for one or two years of schooling while players develop their game.

“I like to say, ‘Start here, end there,’” Morrison said. “You might come here and play one or two years, then an offer comes up to play at a four-year program and you take it. We’ve made a huge jump.”

The proof is in the latest class of prospects that Morrison has assembled. High school recruits that had interest from larger programs in bigger divisions have suddenly committed to play in Youngwood. Some of the names are surprising.

One is Monessen standout Lorenzo Gardner, the second all-time leading scorer at his high school with 1,689 points.

Gardner averaged 23 points as a senior and scored 62 in a game.

“Honestly, what brought me to WCCC was how they were willing to give me another chance to play basketball and continue going to school,” Gardner said. “I never had an official offer, but many (other) schools reached out and were willing to talk to me. I just feel like this program at WCCC will be great and I can’t wait.”

WCCC finds itself competing for incoming freshmen with other more established programs in the area.

Some of the players Morrison signed were also recruited by NCAA Division III programs Saint Vincent and Pitt-Greensburg.

That’s not to say those players won’t end up at one of those schools — or at a higher level — but WCCC is fine with being a stepping stone, a more attractive one at that.

The Wolfpack also landed Derry standout guard Nate Papuga, Franklin Regional swingman Colin Masten, Greensburg Salem scorer Ryan Burkart, Burrell 6-foot-4 big man Esau King-Buchak and Gateway slashing guard Alex Lowry.

“Coach Morrison and his staff just made me feel like it was a suitable program, and talking to my family and coaches, I felt like it was the best fit off court and on court,” Papuga said. “I just felt like I should bet on myself to get better so I can hopefully progress to a higher level. With a lot of talent on the roster, I think that we can have a great season.”

Papuga was a career 1,000-point scorer at Derry and averaged 23.9 points last season.

Morrison said the level of talent in JUCO Division II is much better than people think. He knows of several players who used it as a springboard to the Division I level.

Garrett College’s Alex Vargo, for example, moved on to North Florida.

“There is a perceived notion,” he said. “But there are facts that change that perception. “We saw a team that had two 7-footers and the (team) made 17 of 24 3-pointers. The quality of basketball is very high.”

Yough alum Ty Travillion will enter his second season at WCCC. He went from a role-playing guard unsure of where he’d fit at the college level to an all-region performer.

“I like to use Ty as an example of somebody who improved so much,” Morrison said.

Travillion led the team with a 14.8 scoring average as a freshman.

While Morrison did not detail the amount of money he can offer prospects, he said he has an allotment. The scholarship money is not for incoming student-athletes who qualify for financial aid academically.

“Some don’t need it,” Morrison said.

The athletic aid can go towards tuition, books, fees and supplies.

“Kids can leave here with very little debt,” Morrison said. “They may come in looking to be a business major, but they don’t like it so they switch to criminal justice.”

WCCC hopes the financial boost will help to garner similar interest in other sports, including baseball, bowling, cross country, golf and soccer for men, and basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, soccer, softball and volleyball for women.

WCCC competes in NJCAA Region 20.

“One of the big keys for me as a coach in recruiting is building relationships,” Morrison said. “I want to meet the players and their families. It goes way beyond just talking to them after games.”

WCCC, which finished 1-23 last season and has not had a winning season since 2016-17 (15-13), will play a 28-game schedule next winter.

“Now that we have the commits, it’s about the scary hours,” Morrison said. “I want these guys to come out with their hair on fire.”