http://www.theadvertiser.com/article/201...irst-class
Joshua Parrott
jparrott@theadvertiser.com
Facing the loss of five seniors after this season, first-year UL men’s basketball coach Bob Marlin and his coaching staff had some work to do on the recruiting trail.
Marlin certainly made a splash Tuesday with the announcement of his first fall signing class, which included four student-athletes that will join the program starting with the 2011-12 season.
The Ragin’ Cajuns dipped into the junior college ranks for three signees in forward/center Kadeem Coleby (Daytona State College), power forward Odayne Clarke (Hill College) and point guard Darnell Jackson (University of South Carolina Salkehatchie).
JucoJunction.com ranks Coleby (No. 50), Clarke (No. 118) and Jackson (No. 138) in its most recent rankings of the nation’s top 150 junior college players. Coleby and Clarke also competed in the invitation-only Top 120 JUCO Showcase last July in Tulsa, Okla.
UL’s other signee is prep guard/forward Kentwan Smith from Piney Woods, Miss.
“We are excited to have these young men join our program,” Marlin said. “They are all outstanding players, but more importantly they are all outstanding people. We look forward to seeing them contribute to the success of UL basketball.”
Coleby is a 6-foot-10, 235-pound forward/center originally from the Bahamas. He will have two years of eligibility to play for the Cajuns.
A three-star recruit coming out of Christian Life Center Academy in Houston, Coleby signed with Louisiana Tech when current UL assistant coach Nikita Johnson worked in Ruston. Coleby did not qualify and ended up at Odessa College. He played only 9.1 minutes per game last season for a team with four Division I signees and averaged 1.7 points and 2.7 rebounds with 13 blocked shots.
Coleby, a member of the Bahamian Junior National Team, transferred to Daytona State College for his sophomore season. He is averaging 9.6 points and six rebounds per game so far this season.
“He’s a very athletic post man that runs the floor very well,” said Daytona State College assistant coach Frank Burnell. “He plays hard and is a very good defensive player and rebounder. His offensive game is a work in progress, but he’s getting better every day.”
Coleby signed with the Cajuns over a number of other schools, including Cincinnati, South Florida, Wichita State, Memphis and Iowa. He had a game Tuesday and was unavailable for comment.
“I think he and coach Johnson have a very good relationship, and that was a bit much for every other school to overcome,” Burnell said. “When his offense catches up to the rest of his game, he’s an SEC-caliber athlete. I coached in the Big East for four years (as an assistant at South Florida), and I can tell you that he’s definitely that type of athlete.”
Clarke, originally a non-qualifier from Mount Vernon, N.Y., is a burly figure at 6-6, 265 pounds. As a freshman at Hill College, he averaged 12 points and 8.1 rebounds per game and was first-team all-conference. His numbers jumped to 15 points and 8.5 rebounds in conference play.
As a sophomore, Clarke averaged 12 points and 10 rebounds through three games before suffering a season-ending knee injury. Clarke is expected to receive a medical hardship and have three seasons of eligibility at UL.
“He’s very skilled and a very good rebounder that doesn’t play above the rim,” Hill College coach Swede Trenkle said. “He uses his body and his strength very well to get in rebounding position but can also guard bigger kids and can score on bigger kids in the post.”
Clarke also considered Houston, Utah State, Utah, Boston College and Western Kentucky before signing with UL
“I really liked everything about it there,” Clarke said. “The coaches and players are great. The town is great. The people are great and were very welcoming. The school and academic programs are great. Coach Marlin is a great coach, and I’m really looking forward to playing for him.”
Jackson averaged eight points, 3.6 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game last season as a freshman at USC Salkehatchie and was a second-team All-Region X selection. He also made 46 percent of his shots from the floor and 80 percent of his free throws.
The 6-foot-4, 210-pound Jackson shared the backcourt a season ago with NJCAA All-America shooting guard Brandon Riley. Jackson will have two years left to play for the Cajuns.
“He kind of reminds me of (Utah Jazz guard) Deron Williams because he can be really physical and get to the basket whenever he wants as a power guard, and he runs the team like a bigger version of (ex-Michigan State and NBA guard) Mateen Cleaves,” said USC Salkehatchie coach Travis Garrett. “He’s a physical guard that likes to get everybody involved, is a really good rebounder, can guard bigger guys, works hard and can shoot but wants to get the ball to his teammates.”
Minnesota, Nebraska, Tulane, Wichita State and Utah State also pursued Jackson.
“When I went out there (to Lafayette), I could tell that they cared about academics, and that’s important to me,” said Jackson, a prep qualifier coming out of Savannah, Ga. “When I went to practice, I saw that they liked to be physical, and I thought that I could come in and really help the team.”
Smith, also from the Bahamas, is a 6-8, 185-pound guard/forward from Piney Woods School in Piney Woods, Miss.
As a prep junior, he averaged a double-double at 15.9 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. He grabbed double-digit rebounds in every game and hit the 20-point mark six times. HoopScoop rates Smith, described by some as a smaller version of Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant, as the 12th-best Class of 2011 recruit in Mississippi.
“He’s athletic, can shoot the ball and can handle the ball,” Piney Woods coach Lemuel Jones said. “He’s a well-rounded player. We actually call him ‘Baby Durant.’”
Smith turned down offers from Florida International, Chattanooga and Missouri State and had strong interest from Georgetown, Ole Miss, Marquette, Villanova, Mississippi State and Wichita State.
“For them (the Cajuns) to get Kentwan was a big steal,” Jones said. “A lot of people didn’t know about him. I’ve been coaching for a while, and this kid has a chance to be really, really special.”
