Nov. 12, 2009

Cullowhee, N.C. - Just days before his squad opens the 2009-10 season at home against St. Catharine College, Western Carolina head men's basketball coach Larry Hunter today announced the signing of four student-athletes for next season. Hunter has inked Brandon Boggs (Greenville, S.C./J.L. Mann HS), Ishmael Hollis (Flowery Branch, Ga. / Flowering Branch HS), Tawaski King (Dublin, Ga./Dublin HS) and Preston Ross (Fayetteville, N.C./Seventy-First HS) to National Letters of Intent to play basketball for the Catamounts.

"Since we are graduating five seniors that have had outstanding careers, this recruiting class is very crucial as we strive to maintain and improve the level of our program," said Hunter, who is entering his fifth season on the bench for Western Carolina. "I am unbelievably excited about the overall character, talent, work ethic, passion and potential of this group of young men. We are graduating most of our size and some key perimeter players in the next two years and this recruiting class provides us with good size, positional diversity, skill and athleticism."

He added, "We are counting on this class to lead our program to some special accomplishments in the next few years."

Boggs, a 6-4, 180-lbs., guard from Greenville, S.C., helped guide J.L. Mann HS and head coach Jeff Craft to a 44-11 record, regional championship and an appearance in the Upper State Finals in South Carolina a season ago. Boggs averaged 16 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals per game as a junior, garnering all-conference plaudits. He was additionally named All-3-A Region 2 for his on-court performance.

Hunter compared Boggs' talent - though somewhat different - but similar to that of current Catamounts, Brandon Giles and Harouna Mutombo. Boggs played with the Carolina Cougars AAU program last summer.

"One of the most noticeable features people will notice about Brandon is that he consistently has his motor running at a high level. He plays hard and loves to compete," Hunter said. "He is a very athletic and talented perimeter player who has good feel for the game. He knows how to score from all over the court and is a good rebounder for a guard, as well as a tenacious defender. He knows how to make his teammates better."

Hollis, a 6-8, 190-lbs., forward from Flowery Branch, Ga., has been a four-year varsity starter for head coach Duke Mullis at Flowery Branch HS helping guide the squad to state regional finals a season ago. The school's all-time leader in blocked shots, Hollis averaged 17 points, seven rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game last year earning first team All-Region 7 plaudits. He was named first team All-Area by the Gainesville Times and All-State by GASports.com, and was additionally an honorable mention Georgia All-State at the 3-A level.

Hollis played AAU basketball this past summer with the World Wide Renegades.

"Ishmael is long and athletic and is constantly working at improving his game and body. He is much stronger than he appears," said Hunter. "He has a lot of basketball savvy and has an uncanny knack of filling up a stat sheet. His skill set will make him a match up problem for a lot of our opponents."

King, a 6-8, 245-lbs., post from Dublin, Ga., averaged 12 points, eight rebounds and two blocks per game a season ago for Dublin HS and head coach Marvin Latham, helping guide the squad to a 31-1 overall record and AA State Championship last season. King was a second team All-Region and All-Middle Georgia selection, while additionally garnering second team All-3-A Regional Tournament accolades.

King played AAU basketball this past summer with the Georgia Stars.

"Tawaski is a very talented big man. His length, width and strength allow him to command attention on the court, especially around the basket," Hunter commented. "He has good hands and likes to compete and bang. A good technician with his pinning and low post moves, he has a variety of ways to score. He can run and finish, and should provide us with a good low post presence for several years."

Ross is a 6-4, 210-lbs., wing from Fayetteville, N.C., where he starts for head coach David Simmons at Seventy-First HS. An All-Midsoutheastern Conference selection, Ross averaged 14 points, five rebounds and three assists per game as a junior, connecting on 55-percent of his field goal attempts in leading Seventy-First to a 26-3 overall record and an appearance in the sectional finals. He was tabbed second team both in the All-Cape Fear Region and North Carolina Basketball Coaches Association (NCBCA) All-District-4.

Ross played this past summer with the CP-3 AAU program. "Preston has a great physical presence for a high school student-athlete at the perimeter positions. He is naturally very strong, explosive, and athletic. He has good mid-range scoring ability and has played in the post a great deal for his high school team which, with his skill set, gives him good versatility to play a lot positions on the court," said Hunter.

Western Carolina, which was picked first in the Southern Conference's North Division by both the league's head coaches and voting media, opens its 2009-10 season this Saturday, Nov. 14 as it hosts NAIA-member, St. Catharine (Ky.) College, in the Ramsey Center. Current WCU assistant coach, Wade O'Connor, spent four seasons as the head coach for the Patriots with former forward Arnold Gore playing at SCC before transferring to WCU for his final two seasons.

Tip-off for the 2009-10 season opener is set for 7:00 pm.

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