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Men's Basketball Adds Three New Recruits
The men's basketball team has added a trio
of recruits to bolster its 2006-07 roster.
New Jersey high school standout Keon Lawrence (Newark, N.J / Weequahic HS) brings athleticism and explosive scoring to the team. A 6-2, 180-pound combo-guard, Lawrence has seen his stock shoot up the national charts following a breakthrough junior season at Weequahic HS in Newark, N.J. The smooth-shooting perimeter player averaged better than 23 points during his sophomore and junior campaigns and led the Indians to a 20-4 overall mark in 2004-05, which culminated with an Iron Hills (Hills Division) Conference title (17-1 conference record) and a berth into the New Jersey State High School Playoffs.
"Keon is an explosive scorer whose best attribute is his ability to attack the defense with the dribble and create opportunities for himself and teammates," Head Coach Quin Snyder said. "He is a very good athlete who plays both ends of the court well. Keon is a very competitive individual who can contend for playing time his freshman year."
Ty Morrison from Redlands Community College in El Reno, Okla. will join the team as one of the nation’s top junior college players. A 6-7, 220-pound forward from Phoenix, Ariz., Morrison was ranked No. 1 among two-year players by Van Coleman's Hoopmasters.com and No. 3 nationally by Rivals.com, Morrison gives the Tigers a skilled front-court player that can not only break down opponents with his offensive versatility, but his rebounding and passing skills as well. As a freshman, Morrison helped his team to a 27-4 overall mark and a berth to the National Junior College Athletic Association Tournament in Hutchinson, Kan. The first-year performer averaged 10.1 points and 5.6 rebounds for Redland's sophomore-dominated group and finished the year as the club's most efficient scorer, shooting 58.7 percent (101-of-172) from the floor, 50.0 percent (8-of-16) from three-point range and 70.0 percent (56-of-80) from the free throw line. His 5.6 boards per game were tops on the club, while his 3.2 assists per game ranked third.
"We are excited to have Ty join our program," Snyder said. "He is really a complete player. He's is prepared to be an impact player in our league as he has received terrific coaching from Steve Eck at Redlands Community College. Ty brings a great deal of competitiveness to the floor and that is contagious to his teammates around him. He's skilled for his size (6-7, 220) and is a very good passer. He also brings the defensive mentality that we want at Mizzou.”
One of Morrison’s teammates at Redlands Community College, Vaidatos Volkus will also join the squad. A starter for the Lithuanian Under-20 Team, Volkus made an early splash for head coach Steve Eck last season, when he averaged 9.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and shot an impressive 48 percent from three-point range. A key performer for Redlands' 27-4 club, Volkus has continued to develop in his second season in the United States and is averaging 11.2 points on better-than 44-percent shooting from beyond the arc for the 5-0 Cougars.
"We are excited to add Vaidatos to our program," Snyder said. "He brings a great deal of versatility to our frontcourt and is a well-coached young man because of the outstanding mentoring he received from Steve Eck at Redlands. He can shoot the ball from the wing, but getting physical in the paint is a big part of the way he plays the game. He adds a degree of toughness to our post and like Ty Morrison, he is an intense competitor who makes the types of plays that helps teams to win games."
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Last Update:
March 12, 2007
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