Men's Basketball: Beilein Signs Four
November 14, 2002 03:15 PM | General
November 14, 2002
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University men’s basketball coach John Beilein has announced that four student-athletes signed national letters-of-intent to play basketball for the Mountaineers next fall.
 Brad Byerson |
 Tyler Relph |
|
 Franklin Young |
 Jerrah Young |
They are Tyler Relph, a 6-foot, 165-pound guard from Victor, N.Y.; Brad "B.J" Byerson, a 6-foot-7, 220-pound forward from Colonial Heights, Va.; Franklin "Frank" Young, a 6-foot-5, 200-pound swingman from Tallahassee, Fla.; and Jerrah Young, a 6-foot-7, 205-pound forward from Chicago, Ill.
"I couldn’t be happier with this recruiting class," says Beilein. "When you throw in D’or Fischer (sitting out the 2002-03 season after transferring from Northwestern State) with this class, it makes for five great additions to our team next season. We are thrilled to get such talented players who have really solid attitudes as well."
Relph averaged 20 points and 4.9 assists last year as a junior at McQuaid Jesuit High. He was named the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle’s All-Greater Rochester player of the year after leading his team to a Top 25 ranking by USA Today and a Class A state final appearance.
Relph shot 46.5 percent from three-point range and 49.5 percent overall from the field. A two-time All-Greater Rochester selection and a three-time City-Catholic All-Star, Relph has scored 1,248 points so far during his high school career. He also played AAU basketball for the Rochester Area Players (RAP) and the Donyell Marshall Foundation.
"The first thing you can always count on with Tyler is his incredible shooting ability, but it’s his work habits and passion to make the most of his ability that is equally attractive to us," says Beilein. "If you add that with his ball-handling and passing ability, he makes a terrific guard."
Byerson averaged 17.3 points and 11 rebounds as a junior at Thomas Dale High. He helped lead the Knights to the Central Region championship in 2001 and a region runner-up finish last year. Byerson has been first-team all-Central District, all-Central Region and all-Metro the past two seasons.
Byerson was a Class AAA second-team all-state selection as a junior. One scouting service rated Byerson as the fourth-best player in the Commonwealth of Virginia for the upcoming season.
"Brad is the type of forward we always love to recruit," says Beilein. "He is an excellent passer with a great sense for the game. Now you add in a BIG EAST body and a jump shot up to three-point range, we’ll be able to match up with a lot of teams. I have been blessed with great forwards over the years, and B.J. fits the same mold."
Frank Young averaged 19 points and 10 rebounds a game last year as a junior at Florida A&M High. He also played AAU basketball for the Tallahassee Wildcats.
"Frank is another player with outstanding shooting ability," says Beilein. "Some people say he is the best shooter in Florida. He’s a deep threat with tremendous work habits. He’s a rangy rebounder because of his long arms. Frank’s another player blessed with solid court sense. We also love his versatility as a forward or a guard."
Jerrah Young averaged 16 points and 10 rebounds a game as a junior at St. Rita High. Young also played AAU basketball for the Illinois Fire and Ferrari Basketball.
"Jerrah is the youngest in the class at 17-years-old, but he is one of the better athletes in the Chicago area," says Beilein. "He also has incredible work habits, is very unselfish and plays a good deal of his game above the rim. This young man’s upside is tremendous, and I know people will love to see all his talents as they develop. Jerrah, just like the other three, is another excellent student who will be a great fit for WVU."
All four student-athletes have satisfied test score requirements for freshman eligibility.
