04-26-2005, 10:52 PM
Quote:
Penders Adds Five More Players To Houston's Roster For 2005-06
Cougars sign three junior college transfers and two high school stars
April 26, 2005
Houston, Texas - University of Houston head basketball coach Tom Penders announced that junior college transfers Oliver Lafayette, Richard Young and Tristian Martin, along with high school stars Lamar Roberson and Corey Bloom have signed to play with the Cougars in 2005-06.
"This is a fantastic class of recruits," Penders said. "This is the best overall class of recruits that I have ever signed in my career as a head coach. When I look back through the years, we may have signed one or two players who were as good as these players. But, I have never had the overall depth this class has. They should help us not only compete in Conference USA, but nationally as well."
Lafayette comes to Houston after leading Brown Mackie College to a National Junior College Athletic Association's Division II national championship last March. He averaged 17.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 4.4 steals per game while leading Brown Mackie to a 35-1 overall record.
He was named a 2004-5 NJCAA Division II First-Team, All-American and selected to the NJCAA Division II All-Tournament Team. He also scored the winning basket in a 69-67 victory over Division I sixth-ranked Hutchinson last November.
Young was a junior college All-American and a two-time First-Team, All-Suncoast Conference selection while playing at Hillsboro Community College in Florida. He also is Hillsboro's all-time leader in blocked shots with 210.
Martin was named to the National Junior College Athletics Association's All-Tournament team after leading Midland to a 26-10 record this season. He also was rated as one of the Top 25 players at the Tournament by Future Stars.
This season, Martin played in 36 games for the Chaparrals and averaged 11.2 points, 1.5 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.4 steals. He also played for current Houston associate head coach Shanon Hays at Midland in 2003-04, and helped the Chaparrals finish third in the NJCAA National Tournament.
Roberson is a 6-7, 190-pound forward who is a fifth-year prep player at Mt. Zion Academy in North Carolina. He is rated as one of the top 38 high school recruits in the nation. He was named to the All-National Prep School Invitational Team in 2005.
He went to Mt. Zion after playing one season at Dominquez High School in Long Beach, Calif., where he averaged 15.9 points, 8.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 3.2 blocked shots per game. He scored a season-high 32 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in the CIF Southern Section 11-A Regional Championship game against Inglewood High in a 71-58 victory. He was named the California Division II Section Co-Player of the Year and a Second-Team All-State performer.
A native of Baton Rouge, Roberson was the MVP of the Southern Lab, Class I-A State Championship in 2000-01. He originally committed to sign with Louisville last summer after being ranked among the Top 23 players at the Adidas Superstar All-American Camp. But, he decided against signing with the Cardinals before enrolling at Mt. Zion. He chose to sign with Houston over Memphis and Purdue.
Rated as one of the top five shooting guards available this spring by Future Stars, Bloom comes to Houston after leading Brother Martin High School in New Orleans to back to back Louisiana Class 5A state championships and a Number-Four national ranking in The USA Today. Bloom, who averaged 15.6 points per game as a senior, scored 21 points to lead Brother Martin to a 86-70 victory over Thibodeaux in the state championship game after netting 22 points in the semifinals and 26 in a quarterfinal game. He chose to sign with Houston after being recruited by Rice, Air Force, Dayton, Southern Miss, Tulane and New Orleans.
These five players join two other players, Emmanuel Adeife and Jahmar Thorpe, who signed with the Cougars earlier this year.
Cougars sign three junior college transfers and two high school stars
April 26, 2005
Houston, Texas - University of Houston head basketball coach Tom Penders announced that junior college transfers Oliver Lafayette, Richard Young and Tristian Martin, along with high school stars Lamar Roberson and Corey Bloom have signed to play with the Cougars in 2005-06.
"This is a fantastic class of recruits," Penders said. "This is the best overall class of recruits that I have ever signed in my career as a head coach. When I look back through the years, we may have signed one or two players who were as good as these players. But, I have never had the overall depth this class has. They should help us not only compete in Conference USA, but nationally as well."
Lafayette comes to Houston after leading Brown Mackie College to a National Junior College Athletic Association's Division II national championship last March. He averaged 17.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 4.4 steals per game while leading Brown Mackie to a 35-1 overall record.
He was named a 2004-5 NJCAA Division II First-Team, All-American and selected to the NJCAA Division II All-Tournament Team. He also scored the winning basket in a 69-67 victory over Division I sixth-ranked Hutchinson last November.
Young was a junior college All-American and a two-time First-Team, All-Suncoast Conference selection while playing at Hillsboro Community College in Florida. He also is Hillsboro's all-time leader in blocked shots with 210.
Martin was named to the National Junior College Athletics Association's All-Tournament team after leading Midland to a 26-10 record this season. He also was rated as one of the Top 25 players at the Tournament by Future Stars.
This season, Martin played in 36 games for the Chaparrals and averaged 11.2 points, 1.5 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.4 steals. He also played for current Houston associate head coach Shanon Hays at Midland in 2003-04, and helped the Chaparrals finish third in the NJCAA National Tournament.
Roberson is a 6-7, 190-pound forward who is a fifth-year prep player at Mt. Zion Academy in North Carolina. He is rated as one of the top 38 high school recruits in the nation. He was named to the All-National Prep School Invitational Team in 2005.
He went to Mt. Zion after playing one season at Dominquez High School in Long Beach, Calif., where he averaged 15.9 points, 8.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 3.2 blocked shots per game. He scored a season-high 32 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in the CIF Southern Section 11-A Regional Championship game against Inglewood High in a 71-58 victory. He was named the California Division II Section Co-Player of the Year and a Second-Team All-State performer.
A native of Baton Rouge, Roberson was the MVP of the Southern Lab, Class I-A State Championship in 2000-01. He originally committed to sign with Louisville last summer after being ranked among the Top 23 players at the Adidas Superstar All-American Camp. But, he decided against signing with the Cardinals before enrolling at Mt. Zion. He chose to sign with Houston over Memphis and Purdue.
Rated as one of the top five shooting guards available this spring by Future Stars, Bloom comes to Houston after leading Brother Martin High School in New Orleans to back to back Louisiana Class 5A state championships and a Number-Four national ranking in The USA Today. Bloom, who averaged 15.6 points per game as a senior, scored 21 points to lead Brother Martin to a 86-70 victory over Thibodeaux in the state championship game after netting 22 points in the semifinals and 26 in a quarterfinal game. He chose to sign with Houston after being recruited by Rice, Air Force, Dayton, Southern Miss, Tulane and New Orleans.
These five players join two other players, Emmanuel Adeife and Jahmar Thorpe, who signed with the Cougars earlier this year.
This class looks awesome 4 JUCOS and 3 freshman. Next year there will be seven new Coogs on the court and the word on the street is that only six will be left from this years team. Feel free to speculate on who you think will not be back from this years roster.
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