OSUSTORM
11-12-2009, 07:57 PM
Click here to go to OKSTATE.COM (http://www.okstate.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/111209aaa.html)
Nov. 12, 2009
Stillwater, Okla. -- Oklahoma State has signed four players to National Letters of Intent during the signing period, head coach Travis Ford announced Thursday. All four will be available for the 2010-11 season.
The first player is Markel Brown, a guard out of Peabody Magnet High School in Alexandria, La. The 6-3, 185-pounder is a four-star recruit, ranked as the No. 24 shooting guard in the country by Scout.com. He averaged 28.5 points, eight rebounds, three assists, three steals and three blocked shots per game as a junior last season.
Brown was a first-team Class 4A All-State selection and was named the Most Valuable Player for District 3-4A. He was also named the All-Cenla MVP in 2009, voted on by local sports writers and consists of all the central Louisiana schools. He also started on the team his sophomore year as the Warhorses went 38-1.
“Markel is a kid I went and saw play and the first five minutes I watched him play I said, 'that's our guy',” Ford said. “He plays for a big-time high school program. He can play the point, the two and also the three. He's arguably one of the most athletic guys we’ve recruited.
“He's just like a grasshopper. He can shoot it and has a great in-between game. He will fit into our system well. He can shoot it, which we need because we could be losing our two best shooters next year in James (Anderson) and Obi (Muonelo). He's very quiet, but I think he will be a fan favorite.”
Brown was also recruited by LSU, Marquette, Michigan, USC and Texas A&M.
The second is Michael Cobbins, a 6-8, 215-pound forward out of Palo Duro High School in Amarillo, Texas. He is a consensus four-star and top-50 recruit, ranked as high as 38th nationally by Rivals.com. Scout.com lists him as the 12th-best power forward in the country.
As a junior last season, he averaged 18.3 points and 10.5 rebounds per game, leading the Dons to the Region I-4A finals. He was also named the Player of the Year of the 5A-4A Golden Spread Super Team by the Amarillo Globe-News.
“Michael is someone we're very excited about,” said Ford. “He's a very versatile player and before he got hurt, was having a top-10 player-of-the-year season. He came to our elite camp and we fell in love with him.
“He plays a lot of different positions. He has recovered from his injury and is 100 percent, so I'm anxious to see him. He has a great attitude and is a player who has just gotten better and better. He's very versatile and very long. We don't really have anybody like him on our team that's his size with the skills that he has.”
Cobbins was also recruited by Memphis, Oklahoma, Missouri and Georgia Tech.
The third player is junior college transfer JP Olukemi. The 6-7, 215-pound forward played during the 2008-09 season at Vincennes University in Indiana. He averaged 14.9 points and 4.2 rebounds per game while shooting 51.6 percent from the floor.
Olukemi is a consensus three-star player, and was ranked as the top junior college recruit this season by Midwest Scouting Service. He is sitting out the 2009-10 season and will have three years of eligibility remaining once next season begins.
“Many publications have JP rated as the No. 1 junior college player in the country,” said Ford. “We targeted him right away. He's special in that he has three years to play. He has a great attitude and a great presence about him as a person. He has a big, strong basketball body and is someone who will step in and play right away. He'll bring size to our team.”
The final player to sign with the Cowboys on Wednesday is Brian Williams, a 6-5, 190-pound guard out of Glen Oaks High School in Baton Rouge, La. He is a consensus three-star recruit, and ranked as high as the No. 26 shooting guard in the country by Scout.com.
Williams averaged 25.9 points, 13.6 rebounds, 4.1 blocked shots and 3.5 assists per game as a junior last season, pacing Glen Oaks to a No. 1 ranking in Class 4A. He was named Class 4A’s Outstanding Player by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association, and one of two juniors — joining Brown — named first-team All-State for Class 4A. He was also named the District 6-4A Most Valuable Player.
“Brian’s game is a lot like Obi's,” Ford said. “He's 6-4 to 6-5 and much more athletic. He can jump over the rim. He averaged 30 points a game last year in high school. He can step out and shoot it, he's very athletic and has a great in-between game.”
Williams was also recruited by LSU, Oregon State and Baylor.
With the aforementioned signees, Oklahoma State has hauled in a consensus top-20 recruiting class, ranked as the best in the Big 12 and No. 10 nationally according to HoopScoop.com, and the top class in the league and ranked 18th nationally by Scout.com.
2010-11 Oklahoma State Basketball Signees
Markel Brown G 6-3 185 Fr. Alexandria, La. (Peabody Magnet HS)
Michael Cobbins F 6-8 215 Fr. Amarillo, Texas (Palo Duro HS)
JP Olukemi F 6-7 215 So. LaHabra, Calif. (Stoneridge Prep/Vincennes)
Brian Williams G 6-5 190 Fr. Baton Rouge, La. (Glen Oaks HS)
Nov. 12, 2009
Stillwater, Okla. -- Oklahoma State has signed four players to National Letters of Intent during the signing period, head coach Travis Ford announced Thursday. All four will be available for the 2010-11 season.
The first player is Markel Brown, a guard out of Peabody Magnet High School in Alexandria, La. The 6-3, 185-pounder is a four-star recruit, ranked as the No. 24 shooting guard in the country by Scout.com. He averaged 28.5 points, eight rebounds, three assists, three steals and three blocked shots per game as a junior last season.
Brown was a first-team Class 4A All-State selection and was named the Most Valuable Player for District 3-4A. He was also named the All-Cenla MVP in 2009, voted on by local sports writers and consists of all the central Louisiana schools. He also started on the team his sophomore year as the Warhorses went 38-1.
“Markel is a kid I went and saw play and the first five minutes I watched him play I said, 'that's our guy',” Ford said. “He plays for a big-time high school program. He can play the point, the two and also the three. He's arguably one of the most athletic guys we’ve recruited.
“He's just like a grasshopper. He can shoot it and has a great in-between game. He will fit into our system well. He can shoot it, which we need because we could be losing our two best shooters next year in James (Anderson) and Obi (Muonelo). He's very quiet, but I think he will be a fan favorite.”
Brown was also recruited by LSU, Marquette, Michigan, USC and Texas A&M.
The second is Michael Cobbins, a 6-8, 215-pound forward out of Palo Duro High School in Amarillo, Texas. He is a consensus four-star and top-50 recruit, ranked as high as 38th nationally by Rivals.com. Scout.com lists him as the 12th-best power forward in the country.
As a junior last season, he averaged 18.3 points and 10.5 rebounds per game, leading the Dons to the Region I-4A finals. He was also named the Player of the Year of the 5A-4A Golden Spread Super Team by the Amarillo Globe-News.
“Michael is someone we're very excited about,” said Ford. “He's a very versatile player and before he got hurt, was having a top-10 player-of-the-year season. He came to our elite camp and we fell in love with him.
“He plays a lot of different positions. He has recovered from his injury and is 100 percent, so I'm anxious to see him. He has a great attitude and is a player who has just gotten better and better. He's very versatile and very long. We don't really have anybody like him on our team that's his size with the skills that he has.”
Cobbins was also recruited by Memphis, Oklahoma, Missouri and Georgia Tech.
The third player is junior college transfer JP Olukemi. The 6-7, 215-pound forward played during the 2008-09 season at Vincennes University in Indiana. He averaged 14.9 points and 4.2 rebounds per game while shooting 51.6 percent from the floor.
Olukemi is a consensus three-star player, and was ranked as the top junior college recruit this season by Midwest Scouting Service. He is sitting out the 2009-10 season and will have three years of eligibility remaining once next season begins.
“Many publications have JP rated as the No. 1 junior college player in the country,” said Ford. “We targeted him right away. He's special in that he has three years to play. He has a great attitude and a great presence about him as a person. He has a big, strong basketball body and is someone who will step in and play right away. He'll bring size to our team.”
The final player to sign with the Cowboys on Wednesday is Brian Williams, a 6-5, 190-pound guard out of Glen Oaks High School in Baton Rouge, La. He is a consensus three-star recruit, and ranked as high as the No. 26 shooting guard in the country by Scout.com.
Williams averaged 25.9 points, 13.6 rebounds, 4.1 blocked shots and 3.5 assists per game as a junior last season, pacing Glen Oaks to a No. 1 ranking in Class 4A. He was named Class 4A’s Outstanding Player by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association, and one of two juniors — joining Brown — named first-team All-State for Class 4A. He was also named the District 6-4A Most Valuable Player.
“Brian’s game is a lot like Obi's,” Ford said. “He's 6-4 to 6-5 and much more athletic. He can jump over the rim. He averaged 30 points a game last year in high school. He can step out and shoot it, he's very athletic and has a great in-between game.”
Williams was also recruited by LSU, Oregon State and Baylor.
With the aforementioned signees, Oklahoma State has hauled in a consensus top-20 recruiting class, ranked as the best in the Big 12 and No. 10 nationally according to HoopScoop.com, and the top class in the league and ranked 18th nationally by Scout.com.
2010-11 Oklahoma State Basketball Signees
Markel Brown G 6-3 185 Fr. Alexandria, La. (Peabody Magnet HS)
Michael Cobbins F 6-8 215 Fr. Amarillo, Texas (Palo Duro HS)
JP Olukemi F 6-7 215 So. LaHabra, Calif. (Stoneridge Prep/Vincennes)
Brian Williams G 6-5 190 Fr. Baton Rouge, La. (Glen Oaks HS)