7-24-2007

 For Release: IMMEDIATELY

         Walters State men’s head basketball coach Bill Carlyle has announced his 2007-08 recruiting class. 

“I’m very pleased with this class,” said Carlyle.  “This will give us the depth we need at all positions.”

Carlyle signed two players for the point guard position, David Joyner of Sullivan North High School and Desmond Dixson of Westwood High School in Memphis.  Joyner is 5 foot 10 inches and averaged 21 points per game.  Dixson comes in at 5 foot 7 inches and averaged 16 points per game. 

Five players were signed as combination guards.  Chris Talley is a 6 foot 2 inch guard from Easley, S.C.  Alvin Thomas is a 5-foot-10-inch guard from Wooddale High School in Memphis.  Rande Sibley will be transferring from Anderson College and is a graduate of Bearden High School in Knoxville.  Xavier Bingham stands 5 feet 10 inches tall Carter High School in Knoxville.  Andrew Winstead of Morristown West High School rounds out the combo guards.  He is 5 feet 11 inches tall.

Adam Woodrick of Pigeon Forge High School is a 6-foot-3-inch forward who was all-district, all-region and all-state.

Four players were signed as power forwards.  Laquatis Stewart of Batesburg-Leesville High School in Batesburg, S.C., is 6 feet 7 inches tall.  Michael Jenkins of Easley High School in Easley S.C. is 6 feet 8 inches tall.  Ian Hill hails from Richmond, Va.  He stands 6 feet 6 inches tall.  Orlanda Wells from McMinn County is 6 feet 7 inches tall.

At the post position is 6-foot-9-inch, 200 pound Darrin Custis.  He is from Stafford, Va.

 Returning to the roster for the Senators are two veteran point guards, Freeman Pinkney and Terrance Britt.  Pinkney played with an injured shoulder the second half of the season and averaged nearly 10 points per game and Britt averaged five.

Combo guards returning from the 2006-07 team are Kyle Donahue, Julieus Clayton and Trey Fields.   These three guards filled many roles during the second half of last season. 

No true post players will return to for the 2007-08 season, but two players will return who can play in the paint.  Sirlester Martin and Reggie Shaw will return after successful seasons.  Martin averaged nearly 12 points and eight rebounds per game.  Shaw, at 6 feet 6 inches, can pop out and drain the 3-pointer hitting 24 of 56 (43 percent) in the 2006-07 season.

 “I am really looking forward to this season,” said Carlyle.  “With what we have returning and the players we’ve signed, I think we should have a very successful season.”