SoCalHoops  Recruiting News

LMU Signs Charles Brown &
Andy Osborn To NLI's--(Nov. 9, 2000)

John Shaffer, the Sports Information Director at LMU has been very good about sending us press releases so that we can get everyone timely news from Loyola Marymount, and we really appreciate all of his efforts.   Today he sent us a release, announcing the signings of NLI's by Charles Brown and Andy Osborn.  We've extracted the text from his e-mail (below) and we're also providing a link to the Adobe Acrobat .pdf file (it requires Adobe Reader to view).  Enjoy, and congratulations to the Lions and Coach Steve Aggers on two excellent pickups.

Lions Sign Two High School Standouts

Los Angeles, CA (Nov. 9, 2000) -- Loyola Marymount University men’s basketball announced today the signing of high school seniors Charles Brown and Andy Osborn to national letters of intent to play for the Lions next season. “I am excited about these two young men,” said Lions’ Head Coach Steve Aggers. “We have been able to add to our program a point guard and a forward that can improve the quality of our team for next year.”

Brown, a 6-1, 180-pound point guard from De La Salle High School in Concord, Calif., was the starting point guard on the 1999-2000 CIF Division I state championship team in which he averaged 11 points and five assists. As a varsity player, Brown has led De La Salle to a record of 61-2 overall and 36-0 in Bay Valley Athletic League, including a No. 3 finish in the USA Today National High School Rankings a year ago. He was a unanimous First Team All-Bay Valley Athletic League selection as a junior and led the team to the state playoff semifinals as a sophomore. This past summer he played with the Oakland Slam-n-Jam program, led by Calvin Andrews.

“I have worked very hard in the classroom and on the court, and I believe my best basketball is ahead of me,” said Brown. “LMU is a great place with great people. I love the location, the players and the coaching staff. I am looking forward to my senior year and then moving on to compete in the West Coast Conference at LMU.” Brown has played his entire high school career for De La Salle head basketball coach Frank Allocco, last seasons California Division I High School Coach of the Year.

“Charles is an amazing young man,” remarked Allocco. “I have had the pleasure of watching him grow as a person, a student and as a player over the past three years. He is a great defender and a tough competitor. The bottom line is Charles is a winner and he’s going to a program that is on the rise. I sincerely believe that LMU, its coaching staff and the WCC are the perfect place for Charles.”

Undecided as to his future major, Brown is considering Business, Engineering and Communications. “Charles comes from a tradition of winning,” commented Aggers. “He has been on championship teams since he started high school. He is a tenacious defender with the determination to be successful. He has the quickness and shooting ability to contribute to our program right away. I know with continued strength gains he will have a super collegiate career as a Lion.”

Osborn, a 6-9, 215-pound native of Longmont, Colo., averaged a double-double (16 points and 10 rebounds) last season, including an impressive 4.2 blocks per game that ranked him second in all of Colorado. He was a unanimous first-team All-Northern Conference selection and was voted honorable mention for All-State honors. Led by Osborn, Longmont High School went 19-3 last season winning the Northern Conference championship. Osborn’s varsity record in league play is an astounding 40-7 and all three teams have advanced to the Colorado state tournament “sweet 16” or beyond. Playing for Bruce Dick’s Colorado Select AAU team this summer, Osborn was named to the All-tournament team at the Las Vegas Big Time tournament with over 300 teams participating.

“I am really honored to accept a scholarship at Loyola Marymount University,” Osborn said. “I am thrilled at the opportunity to play in the WCC and with the direction that LMU basketball is headed. It was just ten years ago that LMU was in the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament and I want to play in the ‘Big Dance.’”

Having turned Longmont into a basketball power, head coach Jeff Kloster has three consecutive state tournament appearances under his belt coaching Osborn.

“Andy is a super young man,” commented Kloster. “He is a very versatile forward who can play with his back to the basket or facing on the perimeter.  He is our team’s best three point shooter and a team leader. He is what I would call a ‘gym rat’ who is always looking to work to improve every aspect of his game.”

Osborn plans to pursue either a Business or Education degree while at LMU. “Andy meets one of our key recruiting objectives in a quality young big man,” stated Aggers. “He is all of 6-9, runs the floor well and has great hands. He has great footwork, can shoot the three, but most importantly he has the will and drive to be a good player. Like all big men, he will need to continue to work in the weight room and learn how to defend at this level. We love the fact that Andy also comes from a tradition of winning and has high expectations for himself on the floor and in the classroom.”

Brown and Osborn will join 6-4 guard Kent Dennis and 6-6 forward Keith Kincade as new faces in Lion uniforms next fall. Dennis and Kincade, who played high school basketball in Southern California, are redshirting at LMU this year under NCAA Division I transfer rules after playing one season at West Virginia. “I am excited about this group of young people,” Aggers said. “With Andy, Charles, Kent and Keith we have in place three perimeters and one front line player to impact next year’s ball club. These four give us quality youth to build the nucleus of our future successes around. Our staff will continue to work at adding another bigger front line player or two to complete our recruiting class.”

Coming off an 86-77 exhibition victory over Team Concept, the Lions next take the court this Saturday, Nov. 11 at 2:00 p.m. against the Son’s Blue Angels exhibition team. The regular season opens Friday, Nov. 17 against Vanguard University at Gersten Pavilion with a 7:05 p.m. tip before heading on the road against UC Irvine, USC and Colorado to close out November. Tickets for the Lion’s home games are available by calling (310) 338-LION.

-GO LIONS-

 
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