Men's Basketball: Beilein Signs Two
November 14, 2003 10:01 AM | General
November 14, 2003
 |
||
| Beilein |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University basketball coach John Beilein has announced the signing of Darris Nichols and Luke Bonner to national letters of intent for the 2004-05 academic year.
Nichols, a 6-2 guard from Radford, Va., averaged 21.7 points and 5.1 assists per game as a junior at Radford High School. He shot 52 percent from the field and 83.1 percent from the free throw line. Nichols made The Associated Press All-Group A first team and was a selection to Roanoke Times first team All-Timesland team as a junior.
"Darris can play at either guard position, which is important in our two-guard offense," says Beilein. "His quickness will be an asset, as well as his understanding of the game and his passion to improve. He has the skills to go to the hoop, pull up at mid-range and shoot the three-point shot, which is rare in today's high school athletes."
Nichols scored 26 points in Radford's loss to Nandua in the Virginia Group A title game last year, capping a three-game state tournament run in which he had 80 points. Nichols led Radford to a 23-7 record and its second appearance in the Group A final in three years. He played AAU basketball for the Blue Ridge Wildcats out of Roanoke, Va.
Bonner, a 6-11 center from Concord, N.H., is a senior at Trinity High School in Manchester, N.H. He averaged 20 points, 16 rebounds, five blocks and three assists last season as a junior in earning Class L first-team all-state honors. He was named Gatorade Player of the Year in New Hampshire.
"Luke is the kind of kid we love to recruit," says Beilein. "He's intelligent, a great teammate and can really shoot the ball. He's just as good of an outside player as he is an inside player, which is rare for a kid that size and at this time in his career."
Bonner also played AAU basketball for the Granite State Raiders. His older brother, Matt, recently wrapped up a career at the University of Florida and was a second-round draft choice in the NBA. His sister, Becky, plays for Boston University after transferring from Stanford last year.
"We have a lot of confidence in our recruiting plan," says Beilein. "We are very pleased to sign these two young men during the early-signing period, given the situation of the program 18 months ago. Both student-athletes understand that we are rebuilding the program, and they both like that idea."
Both student-athletes have satisfied test score requirements for freshman eligibility.
