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 Western Carolina men's head basketball coach Larry Hunter announced today the signing of Arnold Gore (White Castle, La.), Ricky Jackson (Canton, Ohio) and Brigham Waginger (South Webster, Ohio) to National Letters of Intent. |
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April 12, 2006
Cullowhee, N.C. - Western Carolina men's head basketball coach Larry Hunter announced today the signing of Arnold Gore (White Castle, La.), Ricky Jackson (Canton, Ohio) and Brigham Waginger (South Webster, Ohio) to National Letters of Intent. Gore, who will be a junior at Western next fall, is a 6-5 forward who played at St. Catharine (Ky.) College this past season. Jackson, a 6-6 forward, and Waginger, a 6-2 guard, will both enter as freshmen. That gives the Catamounts a current incoming class of seven, joining fall signees Jake Robinson (Canton, N.C./Pisgah HS), Nick Aldridge (South Webster, Ohio/South Webster HS), Brandon Giles (Auburndale, Fla./Auburndale HS) and Omar Thomas (Detroit, Mich./Detroit Country Day HS).
"Collectively, we are very pleased to add these three talented young men to the class that we signed in the fall," Hunter said. "They will continue to add to the athleticism, skill and versatility pool in our program. Each of these players have been a part of outstanding basketball programs and have experienced success and winning at a very significant level."
Arnold Gore
6-5, 215, F
White Castle, La. (St. Catharine (Ky.) College/White Castle HS)
Will be a junior at Western Carolina ... Spent last season playing for Wade O'Conner at St. Catharine College in Bardstown, Ky., where he led the Patriots to a 24-6 record and a first place finish in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region VII ... Named all-conference as he ranked second in the region in scoring with his 18.8 points per game average and sixth in rebounding with his 6.8 boards per contest ... Shot 51.7 percent from the field (172-33), 36.5 percent from 3-point range (27-of-74) and 73.7 percent from the free throw line (101-of-137) while adding 20 blocked shots ... Played his freshman season at Birmingham-Southern College ... Averaged 5.0 points and 2.9 rebounds, playing 27 games with three starts ... Shot 50.5 percent from the field with 13 blocked shots and 15 steals ... At White Castle High School, averaged 23.6 points, 10 rebounds and four assists per game as a senior ... Helped his squad to a 24-10 overall record in 2003 and a runner-up finish in Louisiana's Class 1A tournament, feat he had accomplished in the 2001 season as well ... In 2002, he led White Castle to the state title ... Was a 2003 first team all-state pick and named MVP of his conference ... Additionally nominated to be a McDonald's All-American ... A standout student, Gore ranked fifth in his senior class academically.
"Arnold adds a level of experience, maturity and strength to our program that we greatly need," Hunter said. "We are very excited to get him in this class. He is a proven winner and can do a little of everything on the court."
Ricky Jackson
6-6, 205, F
Canton, Ohio (McKinley HS)
Averaged 12 points and six rebounds, playing for Dave Hoover as a senior at McKinley HS ... Scored 1,364 points in his prep career ... He and teammate Raymar Morgan, who has signed with Michigan, State, helped lead McKinley to back-to-back Division I State Championships to become the first school since Cincinnati Elder in 1974 to win two straight titles in the big-school division and the last public school to do so since Columbus East in 1969 ... Was tabbed MVP of the state championship semifinals and named to the Division I All-Tournament Team ... Named Special Mention for the All-Ohio Division I team ... As a junior, was selected to the 2005 Associated Press Division I All-Ohio third team ... Played his first two years at St. Thomas Aquinas ... Selected 2004 AP Division III first team All-Ohio as a sophomore, as well as district Player of the Year thanks to his 20.1 points per game average ... As a freshman, named Special Mention for the All-Ohio Division III team.
"Ricky is a good athlete who can play inside or out on the perimeter," Hunter said. "His length and timing ability allow him to block shots and garner rebounds. Ricky is coming from a terrific high school program where helped impacted the outcome of games at both ends of the court. Also, he has played with and against some outstanding athletes and players which will help him make the transition to college basketball."
Brigham Waginger
6-2, 175, G
South Webster, Ohio (South Webster HS)
Played for Marc Kreischer at South Webster and was a teammate of Nick Aldridge, who signed with the Catamounts this past fall ... Named Southeast District Division IV co-Player of the Year and Southern Ohio Conference Player of the Year ... Tabbed first team All-Ohio Division IV ... Scored 20 points and hit 9-of-11 shots from the field against Columbus Grove as South Webster won the Division IV state championship and capped a 26-2 record for the season ... Also named to the All-Tournament team at the state championships ... Averaged 18.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 5.3 steals during his senior season ... His 163 assists and 149 steals as a senior are both school records ... As a junior, played at Ironton HS ... Led the Tigers to the Division III state final as a junior, making him one of just three players to play in the state final for two different teams ... AP Ohio Division III Special Mention All-State in 2005 and Honorable Mention in 2004 ... Additionally tabbed AP Division III all-district first team as a junior.
"Brigham has good size and length for a lead guard," Hunter said. "The thing that consistently impresses me about Brigham is the energy he brings to the court when he plays. He is a tenacious defensive player who gets a lot of deflections and steals. He has good court savvy and makes others better with his penetration and passing skills. However, he also has the ability to score and rebound. Overall, he has a lot of winning qualities."
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