06-07 Recruit Info

[Dane Pound]

Mike Yocum

6'8 235lb Power Forward

Episcopal Academy (Merion, PA)

Hometown Paper: Philly Daily News

 

Yocum #44

 

NJ Hoops

Mike Yocum

6 foot 9 Episcopal Academy Sr. Mike Yocum plays high school ball with two All Americans. Wings Wayne Ellington and Gerald Henderson are both A.C.C. bound, to North Carolina and Duke respectively. Yocum transferred to Episcopal last season from Tamaqua PA and started to make a little name for himself. He helped lead Episcopal to a 25 - 3 mark and Inter AC Championship. The aggressive big man has made a verbal commitment to attend the University of Albany for the 2006-07 season.

He joined the more famous duo as a 1st Team All Inter AC performer. Yocum continued to impress this summer with the Main Line Aces in AAU play and at Eastern Invitational Camp.

Albany adds a solid power forward for 2006...

By Van Coleman van@hoopmasters.com

Will Brown and his staff have dipped into the talent pool at one of the nation's top high school squads Merion, PA Episcopal Academy for some inside help...

According to sources close to the program, 6-8 235-pound Michael Yocum from nationally top ten rated high school Merion, PA Episcopal Academy will sign with Albany this November.

Yocum does a yeoman's job on the boards for Episcopal Academy and can score with touch at the elbow or on the blocks. He averaged 12 points and 12 boards along with 3 blocks a ghame for the 28-3 squad. He is the inside presense on this top notch squad that features Wayne Ellington (North Carolina) and Gerald Henderson (Duke)

Episcopal's Yocum to play basketball at Albany

By TED SILARY

silaryt@phillynews.com

The official visit won't take place until early October, but the commitment has been made.

Mike Yocum called Will Brown and said to him, "I want to be a Great Dane."

We're not talking dog shows. We're talking basketball.

Mike Yocum is a 6-9, 235-pound senior center at Episcopal Academy and the University of Albany is where he'll play his college hoops.

The Great Danes, viewed as an up-and comer, went 9-9 in the America East Conference last year.

"I went up there on an unofficial visit with my father a couple weeks ago, and everything went great," Yocum said. "We both felt it was the kind of school, and situation, that couldn't be a better fit. It wasn't a hard decision at all. That's a team on the rise."

Yocum said he caught Brown's eye during summertime AAU competition, but that an offer was not made until last Friday.

"Coach Brown said he liked the way I played as far as rebounding, defending and blocking shots," Yocum said. "What he wasn't sure of was my post play, especially the back-to-the-basket skills, because AAU ball is so guard oriented. He said my offense was kind of a gray area.

"So last Friday, he came to Episcopal and I did a workout for him in the gym. Coach Tosti [bud, assistant to Dan Dougherty] helped me out. He was feeding me the ball and I was doing the back-to-the-basket things. He said he liked my footwork and how I handled myself and that was he ready to offer me a scholarship."

Edited September 16, 2005 by Dane Pound

[Dane Pound]

Brett Gifford (w/ ball)

6'11 250 lbs Center

Rock Bridge, Missouri

 

October 22, 2005

Midwestern Sleeper headed to Albany...

By Van Coleman van@hoopmasters.com

 

One of the Midwest's best kept secrets 6-11 250-pound Brett Gifford is headed to Albany...

 

According to sources close to his recruiting 6-11 250-pound Brett Gifford from Columbia, MO Rock Bridge has made his college decision and is headed to Albany.

 

This Missouri big man flew a little under the radar because he only participated in a couple summer events held in the Midwest. He has a good set of hands, runs the court well, and soft touch in the paint.

 

He averaged 14.9 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 3 blocks per game as a junior as Rock Bridge finished 20-6 and won the District title.

 

Gifford chose Albany over interest from Wisconsin Milwaukee, Utah State, UMKC, SW Missouri State, and Utah State.

 

Game Profile:

Active big man went under radar because he only played in two summer tournaments. But has tools to make an immediate impact at mid major programs.

 

Commitment Level: Verbally committed

[Dane Pound]

Michael Knight

6'3 Guard

St. Petersburg CC

 

Albany adds juco combo guard...

By Van Coleman van@hoopmasters.com

Will Brown and his staff at Albany added their fourth and final recruit of the fall in 6-3 juco combo Michael Knight...

According to a source close to the program, 6-3 185-pound Michael Knight from St. Petersburg CC, FL is headed to Albany.

Knight who is a former FutureStars camper and Iowa resident, transferrd as a sophomore in high school to Seattle Prep in Washington, then signed with MD Baltimore County out of high school before transferring to St. Petersburg CC.

Knight is an athletic combo with point guard skills who can really knock down the perimeter jump shot. He has size and quickness to make an immediate impact at Albany.

He chose Albany over interest from Florida Atlantic, Florida A&M, Santa Clara, Samford, Florida International, and St. Bonaventure.

 

Gabe DeArmond

JucoJunction.com Editor

St. Petersburg combo guard Michael Knight transferred to the Titans' program from University of Maryland-Baltimore County. He will be headed back east next season.

 

"He decided Albany was his school of choice," said coach Earnest Crumbley. "He was up there on a visit in September."

Knight held offers from Samford, Bethune Cookman, Santa Clara, Florida Atlantic, Florida A&M and Florida International. South Florida and Auburn also made a push late, but Knight spurned those schools for Albany. Albany will be getting one of the better shooters in the Sunshine State.

"He really strokes the basketball," said Crumbley. "He has unlimited range. 29 feet is a layup to him."

Knight is a true combo guard, but will play mostly at the two for St. Pete.

"We run up and down the floor," Crumbley said. "When he can make open jump shots, our post guys become very available."

Knight played three years at Seattle Prep, WA. He was All Metro as a junior and senior. He was a McDonalds All American nominee. He was the leading scorer as a senior(16.3 ppg) for an AAU team that had Martell Webster(NBA), Spencer Hawes(Washington), and Chad Troyer(Miami of Ohio) on the roster.

Knight will have three years to play two at Albany.

[Dane Pound]

Reid Anderson(#11)

6'5 Guard/Forward

St. Edward Lakewood, Ohio

 

COMMITMENT UPDATE: Ohio Sleeper Off The Board

 

 

A Great Day For The Great Danes!

 

Reid Andersen, a 6’5 sr. wing, from Lakewood (OH) St. Edward committed to Albany University this past weekend.

 

Andersen, who is PrepSpotlight.com’s No. 4 wing forward and No. 28 overall prospect in the Class of 2006, chose the Great Danes over Vermont, Wright State and Morehead State.

 

“Reid is probably the biggest sleeper in the 2006 class,” said Prep Spotlight Vice President, John Stovall. “He has been growing -- he was 6'2 as a sophomore -- and improving by leaps and bounds over the past two years.”

 

Carrying the label of “biggest sleeper” in the state seems like it’s a cliché, but there’s a definite reason that Andersen deserves it.

 

“He did not play with one of the shoe company sponsored AAU teams this past summer,” Stovall explained. “Therefore he was a little under the radar. He is a skilled wing that can score off the bounce getting to the rim or light you up from deep.”

 

Look for Andersen to be one of the leaders for a strong St. Edward team this winter along with super soph, 6-foot-7 Delvon Roe, who is on the short list of most every high-major in the Midwest.

 

Reid is a steal for Albany and Coach Will Brown. Congratulations to Coach Brown and the staff.

 

 

Anderson will attend Albany

 

 

St. Edward All-Northeast Lakes District senior guard Reid Anderson has accepted a basketball scholarship from the University of Albany, an NCAA Division I school in Albany, N.Y. Anderson will sign a national letter of intent with the Great Danes next month during the NCAA's early signing period.

 

A National Merit student, Anderson plans to major in pre-med and/or business.

 

Regarded as one of the premier two guards in Northeast Ohio, the 6-5 Anderson averaged nearly 16 points a game last season and grabbed six rebounds a game. Before deciding on Albany, he considered scholarship offers from Vermont and Morehead State in Kentucky.

Edited January 3, 2006 by Dane Pound

[Dane Pound]

 

Carl Ross

6'4 Guard

Fresno, California

 

Carl Ross, a 6-foot-4, 210-pound guard from Fresno, Calif., has signed a national letter of intent to attend the University at Albany and play basketball for the Great Danes, as head coach Will Brown announced on Thursday, April 27. Ross, who originally attended Fresno State University, played at San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton, Calif. during the 2005-06 season.

 

Ross averaged 13.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.4 steals in leading San Joaquin Delta to the 2006 Big 7 Conference Championship and the state’s Elite Eight with a 29-7 record. He earned first-team all-conference recognition. At Fresno State, Ross averaged 2.3 points and 1.4 rebounds in 25 games played during the 2004-05 campaign.

 

“We are very excited to add a player of Carl’s caliber to our basketball program,” said Brown, who guided UAlbany to its first-ever America East Conference Championship and NCAA berth with a 21-11 record last season. “He is an explosive athlete and a lockdown defender. Our squad had added size, strength and athleticism on the perimeter with his commitment.”

 

As a scholastic athlete at Washington Union High, Ross was named the North Sequoia League defensive player of the year as a senior when he accounted for 19.1 points and 6.5 assists per game. He received first-team all-league honors three times.

 

(Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News delivered by Newstex) --

 

 

STOCKTON - An unfortunate situation at Fresno State last season helped the Delta College men's basketball team this season.

 

Sophomore guard Carl Ross transferred to Delta after Fresno State coach Ray Lopes resigned amid an NCAA investigation involving illegal phone calls to recruits. Ross has been a human highlight reel for the Mustangs, with his aerial displays and flashy thievery.

 

The 6-foot-4, 210-pounder will lead the Big 7 Conference champion Mustangs (26-6) into the second round of the Northern California Regional playoffs against 16th-seeded Chabot College (19-12) at 7:30 p.m. today at Blanchard Gym. Delta received a first-round bye.

 

"Once everybody accepted their role, it's been clicking ever since," Ross said. "Anybody can go off on this team and that's why I really like about this team."

 

Ross was a walk-on at Fresno State out of Washington Union High in Fresno and earned a scholarship from Lopes midway through his freshman season. Ross averaged 9.7 minutes, 2.3 points, 1.1 rebounds and one assist in 25 games with the Bulldogs.

 

Ross announced in June he wasn't going to return to Fresno State after Lopes' replacement, Steve Cleveland, did not renew his scholarship. Ross was the odd man out when Cleveland awarded two scholarships to incoming transfers, and the university lost two scholarships because of NCAA sanctions from past seasons. Ross trusted his former coach when it came time to pick a new school.

 

"I left it in coach Lopes' hands for my future, what he thought was best," Ross said. "He said I should come here. Within a week, I visited and I was moving in a week later."

 

Delta coach Brian Katz had just returned from a family vacation one week prior to the start of school, when Ross called and asked for a chance to play.

 

"You could tell right off the bat he's a smart kid," Katz said. "I could sense he understood basketball when I talked to him. The first time I saw him play, I could see he had a feel for the game."

 

The Mustangs received a bonus when Ross brought along his friend, Pat Cooper, a transfer from Humboldt State. Cooper, who went to Central High in Fresno, has added depth and talent at the guard position.

 

Ross is an energetic, athletic guard with good instincts. He anticipates passes and makes steals, he shoots and rebounds, and he can get above the rim. But his strength is driving to the basket, where he can create his own shot or pass to an open player.

 

"He's a tremendous driver and he's explosive," Katz said.

 

Ross, who averages 10.2 points and 3.2 rebounds per game, often is the go-to guy.

"If we can't run our stuff, we want to somehow run a set where he gets a chance to drive," Katz said. "He's really good at that. He's a playmaker."

 

Ross said coming to Delta was the right choice.

 

"I feel this is really the only junior college that fit my style of play," said Ross, who considered going to Fresno City College. "Coach Katz gives you leeway to play to your strengths. He feels it's hard for guys to stay in front of me, so I play the way he wants me to play."

 

Contact reporter Bob Highfill at (209) 546-8299 or bhighfill@recordnet.com

Edited May 15, 2006 by Dane Pound