Men's Basketball Receives Four Commitments During Early Signing Period
November 13, 2006 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 13, 2006
GREENVILLE, N.C. --- East Carolina basketball coach Ricky Stokes announced the signing of four players to National Letters of Intent Monday, including 6-foot-5 guard Jamar Abrams (Richmond, Va.), 6-3 guard Jontae Sherrod (Tarboro, N.C.), 5-11 guard Brock Young (Raleigh, N.C.), and 6-7 forward Daquan Joyner (Goldsboro, N.C.).
"Overall this class is very versatile and athletic which will help greatly improve our program," said Stokes. "We are delighted with the decision of each of these young men to attend East Carolina. Each player was a top priority for and I know our fans will enjoy watching them play and getting to know them."
Abrams averaged 14.7 points per game at Highland Springs High School last season to earn second-team All-Metro honors. As a junior, he spent time playing both shooting guard and small forward and ranked second on the team in rebounding and 3-point field goal shooting, while he was the team's third leading assist distributor.
"Jamar is a splendid shooter that gives us additional size in the backcourt," stated Stokes. " He is an athletic player that can play a variety of positions. He has the ability to go inside, but his shooting range is his biggest strength."
Sherrod elected to stay close to home by signing with the Pirates. As a junior at Tarboro High School, which is about a half-hour drive from Greenville, Sherrod averaged 23 points last season.
"Jontae is another athletic and versatile player that can score and play both guard positions," explained Stokes. "He attended our team camp this summer and made a great impression upon us."
Young is regarded by numerous recruiting services as one of the top prep prospects in the state. He led Broughton High School in scoring each of the last three seasons, including last season when he averaged 21 points per game and led the Capitals into the second round of the state playoffs. Regarded as an excellent ball-handler, Young handed out an average of 3.7 assists and recorded 3.4 steals per game, while making 44 3-pointers during the season.
"We are thrilled to have who we believe is the top point guard in the state," Stokes said. "He is a hard worker and a tremendous competitor with a great basketball IQ. He is also very fast and will help us create a more up-tempo style of play."
Joyner is the tallest of the Pirates' signees at 6-6. As a junior at Goldsboro high School last season, Joyner averaged a double-double with 18.1 points and 12.2 rebounds per game with nearly five blocks per game.
"Daquan is going to be a great addition to our frontcourt," said Stokes. "He is an excellent rebounder that also has great shooting range. His overall athleticism is his greatest asset and we certainly look forward to him making valuable contributions to our program."
After opening the season with an 86-67 victory over Morgan State on Saturday, ECU returns to action Tuesday night at Richmond. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m.
