Saluqis Announce Impressive Basketball Signees

Southwest men’s basketball coach Verties Sails Jr. has announced the signing of ten student-athletes to national letters of intent to play for the Saluqis during the 2008-09 season. The impressive group of newcomers includes six incoming freshman and four sophomore transfers.

• Kendrick Brown, a 6’0” guard from Soldan High School in St. Louis, Missouri, averaged 22.4 points, 3.0 assists, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.6 assists as a senior. Brown was named all-metro and all-state and was selected to play in the Missouri vs. Illinois “Riverwar All-Star Game”.
• Darren Currie, a 6’8” forward from Middle College High School, played his freshman season at Freed Hardeman University in Henderson, Tennessee. As a senior at Middle College High, Currie was first team All-District 16A and played in the 2006 Memphis All-Star Classic at FedExForum. He played in ten games at Freed Hardeman, averaging 8.6 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.
• Thaddius Glynn, a 6’3” guard from Dyersburg High School, averaged 15.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game his senior year. An All-District 13 selection, Glynn helped lead Dyersburg High to an 18-14 record and the semifinals of the Region 7 tournament.
• Victor McLin, a 6’5” forward, was a high school teammate of Glynn at Dyersburg High School. As a senior, McLin averaged 18.0 points, 13.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game, was named to the All-District 13 team, and played for the North Team in the Golden Circle All-Star Classic in Jackson, Tennessee. McLin was also a member of Dyersburg’s 4x100 and 4x200 relay teams that finished second in the Class AA sectional and sixth in the state.
• Reginald Owens, a 6’7”, 235 pound forward, played his high school basketball at Fairley High School in Memphis and his freshman season at Jackson State Community College in Jackson, Tennessee. Owens led Jackson State to a 24-8 record and the semifinals of the Region VII tournament in 2005-06. He also ranked among conference leaders with 16.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, and a .571 field goal percentage, and was voted third team All-TJCCAA.
• Derrick Richard, a 5’10” guard from Manassas High School, helped lead the Tigers to the District 16A and Region 8A championships and the Class A state tournament runner-up. As a senior, Richard averaged 12.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game and was named All-District 16A, All-Metro, and Class A All-State.
• Myron Strong, a 6’2” guard, transfers to Southwest after playing his freshman season at the University of San Francisco. Strong averaged 10.0 points, 3.1 assists, and 2.5 rebounds for USF and scored a season-high 21 points against Sacramento State. Strong played his high school basketball at Hamilton High School, where he helped lead the Wildcats to a 39-0 record, the Class AAA state championship, and a number seven national ranking by USA Today his junior season. Strong averaged 20.0 points, 8.0 assists, and 5.0 rebounds as a senior and 12 points, 9.2 assists, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.3 steals as a junior.
• Cortez Wilder, a 6’8” center from Ripley High School, averaged 17.0 points and 13.0 rebounds per game as a senior. Wilder was named All-District 14AA and was selected to the all-tournament team at the Lions Club Invitational.
• Jeremy Williams, a 6’8”, 230-pound forward, transfers to Southwest after playing his freshman season at the University of Colorado, where he averaged 7.7 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. Williams played his high school basketball at Hamilton High School in Memphis, where he averaged 17.0 points, 13.0 rebounds, and 3.4 blocks per game his senior season. Williams was named All-District 16AAA, All-Region 8AAA, Class AAA All-State, Class AAA Mr. Basketball finalist, and finalist for The Commercial Appeal’s Best of the Preps Player of the Year. As a senior, Williams led Hamilton to a 39-0 record, the Class AAA state championship, and a number seven national ranking by USA Today.
• Phil Worsham is a 6’5” guard from Glen Mills High School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he averaged 14.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game as a senior. Worsham led Glen Mills to a 16-10 record and was voted second team All-Del Val League.