lousiana state signings

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SoCalHoops Recruiting News

Around The WAC: Louisiana Tech
Signs Solomon Brown--(Nov. 14, 2002)

Solomon Brown (6'-0" PG), one of the most peripatetic players in all of prep hoops, has signed with the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs according to a press release issued by the school late today. Brown, originally from Orange County, transferred prior to his senior year in high school to St. Thomas More, a nationally known prep school in the NEPSAC, where he and fellow Rockfish player Julian Sensley spent two years. Brown spent his freshman year at Iona, but was granted a release at the end of the season. He is currently at Cypress JC in SoCal where he is not playing, and as a result, he will still have three years of eligibility. Here's the official press release announcing the signing of Brown and Paul Millsap from Shreveport, Louisiana.

Bulldogs Add Two Signees
Posted Nov 14, 2002 15:17:51

The Louisiana Tech men's basketball team added the services of two players this week with the signings of Paul Millsap and Solomon Brown.

Brown inked with the Bulldogs on Wednesday while Millsap signed during a 9:00 a.m. press conference held in the Grambling High School gymnasium.

"We've got off to a great start in recruiting this year," said Louisiana Tech head coach Keith Richard. "This is a great start to a recruiting class that will be critical because of the number of players that we are losing from our program."

Millsap is considered one of the top prep players in the country after performing well in basketball camps over the summer. He was named a Nike All-American and was rated the fourth best power forward and the 10th best overall player at the Nike camp.

"Paul Millsap is rated as one of the top 50 players in the country by many services," Richard said. "I'm extremely excited to get a player of his caliber and potential."

"I knew that they were losing a lot of seniors this year so the chance for some playing time played a big part of my decision," Millsap said. "Also the closeness of the college to my home was a part of it."

Millsap helped lead Grambling High School to a 28-2 record last season and a berth in the Class A Louisiana state championship where he broke a Class A record with 25 rebounds in a game.

"First of all, he loves the game of basketball," said Millsap's high school coach Michael Lyons. "He's very athletic and he can play more than one position. I think he?s going to be a true asset to the Tech family."

Last season, Millsap earned first team all-state honors while also being named all-Shreveport Times, all-Lincoln Parish, all-Northeast Louisiana and the District 2-A Most Valuable Player.

"He's coming out of a great program with a tradition of winning," Richard said. "He's played under a great high school coach in Michael Lyons. Paul's signing really is on the magnitude of a Lonnie Cooper, a Gerrod Henderson or an Antonio Meeking. These were young men that were four year players in our program and were the cornerstones of our program during their time here and I see Paul in that same stature."

Millsap averaged 14.0 points and 9.0 rebounds per game his sophomore season at Grambling High School and really blossomed his junior season, averaging 24.6 points and 14.8 rebounds per contest.

"I think that Coach Lyons has done an incredible job with Paul and his development," Richard said. "The young man has improved a whole lot over the past couple of years. This is a great signee for us."

The Bulldogs also gathered the services of transfer player Solomon Brown. Brown played his senior season in high school at St. Thomas More Prep School in Connecticut.

While at St. Thomas More, Brown averaged 17 points and seven assists per game while leading his team to a 31-3 record and a second straight New England Prep School championship.

By the end of his senior season, Brown was ranked 24th best prep school player in the country by Hoop Scoop magazine and was ranked among the top 100 high school players in the country by ESPN.com.

"Solomon Brown is a young man that we are excited about," Richard said. "He's going to bring quickness to a guard position and to our team. He's also going to have three years in our program and we are very excited about that."

Brown played his freshman collegiate season at Iona College in New York where he started 22 games for the Gaels. Brown averaged 7.8 points and 3.8 assists while playing 30 minutes per game. He finished first on the team and second in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) with 115 assists.

"I thought Coach Richard could do a lot for me," Brown said. "From what I've seen, he gets the team to play at a high level. I felt real comfortable at Louisiana Tech and it was a very home-type of environment."

Brown transferred following his freshman year at Iona College to Cypress College in California. Brown is not playing basketball this season and will have three years of NCAA eligibility beginning next year.