Tiger men’s basketball signs eight in-state recruits

Looking to capitalize off its school-record 31 win season, the Cowley College men’s basketball team announced it has signed eight talented in-state recruits.

Each one of the players, which consists of four guards and four swingmen, landed on at least one of Kansas’ All-State basketball teams.

“I did not sign anybody in-state just to fill the roster, they all can play,” Cowley head coach Steve Eck said. “I decided to get my guards and swingmen in-state, and go out of state to get my big guys.”

Eck left open the possibility of signing an out of state guard if he was a big time player.

Six of the eight in-state recruits are from the Wichita area, while the other two players are from Arkansas City and Leavenworth. Adonis Gantt (5-11 point guard), who originally signed with Georgia Southern, averaged 14.7 points as a senior at Wichita Southeast. His high school teammate, Cortez Barnes Jr. (6-5 swingman), averaged 12 points per game, and will join him at Cowley.

Fellow Wichita East High School teammates Garrius Holloman (6-5 swingman) and Jawanza Poland (6-3 swingman) signed with the Tigers. Holloman averaged 16.5 points as a senior, while Poland averaged 15 points per game.

Other Wichita area players to sign with Cowley were Lance Russell (6-3 shooting guard) of Wichita South, and Kenton Marshall (6-7 swingman) from Wichita Heights. Russell averaged 20 points per game, and Marshall poured in 15.8 points per contest.

Jordan Fields from Arkansas City is a 6-foot-2 guard that averaged 13 points as a senior. Leavenworth’s Caprist Rhone (6-1 combo guard), who averaged 17 points per game, rounds out the eight in-state players signed by the Tigers.

“I feel they are good people that come from good families,” Eck said. “All eight of them are good players.”

Eck and his assistant coaches, Yaphett King and Lance Madison, plan on signing three or four out of state players and one more in-stater before wrapping up the 2008-09 recruiting class.