Signing Day

Romar Thrilled With Washington's Recruiting Class

Todd Dybas — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 21:07:45 -0800

After a day of delay, Washington was able to announce its commitments for the 2009 men's basketball season.

The four players who signed national letters of intent, Abdul Gaddy, Charles Garcia, Clarence Trent, and C.J. Wilcox, are a second consecutive recruiting coup for coach Lorenzo Romar and his staff. The three initial recruits, Garcia, Trent and Wilcox, were rated the 17th best group in the country by Rivals.com. The addition of Gaddy, after he twice decommitted from Arizona, moved the class into the top 10 rankings of many recruiting services.

Romar said he expects all four to be academically eligible, and these would be the only new faces for next season barring an unexpected defection from this year's roster.

"In college basketball you never know," Romar said. "Players can be disgruntled because they didn't play enough ... you never know what's going to happen in the spring. Unless something happens in the spring this will be it."

Here's a look at the new guys:

ABDUL GADDY
School: Bellarmine Prep
Height: 6-3
Weight: 170
Position: guard
Romar's take: "Abdul is one of the best point guards to come around in a long, long time. He's one of those point guards that's intelligent, shoots the basketball well, passes the basketball well, knows when to take over, when not to take over, understands tempo. He's a leader, he's got good size for a point guard at 6-feet-3 inches tall. He's got the entire package."

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CLARENCE TRENT
School: Findlay Prep (Henderson, NV)
Height: 6-7
Weight: 230
Position: Power forward
Romar's take: "Extremely strong and athletic. Very powerful basketball player, another guy that can guard multiple position guys. He's fun to watch. He's so strong. He's always waiting with several highlights in his back pocket, he's that type of player. He's a hard worker."

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C.J. WILCOX
School: Pleasant Grove High School (Utah)
Height: 6-5
Weight: 180
Position: Shooting guard
Romar's take: "When coach Shaw saw C.J. play the first time, he noticed he can really shoot it. He thought he had to watch him again, (and) it was the same thing. So, he asked me to go see him and it was almost laughable how well he shoots the basketball. He's got good size. He's not limited to just a shooter, he can play the game. He's a very, very good athlete."

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Charles Garcia
School: Riverside (Calif.) C.C.
Height: 6-9
Weight: 220
Position: Forward
Romar's take: "Extremely versatile. Has cat-like quickness. The type of basketball player with size that can probably guard four or five different positions. He's the third junior college player we've taken since we've been here. With Jon Brockman and Artem Wallace leaving, (Garcia's) another player that can come in and have a potential to help us right away."

Todd Dybas is the sports editor of Seattlesportsonline.com. He can be reached via e-mail at tdybas@seattlesportsonline.com

LMU Inks Two in Early Signing Period

Press Release — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 19:51:13 -0800

Los Angeles, CA ?- High school standouts Given Kalipinde (Episcopal High School ? Alexandria, Virg.) and Edgar Garibay (Compton High School ? Compton, Calif.) have signed National Letters of Intent to attend and play collegiate basketball for Loyola Marymount, Head Coach Bill Bayno announced on Friday. The pair completes the Lions commitments during the early signing period, joining Terrell Vinson (St. Frances Academy ? Baltimore, Mary.) who signed on Wednesday.

"We are very excited with the three young men who will be joining our program," said Bayno. "All three are very athletic and have the potential to be great basketball players at LMU. With the young players we have heading into our current season, our two redshirts and with Terrell, Edgar and Given joining us next year, LMU basketball has the building blocks in place to do special things."

Kalipinde, a native of Zambia, Africa, came to Virginia in the fall of 2007 and made an instant impact. He became one of the IAC's best players as a junior on the court by averaging 19 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, 3.5 steals and two blocks for the Maroon. In a four-game winning streak that lifted the school to its best season in more than a decade, he averaged over 23 points. He was named Virginia All-State for his effort.

For Kalipinde, the formal commitment to LMU caps a whirlwind week the 6-3 guard will not soon forget. On Nov. 7 he scored two goals and had an assist to lead Episcopal boys' soccer to the Virginia State Championship. He was then named MVP of the state tournament and then a week later was named the Virginia State Co-Player of the Year. And he has done all of this being more than 8,000 miles from home.

"Given is an extremely gifted athlete who has really excelled despite only being in the United States for less than two years," said Bayno. "Given has been impressive in his ability to learn and gets better everyday. He will bring a lot to this program."

Kalipinde, who turned down scholarship offers by high NCAA Division I schools in soccer to play basketball, showed his athleticism in leading the Episcopal High School basketball team to the state playoffs in the winter of 2008 and then just a week ago leading the boys' soccer team to the state championship with a 4-0 win over Norfolk Academy. In less than eight months he was named to the Virginia All-State basketball team and was the Player of the Year in soccer.

As for Garibay, he is yet another highly rated player from a local southern California high school powerhouse to join LMU. The 6-10, 240-pound forward was one of the top-100 rated centers in the country by ESPNU and was an all-conference selection after averaging a double-double as a senior at Compton. He graduated in May and is spending this season at college prep school in Las Vegas.

"Edgar is a very physical player that uses his size very effectively and has good touch from long range for a post player," said Bayno. "He continues to make strides with his foot work on the post and he will give us a great presence under the basket."

Garibay finished his final season at Compton leading the team to a 24-6 record and a 12-0 mark in Moore League play. He averaged 13.6 points and 12.9 rebounds per game. Showing great touch, he shot 85 percent (142-for-167) from the field, including 6-for-10 from the three-point line.

On the season he had 18 double-doubles, including nine straight to end the season. Included in that stretch was a 12-point, 26-rebound performance in a 63-48 win over Long Beach Wilson. His career-high for points came in a 25-point, 14-rebound performance in a 72-69 win over Roosevelt of Seattle, Wash. In that win he went 9-for-10 from the field.

The 2008-09 squad will begin the regular season on Friday, Nov. 14 when they take on Wisconsin-Milwaukee at the World Vision Classic at Iowa State. Game time is set for 2:30 p.m. (PT) and can be heard on KXLU 88.9 FM and LMULions.com.

Georgia Tech Inks Glen Rice Jr.

Press Release — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 09:58:47 -0800

ATLANTA - Glen Rice, Jr., son of former Michigan and NBA star Glen Rice, has signed a latter-of-intent to enroll at Georgia Tech and play basketball, head coach Paul Hewitt announced Thursday.

Rice, a 6-4 guard from Walton High School in Marietta, Ga., is ranked No. 48 in the nation among 2009 high school seniors according to Rivalshoops.com, and No. 10 among shooting guards.

He averaged 25.6 points and 6.4 rebounds per game as a junior at Walton High School, which posted a 19-8 record last year. He was named Cobb County Player of the Year by the Marietta Daily Journal and was a third-team all-state choice by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Heading into his third season as a starter, Rice has scored over 1,000 points in his career.

"He's very skilled, and a very good all-around player," said Hewitt. "Glen has a bright future. He may be somebody I would characterize as a late bloomer. His skill level is very high in terms of dribbling and passing. If he shoots it anywhere near like his Dad did, he will become a complete player. He may have the most potential of anyone in this group."

Rice's father played 15 seasons in the NBA for Miami, Chicago, the Los Angeles Lakers, New York, Houston and the Los Angeles Clippers. He starred at Michigan from 1985-89 and was a second-team Associated Press All-American as a senior.

Tech expects to sign three more players during the early signing period, which runs through next Wednesday, Nov. 19.

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Miami Welcomes 5-Man Recruiting Class

Press Release — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 21:57:03 -0800

OXFORD, Ohio- Miami University's men's basketball team received five national letters-of-intent during the November signing period, head coach Charlie Coles announced Thursday. Joining the RedHawks next season will be 6-foot-7, 215-pound forward/guard Mark Anderson (Dayton, Ohio/Dunbar/Sinclair C.C.), 6-foot-7, 250-pound forward Drew Kelly (Franklin, Tenn./Centennial), 6-foot-11, 220-pound center Drew McGhee (North Ridgeville, Ohio/North Ridgeville), 6-foot-3, 205-pound guard Allen Roberts (Middletown, Ohio/Middletown) and 6-foot-4, 180-pound guard Orlando Williams (Cincinnati, Ohio/Princeton).

"This is a very good recruiting class," said Coles. "We were able to bring in guys at every position. I think each one of these guys has a chance to come in and be able to contribute right away, which is what you look for when you're bringing guys into your program."

Anderson is an NJCAA Division II Preseason First-Team All-America selection. As a freshman at Sinclair, he was tabbed the OCCAC Player of the Year, earning All-Region Tournament Team honors and garnering Second-Team NJCAA All-America distinction. His 25.6 ppg average led NJCAA II, while his 9.3 rebounds per game ranked 30th. He helped the team to a 24-6 record, an OCCAC regular-season title and an NJCAA II District 7 runner-up finish. During his high school career, Anderson averaged 14.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 4.0 bpg at Dunbar High School. He helped the Wolverines to a 26-2 record, a Division II state title and No. 1 state ranking as a senior. He was a first-team all-area selection as a senior and also earned all-city recognition.

Kelly is the all-time leading scorer at Centennial High School. He earned all-state honors and was an all-mid-state selection as a junior. Kelly was named district MVP in 2007-08 and shared district MVP honors the previous season. He is a three-time first-team all- district and all-region selection. Last season, he averaged 26.0 ppg, 11.0 rpg and 6.0 bpk and is on pace to eclipse 2,000 career points. He has led Centennial to a pair of 20-win seasons, including a 27-6 record in 2007-08, and a pair of region semifinal appearances. A candidate for Tennessee Mr. Basketball this season, Kelly his a four-year letterwinner and four-time captain of the basketball team and also has earned three letters in football and one in track and field. McGhee was tabbed the WSC Player of the Year as a junior and also earned Morning Journal Player of the Year honors in 2007-08. He averaged 16.0 ppg, 12.0 rpg and 6.0 bpg for the Rangers as a junior, while helping North Ridgeville to a WSC Conference title.

McGhee was tabbed the WSC Player of the Year as a junior and also earned Morning Journal Player of the Year honors in 2007-08. He averaged 16.0 ppg, 12.0 rpg and 6.0 bpg for the Rangers as a junior, while helping North Ridgeville to a WSC Conference title. McGhee is a two-time all-conference selection as well as a two-time all-county honoree. He is a three-year letterwinner for North Ridgeville, serving as team captain three seasons.

Roberts is an all-state selection and is a two-time first-team all-GMC selection. Last season, he also earned District 15 all-Underclassman First-Team distinction and was an all-Southwest pick. As a junior, Roberts averaged 15.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg and 3.2 apg while shooting 43.5 percent from the field and 43.4 percent from 3-point range. As a sophomore, Roberts averaged 15.0 ppg and 4.0 rpg while shooting 49.7 percent from the field and set Middletown's single-season record for free-throw percentage (.863). He is a three-year letterwinner for Middletown, serving as team captain for two seasons. He also has earned three letters in football (captain for two seasons) and two letters in track (captain for one season).

Williams earned honorable mention all-state recognition as a junior. He led Princeton High School to GMC and sectional titles in 2007-08. Williams, who averaged 12.6 ppg for the Vikings as a junior, was a first-team all-GMC selection in 2007-08. He is a four-year letterwinner for Princeton High School, serving as team captain for one season.

"With six seniors on our current roster, it was important to have a good recruiting class. Our assistant coaches deserve all the credit in assembling this incoming class," added Coles. "They did a wonderful job to be able to sell this program with the question marks that were surrounding me at the time. They just did a tremendous job. It was among one of the all-time greatest recruiting efforts, and we are so thrilled to have these five joining the Miami University men's basketball program."

Ball Stats Inks Pair of Recruits

Press Release — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 21:54:27 -0800

MUNCIE, Ind. - Ball State men's basketball head coach Billy Taylor announced the signings of Huzie Hambrite (Indianapolis, Ind./Lake Land College/Northwest) and Jauwan Scaife (Muncie, Ind./Muncie Central) to national letters of intent Friday during the early signing period. Hambrite and Scaife will begin their Ball State careers during the 2009-10 season.

"We are very excited to get Huzie and Jauwan into our Ball State basketball program as they address some needs in our program," Taylor said. "We are very happy we are able to attract quality student-athletes from the state of Indiana that will have an impact on our program."

Hambrite, a 6-0 point guard from Indianapolis, Ind., is entering his second season at Lake Land College (Ill.) under the guidance of head coach Cedric Brown. He led the Lakers in scoring last season as a freshman as he averaged 16 points per game, while also leading the team in assists (101) and steals (29). He opened his sophomore season Wednesday with 12 points and six assists as he led Lake Land to a 93-76 victory over Parkland College.

Hambrite played interscholastically at Indianapolis Northwest High School. He was named to the Hoosier Basketball Magazine Top 40 in the state as a senior in 2006-07. He is the son of Huzie and Denise Hambrite.

"Huzie is a fast, talented and athletic point guard that can score in a variety of ways," Taylor said. "He brings strong ball-handling skills and playmaking ability to our team. He is proven to be a very potent scorer and has a well-rounded game. He has the ability to pressure the ball and use his speed on the defensive end of the floor to generate offense."

Scaife, 6-2 guard from Muncie, plays at Muncie Central for head coach Matt Fine. He averaged 14.5 points per game and 4.1 rebounds per contest as a junior. He made 46.9 percent of his field goals, including a 46.8 percent clip from three-point land. He was selected as a North Six member of the Junior All-Stars last summer.

Scaife was tabbed as the "Top Sleeper" in the 2008-09 Indiana senior class by the Rick Bolus High Potential Report. He played AAU basketball for the Spiece Indy Heat. He is the son of Robert and Wilisha Scaife, and is the cousin of former Ball State standout Bonzi Wells.

"Jauwan is a very talented, hard-nosed guard with a tremendous shooting range," Taylor said. "He brings a very sweet shooting touch as well as an ability to make mid-range jump shots to our team. He comes from a very successful and respected program at Muncie Central. The success he has had over his high school career should translate into future success at Ball State. He also has tremendous character and leadership skills, which will be attributes in our program."

Billy Gillispie on Three UK Signees

Press Release — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 20:05:30 -0800

Kentucky coach Billy Gillispie on the official signing of Jon Hood, Daniel Orton and GJ Vilarino:

"I'm really excited about all three of the players that we signed today. They will all be terrific players for us and we are very fortunate to have them. Our roster will get better with these three signees. All three of them are great human beings. They are all excited and all three of them love Kentucky."

On GJ Vilarino...

"GJ Vilarino is the first one who committed to us and he is one of the fastest players in the country. Currently, that is something that we lack. He continues to get better and he is an extremely hard worker. Vilarino is a gym rat, and we need more of those. He starts about 6:30 A.M., and he is often either lifting weights or getting individual instruction. He is becoming a vocal leader and I like the way he is beginning to mature. Vilarino has been a good player for a long time and he continues to get better. I'm very excited about him and I appreciate that he made his commitment very shortly after I got here."

On Jon Hood...

"Jon Hood is the second player who committed and I think he will be a tremendous player. In the last year he has improved as much as anyone. He is also a gym rat. After going to Big Blue Madness, Vilarino and Hood were in the gym working and shooting. They did the same thing the next night. He is a very good athlete and he continues on the path of the other players we have been recruiting. Hood is long and athletic, and he has gained weight. I don't care if he gains any more weight because he will continue to get stronger. He can shoot the ball and he has the ability to make baskets. Some players can shoot the ball, but they can't make the play to get a basket. Some players can make baskets, but they aren't great shooters. He will be a combination of those things, and he will be able to score in a variety of ways. Hood will eventually have the ability to initiate offense. He has great leadership ability and he has a great love for the University of Kentucky. We are awfully happy to have him. I like his toughness, but I love his confidence. He wants to see how he measures up with the rest of the team and find areas he needs to improve. He is determined and he comes from a great basketball family. His mother played in the Final Four and his father played at the collegiate level."

On Daniel Orton...

"Daniel Orton was the third player to commit here. We are extremely happy to have him, and of our recruits, he has the most national recognition. He is an unbelievable prospect at a difficult position to recruit. His IQ is off the charts, he understands how to play and he already has an NBA body. He has agility, speed and unbelievable hands. Orton sees what other players at his position can't. Not many players can pass and read defense like he can. This is all projection, but I think he will be a fantastic player as well. I'm not worried about his knee injury. I wish he hadn't gotten hurt, but those things happen. It is very unfortunate for him and his high school team. It definitely hurts when you lose a player of that magnitude. He will rehab exactly as he should and he'll get back to full health."

UCLA's Class Includes Top 5 Prospect Tyler Honeycutt

Press Release — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 19:19:10 -0800

UCLA head coach Ben Howland announced today the signing of a heralded class of four student-athletes to National Letters of Intent to attend UCLA in the fall of 2009. Wednesday is the first day of the early signing period that extends until Nov. 19.

The class consists of Tyler Honeycutt, a 6-foot-8-inch, 190-pound guard/forward out of Sylmar, Calif. (Sylmar HS); Brendan Lane, a 6-foot-10-inch, 205-pound forward from Rocklin, Calif. (Rocklin HS); Reeves Nelson, a 6-foot-7-inch, 220-pound forward out of Modesto, Calif. (Modesto Christian HS) and Anthony Stover, a 6-foot-10-inch, 210-pound center from LaCañada, Calif. (Windward HS).

"We are very excited about this recruiting class," Howland said. "I think the four players that we signed help fulfill the needs that we have and as a class, they are all great kids that are going to be great players. They are all outstanding young men."

The class has been rated No. 8 nationally by Scout.com and No. 14 by Rivals.com. Additionally, Honeycutt and Nelson were both on the 2008-09 Best in the West first team while Lane and Stover were on the second team. Honeycutt was fifth in the voting with 299 points and was tied for second with 11 Best Prospect votes (out of 58 ballots). Nelson was 11th in the voting with 202 points.

Honeycutt averaged 16.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game last year at Sylmar High School and is rated the No. 1 small forward in the West and No. 4 nationally by Scout.com. He is also the No. 21 rated overall player by Scout.com and the No. 4 small forward nationally by Rivals.com and No. 6 small forward in the country by ESPN.

"Tyler Honeycutt is a very versatile athlete," Howland said. "He is a good shooter, he's good at scoring off the dribble and is a good passer. He is also an outstanding rebounder and has a lot of potential."

Lane averaged 20.4 points, 11.7 rebounds and 5.2 blocks per game last year at Rocklin High School and is rated the No. 1 power forward in the West by Scout.com. He is also the No. 29 power forward in the country by Scout.com, No. 26 by Rivals.com and No. 32 by ESPN.

"Brendan Lane is a long and very skilled athlete," Howland said. "He has an exciting upside because as he gets bigger and stronger, his game will really improve."

Nelson averaged 26.0 points and 14.0 rebounds per game last year at Modesto Christian High School and is rated the No. 5 power forward in the West by Scout.com. He is also the No. 23 power forward nationally by Rivals.com, No. 27 by ESPN and No. 31 by Scout.com.

"Reeves Nelson is very physical and is a very strong and athletic young man," Howland said. "He's a tough, hard-nosed player who is a good rebounder and he's going to be an outstanding player."

Stover averaged 10.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 7.4 blocks per game last year at Renaissance Academy as a junior and is rated the No. 3 center in the West and the No. 11 center in the country by Scout.com. He is also rated the No. 19 center nationally by Rivals.com.

"Anthony Stover is very long and his upside is that he has a 7-foot-5-inch wingspan," Howland said. "He's an excellent shot blocker and we are excited about his future."

Illinois State Adds Pair of Chicago Recruits

Press Release — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 18:24:53 -0800

NORMAL, Ill. - Illinois State head men's basketball Tim Jankovich announced that Terrence Johnson (North Lawndale College Prep - Chicago) and Zeke Upshaw (University High School - Chicago) each signed National Letters of Intent Wednesday, during the NCAA early-signing period, to continue their education and basketball careers at Illinois State University.

"Both Terrence and Zeke are outstanding young men and tremendous students," said Jankovich. "Terrence is the prototype guard that we look for. He is a very good ball-handler and shooter, as well as a playmaker. I think Terrence has the potential to be an outstanding leader. He's a high-character kid, who is very bright."

Both Johnson and Upshaw were teammates on the Mac Irvin Fire AAU program. At six-foot, 170 pounds, Johnson played point guard last season at St. Rita High School. As a senior, he will suit up for North Lawndale College Prep. Johnson is rated as the No. 11 player in the City/Suburban Hoops Report 2009 player rankings.

As a junior, Johnson averaged 21 points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals per game at St. Rita. Named to the all-tournament team at the 2007 McGovern Classic, he carries a 4.1 grade-point average on a 4.0 scale and received all-conference and all-area academic honors. His sister, Brittanny, is currently a senior on the Boston College women's basketball team.

Upshaw, a 6-foot-6, 195-pound shooting guard, is the first player from University High School, which is affiliated with the University of Chicago, to receive an NCAA Division I basketball scholarship. As a junior, he averaged 24 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists per game last season.

"Zeke has tremendous potential and his best days are definitely ahead of him," said Jankovich. "At 6-foot-6, he is an exceptional ball-handler for his size, and at the same time, he's a good three-point shooter. I think Zeke will do nothing but get better and better during his career."

Named first-team all-conference as a junior, Upshaw was also named the Independent School League (ISL) Player of the Year. He averaged 18 points, six rebounds and four assists as a sophomore.

Bradley, Hamilton, Williams Heading to Texas

Press Release — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 18:22:18 -0800

AUSTIN, Texas - Three high school hoop standouts have signed National Letters of Intent to play basketball next season at The University of Texas, head coach Rick Barnes announced Wednesday. Avery Bradley (Tacoma, Wash.), Jordan Hamilton (Los Angeles, Calif.) and Shawn Williams (Duncanville, Texas) will join the Longhorns for the 2009-10 season.

"This class fills the needs of our program," Barnes said. "All three are outstanding individual talents on the court, but they are great character guys as well. The thing that excites our staff about each of them is their work ethic. Avery, Jordan and Shawn are all guys who want to get better every day, both as people and basketball players."

Bradley (6-3, 175), a guard from Findlay College Prep (Henderson, Nev.) who plays under coach Michael Peck, is ranked as the No. 8 high school prospect in the nation by Rivals.com and the No. 10 prospect by Scout.com. Bradley played his first three years of high school at Bellarmine Prep in Tacoma. He averaged 25.7 points per game during his junior season.

Hamilton (6-7, 215), a swingman from Dominguez High School, is ranked as the No. 5 high school prospect in the country by Rivals.com and the No. 13 prospect by Scout.com. Hamilton averaged 27.6 points and 11.1 rebounds per game during his junior season.

Williams (6-7, 215), a swingman from Duncanville High School who plays under coach Phil McNeely, is ranked as the top player in the state of Texas by TexasHoops.com. He also is ranked as the No. 44 high school prospect in the nation by Scout.com and the No. 64 prospect by Rivals.com. He averaged 17 points and 9.5 rebounds per game during his junior season.

No. 7/8 Texas opens the 2008-09 season with a home tilt against Stetson on Friday, Nov. 14. Tip is set for 7 p.m. Central at the Frank Erwin Center.

Oklahoma Announces Three Top 100 Signees

Press Release — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 18:12:00 -0800

NORMAN, Okla. - Oklahoma men's basketball head coach Jeff Capel and his staff continue to make names for themselves on the recruiting trail and, for the third straight November, unveiled an impressive four-man list of signees today. The group is rated No. 14 nationally by Scout.com and features three top-100 players.

Headlining the high school foursome is Houston, Texas, point guard Tommy Mason-Griffin, the country's No. 24 overall player and No. 3 point guard according to Scout.com. Mason-Griffin, who attends James Madison High School and was named the 2008 Houston Chronicle All-Greater Houston Postseason Boys' Basketball Player of the Year, is also regarded by ESPN as the nation's No. 37 overall player and sixth-best point guard. Joining Mason-Griffin among OU's November signees are top-75 forward Andrew Fitzgerald (Baltimore, Md./Brewster [N.H.] Academy), top-100 guard Steven Pledger (Chesapeake, Va./Atlantic Shores Christian School) and four-star forward Kyle Hardrick (Oklahoma City, Okla./Putnam City HS).

"It's a great day for our program and for the future of our program," said Capel, who starts his third season at Oklahoma Friday at 7 p.m. when the Sooners open against American. "We're really excited about all four guys. We think they're really good basketball players and, even more importantly, are really good kids.

"I thank the University of Oklahoma and the city of Norman because they're huge reasons these four kids wanted to come here and be a part of what we're building. We look forward to following them during their senior years and then getting them here and involving them in every aspect of our program."

Scout.com national basketball recruiting analyst Dave Telep said Oklahoma's class is a strong one because of the varied type of players it features.

"If you look at all the pieces of this class at OU, they're all really different," said Telep. "At the end of the day, that's what really gives this class some pop and really gives it some strength. It's a class made up of a diverse group of guys."