By: KSU Sports Information
KENNESAW, Ga. – Kennesaw State Owls head men’s basketball coach Lewis Preston announced the first recruiting class of his coaching tenure on Thursday, Yonel Brown, Myles Hamilton, Jordan Montgomery and Brandon Williams all signed National Letters of Intent to attend Kennesaw State beginning in the fall of 2012.
“We’re very excited about our first class here at Kennesaw State. The four young men that we will be bringing here in the fall all come from successful high school programs and are of a high character,” Preston commented. “They are used to winning, and are extremely competitive both on and off the floor. This is a group of young men that will be a very strong foundation for the future of our program.”
Preston and his staff weren’t afraid to leave Georgia to find new talent, with the four new Owls hailing from three different states. While Brown plays his prep basketball at Berkmar High School in nearby Lilburn, Ga., Williams and Montgomery are both out of the state of Florida, while Hamilton is enrolled at St. Edward High School in Cleveland, Ohio, where he was a teammate of current Owl freshman Delbert Love.
The common denominator among the Owls signees is their team’s history of success. Williams, a power forward who stands at 6-foot-7 and is the No.18-ranked prospect in the state of Florida according to ESPN, helped Summit Christian High School in West Palm Beach, Fla., to the Florida State 1A title last season. For his part, Montgomery, a 6-foot-4 swingman, helped Orlando Christian Prep to back-to-back Florida Class 1A titles in 2009 and 2010. His efforts led OCP to the state semifinals in 2011 and earned a spot on the Florida Class 1A All-State team.
Brown, who was named an Atlanta Tip-Off Club All-Metro Honorable Mention this past year, helped to lead Berkmar HS to a spot in the Georgia Class 5A Championship tournament last season. Hamilton teamed up with Love during his junior season to help St. Edward High School to a district championship and spot in the Ohio Division I State Tournament. In addition, he was a member of the All-Ohio Red AAU squad that won the AAU 17-and under national championship this past August. He is the No. 28-ranked prospect in the state of Ohio according to ESPN.
The quartet marks the first full recruiting class for the Black and Gold under Preston, who signed Love upon his arrival last spring.
The Owls tip-off the 2011-12 campaign on Saturday, when they visit the 14th –ranked Wisconsin Badgers at 1:05 p.m. Eastern Time.
Coach Preston on the Class of 2012:
Yonel Brown- 5-foot-9, 155 lbs., Guard- Berkmar High School- Lawrenceville, Ga.
“Yonel Brown is the quintessential point guard, in the fact that he is a pass first, pass second, shoot third point guard. He’s an underrated shooter, and his best basketball is definitely ahead of him. We are looking forward to seeing him have an extremely successful senior season at Berkmar High School."
Myles Hamilton- 6-foot, 195 lbs. Guard- St. Edward High School- Cleveland, Ohio
“Myles is very competitive and is very underrated in his ability to shoot and to slash and drive to the basket. He brings to us an added toughness and competitive spirit and a passion that I feel is needed in creating a championship program. His familiarity of having played with Delbert (Love) at the high school level will also be a big plus for us.”
Jordan Montgomery- 6-foot-4, 180 lbs., Guard/Forward- Orlando Christian Prep- Orlando, Fla.
“Jordan is a young man who I think flew under the radar in how he was recruited, and that will be a very big plus for us. He is a long, athletic player who can play a variety of positions. He’s won a pair of state titles at Orlando Christian Prep, so he’s been around winning and we look forward to him bringing that championship attitude here to Kennesaw State.”
Brandon Williams- 6-foot-7, 195 lbs., Forward- Summit Christian High School- West Palm Beach, Fla.
“Brandon is a high energy, passionate rebounder and defender who is an underrated passer, and he’s someone who shoots well for his size. I look for him to play a variety of positions, and for him to continue to grow and blossom here at KSU. Like Jordan, he comes from a winning program, and is used to his teams achieving a high level of success.”
