Five New Additions Join Raiders During Early Signing Period Nov. 11, 2009
Wright State men's basketball head coach Brad Brownell has announced the signing of four student-athletes during the early signing period today and the commitment of a fifth. Signing early with the Raiders are Kegan Clark (Jeffersonville, IN), Cole Darling (Holt, MI), A.J. Pacher (Vandalia, OH), Cory Stanton (Springfield, TN). Matt Vest (Dayton, OH) has also been admitted to the University and plans to walk on for the 2010-11 season.
"I would like to commend my coaching staff for their hard work and efforts in securing what we feel is a strong recruiting class for Wright State University," said Brownell. "We feel that we have met the majority of our recruiting needs with this class. These young men all come from great families and respected basketball programs."
Clark, a 6-4, 190-pound guard averaged 14 points and seven rebounds as a junior last season as his team posted an 18-5 overall record under head coach Tim Lagrange. Clark was also selected for the prestigious Indiana Junior All-Star team last summer. Brandon Bradley of ScoutingIndiana.com rates him as the 21st best senior in the state of Indiana.
"Kegan is a very good athlete who scores well in the open floor." said Bronwell. "I also expect Kegan to become one of the more versatile defenders in our program due to his size, strength and speed."
Darling, a 6-7, 185-pound forward averaged 21 points last year along with 11 rebounds. Last season his team finished 19-6 and advanced to the regional finals under head coach Matt Essel. Vince Baldwin of Prep Spotlight rates him the 10th best senior, and Steve Bell ranks him the #1 senior forward, in the state of Michigan.
"Cole is an outstanding shooter who will be able to play a variety of positions," said Brownell. We are elated to bring one of the top 10 seniors in the state of Michigan to Wright State."
Pacher, a 6-9, 220-pound forward, posted 15.5 points per game and 9.2 rebounds during his junior campaign, including a 41-point outburst. A.J. also shot 59 percent overall and 43.2 percent from beyond the three-point line. Chas Wolfe of Inside Prep Sports rates A.J. the 19th best senior in Ohio, while John Stovall of Prep Spotlight rates him the 3rd best senior Center. Head coach Jeff Kreill will lead Vandalia Butler this season.
"A.J. is a very skilled post player with good size and an ability to score in a variety of ways," said Brownell. "We are excited to add another local product to our roster."
Stanton, a 5-11, 165-pound combo guard, averaged 19.1 points and 7.5 assists per game while playing at Springfield High School under head coach Johnny Darden. Stanton recorded games of 43 and 39 points during his junior season. Andre Whitehead of Tennessee Prep Hoops rates Cory the 6th best senior in the state.
"Cory is an explosive combo guard who can score in a hurry as well as distribute the ball to his teammates," said Brownell. "He has an infectious personality which we feel will make him a leader in our program one day."
Matt Vest, a 6-4, 170-pound guard played for a Chaminade-Julienne team that finished 11-10 last season, coached by Joe Staley. He has committed to become a walkon next season for the Raiders.
"We are extremely excited to have another member of the Vest family join the Raider basketball program," said Brownell. "Matt impressed us with his play last summer. I love his basketball I.Q., and with an added year of strength training and maturity he will become a very productive player at Wright State."
www.wsuraiders.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/111109aae.html
