High Point University head men's basketball coach Bart Lundy and his coaching staff announced the signings of a quartet of players to national letters-of-intent to play for the Panthers next fall.
The group, who become the first members of HPU's 2008 recruiting class after inking with the Panthers during the NCAA's Early Signing period, includes Steadman Short, Jacob Iati, Chad July and David Singleton.
"We are thrilled and excited to be signing such a talented group of athletes," Lundy said. "It says a lot about our program and the University to have this caliber of player make the decision to sign with us in the fall. All four of these young men are outstanding both on and off the court and we are fortunate to have them joining our program."
Short, a 6'9 small forward from Hillcrest High School in Simpsonville, S.C., was the Region Player of the Year in South Carolina last season. He averaged 16.5 points, 9 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game as a junior. Short was one of the top recruits in the entire Southeast, picking the Panthers after considering over 20 scholarship offers.
"Steadman is a signature recruit for our program," said Lundy. "He has the entire package from a basketball, academic, and personality standpoint. We expect him to have a wonderful career here at HPU both on and off the court."
A 5'11 point guard from York Catholic High School in York, Pa., Iati enters his senior season as a three-time All-State selection. He was named a Pre-Season High School All-American by the Sporting News earlier this year. Iati needs 449 points to break his prep school's all-time scoring record. Last season, he averaged 22 points per game while shooting 46 percent from the 3-point line and connecting on 91 percent of his free throw attempts.
"Jacob is one of the toughest kids I have seen in a long time," added Lundy. "He has tremendous skills with his ball handling, passing, and shooting, and you never see him play a game where he is not on the floor fighting and scratching to win. His intensity and toughness will make him an immediate fan favorite and we have very high expectations of him right out of the gate."
July, a 6'9 center from Gainesville (Fla.) High School, averaged eight points and six rebounds per game as a junior while leading GHS to a 22-win season. He is ranked as the best incoming post player in the Big South Conference by Rivals.com after bursting onto the recruiting scene this summer following a stellar performance with the Jacksonville Lee Bulls.
"Chad is a huge kid who has very good hands and moves well for his size," Lundy stated. "He has demonstrated a great desire to get better after dropping over 20 pounds between his junior and senior seasons. He also grew nearly two inches this summer and developed a lot more confidence in himself. Chad will help us fill the void on the interior as a freshman."
A 6'3 point guard from the prestigious Hill School in Pottstown, Pa., Singleton enters his senior season as Hill's all-time leader in rebounds and steals and needs just 37 assists to become the all-time leader in that category. He also ranks 8th on the schools all-time scoring list and is 4th in block shots. Singleton is a four-year varsity player at Hill having served as team captain for three seasons. He earned the MVP honors at the Mercer Tournament in 2006 while leading Hill to the Championship. Singleton was second on the team scoring 11 points per game as a junior while leading the team in rebounding (6.3 rpg), assists (4.2 apg) and steals (2.4 spg). His prep program produced three other players who signed Division I scholarships this year.
"David has great size at the point guard position and is a tremendous defender," said Lundy. "He can defend all three perimeter positions, and has a tremendous skill set and presence about him. We look forward to David being an integral part of our team right away."
The 2007-08 version of the High Point Panthers currently has a week off from competition before beginning a three-game road swing next Tuesday (Nov. 27) with a visit to future Big South opponent Gardner-Webb.
2008 HPU Signing Class:
Jacob Iati (G, FR, 5-11, 160, York, Pa./York Catholic HS)
Chad July (C, FR, 6-9, 250, Gainesville, Fla./Gainesville HS)
Steadman Short (F, FR, 6-9, 205, Simpsonville, S.C./Hillcrest HS)
David Singleton (G, FR, 6-3, 190, Pottstown, Pa./Hill School)
