Bellevue Community College announced June 3 the signing of eight players for the 2008-09 mens basketball team, including two former Issaquah players and one player from Skyline High School.

The Bulldogs inked Eagles Bren Hobzek and Matt Lapasin, who scored 16.3 and 15.5 points per game respectively to lead Issaquah in scoring last season.

“Bren and Matt have played together for a long time, and it shows when they step onto the court,” said BCC head coach Jeremy Eggers. “It is always a priority to try to keep local talent at home, and that’s exactly what we’ve been able to do in signing Bren and Matt.”

BCC gains size up front with the signing of 6-foot-7 Sean Day of Skyline High School. Day helped the Spartans earn a trip to the Sea-King District Tournament this season.

“Sean has tremendous upside, and we are really looking forward to watching him grow over the next two years,” Eggers said. “He has some outstanding athletic gifts and runs the floor as well as any big guy in our league.”

BCC also nabbed 6-foot-6 forward Rahiti Marere, a transfer from the Evergreen State College in Olympia. Marere averaged 11.7 points per game during his days at Kamiak High School.

College officials also signed perimeter players Jordan Starr of Davis High School in Yakima, Wash., and Brad Valentine from Kentlake High School in Kent. Rounding out the Bulldogs class was 6-foot-9 post Ryan Blake, who led Ilwaco High School to a second-place finish in the SW 1A Trico League with 15.3 points per game.