Post by Aggie One on Dec 10, 2009 18:44:15 GMT -5
EAVES SIGNS FOUR NEW AGGIES
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GREENSBORO, December 10, 2009 – Jerry Eaves called last season’s recruiting class the best of his seven-year tenure as the North Carolina A&T men’s basketball coach. If Eaves believes ESPN, he may have to change that statement soon.
Eaves released his 2009 signees, and according to espn.com, it is the No. 1 rated recruiting class in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
Ray Lester is the recruit that stood out the most to espn.com. Lester is a 6-foot-6 power forward out of Crete, Ill. Lester is no stranger to success. His Crete-Monroe high school team has at least one other Division I signee and is likely to have another. Lester averaged 10.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game as a junior. As a sophomore, he averaged 8.7 points and 4.6 rebounds per game in helping Crete-Monroe win the Regional Title.
“Ray Lester’s claim to fame at North Carolina A&T is going to be his physicality,’’ said Eaves. “He wants to be physical in the paint. He’ll need to improve his perimeter game in college, but he is a tremendous rebounder. He could develop into that bruiser in the paint we’ve been looking for. He has the body frame to be 6-7, 245-pounds by the time he is a senior.”
Perimeter shooting should not be a problem for 6-4 shooting guard Thomas Cooper. Cooper is from Chattanooga, Tenn., but played the previous two seasons at Mallard Creek High School in Charlotte. Cooper is playing for Tyner Academy this season. Cooper averaged 18.2 points per game as a junior at Mallard Creek. He earned all-conference honors.
“He is going to fit perfectly into our system and what we want to do here,’’ said Eaves whose 2009-10 team shoots about 30 3-pointers per game. “This young man wants to score the basketball, and he enjoys finding ways to score the ball. He can hit the three off the dribble, he can hit the runner going both ways and he can take people off the dribble. He’s going to be a really good player.”
Eaves took his final two recruits from the nation’s capital. Justin Black (Washington, D.C.) is a 6-2 combo guard out of basketball rich DeMatha High School. Black will be the fourth player from the WCAC conference Eaves has signed in the last four years as he will join Marc Hill, Lawrence Smith and R.J. Buck. Black comes off the bench for DeMatha and averaged just 1.2 points as a junior.
“He has some talented players on his team that play over him,’’ said Eaves. “But I’ve seen enough of him to know he is a Jerry Eaves type of player. He can post, he can step out and hit the jump shot, he defends, he rebounds and he is not afraid to shoot it. He has a good body, and at out level his strength is really going to be an asset.”
Jeremy Underwood rounds out the 2009 recruiting class. The 6-foot D.C., native led Coolidge High in scoring last season at 14.0 points per game. He also averaged 4.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists. In Underwood, Eaves has another dangerous 3-point shooter. Underwood made 42 3-pointers, and earned All-League DCIAA West honors last season.
“Jeremy is a tremendous shooter,’’ said Eaves. “He really has a lot of range. He is one of the players who can truly lose consciousness out there and just bury you with three after three. He makes plays when he has the basketball in his hand.”
www.ncataggies.com/Mensbasketball/2009-10%20ARTICLES/0AGGIESvrecruiting.htm
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GREENSBORO, December 10, 2009 – Jerry Eaves called last season’s recruiting class the best of his seven-year tenure as the North Carolina A&T men’s basketball coach. If Eaves believes ESPN, he may have to change that statement soon.
Eaves released his 2009 signees, and according to espn.com, it is the No. 1 rated recruiting class in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
Ray Lester is the recruit that stood out the most to espn.com. Lester is a 6-foot-6 power forward out of Crete, Ill. Lester is no stranger to success. His Crete-Monroe high school team has at least one other Division I signee and is likely to have another. Lester averaged 10.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game as a junior. As a sophomore, he averaged 8.7 points and 4.6 rebounds per game in helping Crete-Monroe win the Regional Title.
“Ray Lester’s claim to fame at North Carolina A&T is going to be his physicality,’’ said Eaves. “He wants to be physical in the paint. He’ll need to improve his perimeter game in college, but he is a tremendous rebounder. He could develop into that bruiser in the paint we’ve been looking for. He has the body frame to be 6-7, 245-pounds by the time he is a senior.”
Perimeter shooting should not be a problem for 6-4 shooting guard Thomas Cooper. Cooper is from Chattanooga, Tenn., but played the previous two seasons at Mallard Creek High School in Charlotte. Cooper is playing for Tyner Academy this season. Cooper averaged 18.2 points per game as a junior at Mallard Creek. He earned all-conference honors.
“He is going to fit perfectly into our system and what we want to do here,’’ said Eaves whose 2009-10 team shoots about 30 3-pointers per game. “This young man wants to score the basketball, and he enjoys finding ways to score the ball. He can hit the three off the dribble, he can hit the runner going both ways and he can take people off the dribble. He’s going to be a really good player.”
Eaves took his final two recruits from the nation’s capital. Justin Black (Washington, D.C.) is a 6-2 combo guard out of basketball rich DeMatha High School. Black will be the fourth player from the WCAC conference Eaves has signed in the last four years as he will join Marc Hill, Lawrence Smith and R.J. Buck. Black comes off the bench for DeMatha and averaged just 1.2 points as a junior.
“He has some talented players on his team that play over him,’’ said Eaves. “But I’ve seen enough of him to know he is a Jerry Eaves type of player. He can post, he can step out and hit the jump shot, he defends, he rebounds and he is not afraid to shoot it. He has a good body, and at out level his strength is really going to be an asset.”
Jeremy Underwood rounds out the 2009 recruiting class. The 6-foot D.C., native led Coolidge High in scoring last season at 14.0 points per game. He also averaged 4.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists. In Underwood, Eaves has another dangerous 3-point shooter. Underwood made 42 3-pointers, and earned All-League DCIAA West honors last season.
“Jeremy is a tremendous shooter,’’ said Eaves. “He really has a lot of range. He is one of the players who can truly lose consciousness out there and just bury you with three after three. He makes plays when he has the basketball in his hand.”
www.ncataggies.com/Mensbasketball/2009-10%20ARTICLES/0AGGIESvrecruiting.htm