April 26, 2006                    

Three Tiger basketball players to play for Division I schools

Coming off two successful seasons playing basketball at Cowley College, Marcus Watts, Julio Anthony, and Lionel Saban will each get the opportunity to continue their playing careers at NCAA Division I schools.

Watts recently signed a letter of intent with the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, while Saban signed with Mercer University. Anthony signed to play for Eastern Illinois University.

“I am extremely pleased to see them get this opportunity to play at the (NCAA) Division I level,” Cowley head coach Brian Jackson said. “They have worked hard and put a lot of energy into achieving this level. It is very gratifying as a coach to see your guys get rewarded in this fashion.”

After averaging 11.2 points and 4.7 rebounds as a freshman, Watts led Cowley in scoring (13.9), and rebounding (6.8) as a sophomore. He had planned to visit Utah State, Baylor University, and the University of Pacific, but cancelled those trips after visiting the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga assistant basketball coach David Conrady coached Watts at one of the basketball camps he attended as a youngster.

“I went on a visit and fell in love with the campus and the city,” Watts said. “The students and the people in town seem really nice.”

Watts was a second-team All-Jayhawk East and honorable mention Region VI performer as a sophomore. He is slated to start at the three-guard, and could see time backing up the point guard position for the Moccasins, who finished 19-13 this past season. UTC is just two seasons removed from qualifying for the NCAA Tournament, and has reached the championship game of the Southern Conference each of the past four seasons.

“Marcus Watts is an extremely versatile player and can play any number of positions for us,” Tennessee-Chattanooga head coach John Shulman said. “We have had our eye on him since his AAU days. He is a tremendous athlete with outstanding offensive skills. We are excited about his possibilities with our program.”

Anthony averaged 10.1 points as a freshman and 12.9 points as a sophomore. He is a deadly shooter as he knocked down 96 career three-pointers, and made 82 percent (138-168) of his free-throw attempts.

Anthony was a two time Honorable Mention All-Jayhawk East Conference selection at Cowley, and was chosen to the Region VI All-Tournament Team.

“Julio’s skill level and understanding of the game of basketball will help the players around him,” Eastern Illinois head coach Mike Miller. “He makes winning plays on both ends of the floor. He’s a great addition to our program and has the qualities to make our team better.”

Saban is a powerful post player that averaged 4.4 points and 3.0 rebounds as a sophomore. The 6-7 forward from Paris, France, was second on the team in blocked shots.  He will look to help Mercer University make strides in the Atlantic Sun Conference.

Jackson will miss having the opportunity to work with all three players.