UNCW basketball recruits are among best in CAA
Brant Wilkerson-New
Issue date: 4/21/05 Section: Seahawk Sports
College basketball's signing period concluded on April 13, and again UNCW head coach Brad Brownell and his staff assembled one of the CAA's top recruiting classes. Guards John David Gardner and Nate Miller, and forward Todd Hendley will make their Seahawk debut next November.
Gardner, a 6'4", 180-pound point guard comes to Wilmington from Homewood, AL. As a senior, he earned a spot on the Alabama All-Star team in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star game. In that game, he scored 13 points and dished out six assists.
"He's got good versatility at the guard position," Dave Telep of Scouthoops.com said.
"There's not a better high school prospect in the CAA this year."
He chose UNCW over offers from Butler, Mississippi, Western Kentucky, UAB and Birmingham Southern. Gardner also made two trips to the Nike All-American camp to play with some of the nation's most outstanding players.
Shooting guard Nate Miller joined Gardner in the 2005 class by committing in October. From Springfield, Ohio, the 6'4", 215-pound guard averaged 19.2 points per game as a senior, and was named to the Southwest District Division-I first team. Miller gave up football to focus on basketball.
"He was coveted by the entire MAC, and that speaks to his ability," Telep said.
The MAC (Mid-American Conference) is known as one of the premier mid-major conferences in the nation. UNCW came out with a big recruiting victory by taking Miller from the heart of MAC country.
Forward Todd Hendley came to UNCW this fall from Wake Forest, but couldn't play because of NCAA transfer rules.
"He has legitimate size, an athletic body, rebounding ability, and a mid-range game," Telep said of Hendley.
Seahawk fans shouldn't expect Hendley to have his way with the competition just because he came from the ACC.
"The CAA is a pretty tough league with big guys like Jai Lewis, Harding Nana, and the whole gang at Old Dominion," he said. "I think Todd is going to be an outstanding player," Telep said.
Despite signing a high-quality big man in Hendley, guards were the focus of this class for UNCW.
"Next year is a big transition at the position, they may even add another point guard. That's how much the loss of John Goldsberry is," Telep said.
The one guard he mentioned as a possible late signing is Jordan Mincy, a point guard out of Ridgeway High School in Memphis. According to Scouthoops.com, Mincy is a pass first player, with great leadership.
"Brownell does an unbelievable job closing guys out, everywhere," Telep continued.
In the past three years, UNCW has signed players from Ohio, Alabama, Canada, Virginia, Iowa and Kansas. Many mid-major programs wait for high-major prospects to fall through, but not UNCW.
"They [UNCW's signees] were all recruited by the highest level mid-major schools, and they were all high profile recruits," Telep said. "This class is right near the top of the league," he said.
Gardner, a 6'4", 180-pound point guard comes to Wilmington from Homewood, AL. As a senior, he earned a spot on the Alabama All-Star team in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star game. In that game, he scored 13 points and dished out six assists.
"He's got good versatility at the guard position," Dave Telep of Scouthoops.com said.
"There's not a better high school prospect in the CAA this year."
He chose UNCW over offers from Butler, Mississippi, Western Kentucky, UAB and Birmingham Southern. Gardner also made two trips to the Nike All-American camp to play with some of the nation's most outstanding players.
 Media Credit: The Garder Family UNCW basketball recruit John David Gardner jumps for a loose ball. Gardner and fellow recruits Nate Miller and Todd Hendley make up one of the CAA´s top recruiting classes this season. |
Shooting guard Nate Miller joined Gardner in the 2005 class by committing in October. From Springfield, Ohio, the 6'4", 215-pound guard averaged 19.2 points per game as a senior, and was named to the Southwest District Division-I first team. Miller gave up football to focus on basketball.
"He was coveted by the entire MAC, and that speaks to his ability," Telep said.
The MAC (Mid-American Conference) is known as one of the premier mid-major conferences in the nation. UNCW came out with a big recruiting victory by taking Miller from the heart of MAC country.
Forward Todd Hendley came to UNCW this fall from Wake Forest, but couldn't play because of NCAA transfer rules.
"He has legitimate size, an athletic body, rebounding ability, and a mid-range game," Telep said of Hendley.
Seahawk fans shouldn't expect Hendley to have his way with the competition just because he came from the ACC.
"The CAA is a pretty tough league with big guys like Jai Lewis, Harding Nana, and the whole gang at Old Dominion," he said. "I think Todd is going to be an outstanding player," Telep said.
Despite signing a high-quality big man in Hendley, guards were the focus of this class for UNCW.
"Next year is a big transition at the position, they may even add another point guard. That's how much the loss of John Goldsberry is," Telep said.
The one guard he mentioned as a possible late signing is Jordan Mincy, a point guard out of Ridgeway High School in Memphis. According to Scouthoops.com, Mincy is a pass first player, with great leadership.
"Brownell does an unbelievable job closing guys out, everywhere," Telep continued.
In the past three years, UNCW has signed players from Ohio, Alabama, Canada, Virginia, Iowa and Kansas. Many mid-major programs wait for high-major prospects to fall through, but not UNCW.
"They [UNCW's signees] were all recruited by the highest level mid-major schools, and they were all high profile recruits," Telep said. "This class is right near the top of the league," he said.