Compiled by PAUL GOTHAM
Counting down to tipoff and previewing the incoming players of the Atlantic 10 with a look at the first-year players of the Saint Joseph’s Hawks.
Saint Joseph’s finished 28-8 (13-5 in A-10 play) last season and claimed its second A-10 in three years before falling to Oregon in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Phil Martelli and his staff welcome Gerald Blount, Charlie Brown, Lorenzo Edwards and Nick Robinson to campus.
Gerald Blount F 6-6, 215 Suwanee, GA/Pomfret School – Conn.
Two-time All-New England Honorable Mention Class B selection while at the Pomfret School in Connecticut… Averaged 10.0 points and 7.8 rebounds in 2015-16… Grabbed double-figure rebounds seven times, with a single-game high of 19 boards… Previously lived in Bayonne, N.J. and attended Saint Anthony and St. Benedict Prep, … Originally from Suwanee, Ga.
What they’re saying about Gerald Blount – Adam Finkelstein/ESPN: “He’s going to be more of a role player especially early on. What he does is play really hard. He’s going to be content to play a complimentary role. When you have 13 scholarships, you need guys like that who are going to come in and do the dirty work, rebound the ball, set screens. He can potentially defend multiple positions and bring an intensity on a daily basis. That’s going to be his job.”
Steve Keller/National Recruiting Report: “He’s athletic and physical. He just overpowers people.”
Charlie Brown, Jr. F 6-6, 185 Philadelphia, PA/St. Thomas More – Conn.
Played for St. Thomas More in 2015-16, helping the team to a 31-6 record and a berth in the National Prep Championship game… Squad also reached the NEPSAC AAA Final… Had a game-winning three-pointer with :04 left to give St. Thomas More a win over The Patrick School… Previously attended George Washington High School in Philadelphia where he was named the MVP of the Public League B Division in 2014-15 … Averaged 16.4 points per game that year, including 18.4 in league contests to top the division… Father, Charles Brown, Sr., was a member of Overbrook High School’s 34-0 team in the late 1970s, and also played two seasons at North Carolina A&T.
What they’re saying about Charlie Brown – Adam Finkelstein/ESPN: “He graduated from Philadelphia two springs ago, and he came and did a post-grad year at St. Thomas More. He’s a classic late bloomer. He started to put all the pieces together during his senior year in high school. St. Joe’s really did a good job of monitoring his progression and really were the first to act when they saw the light bulb going off. I think it’s going to end up being a very smart move. He’s got good size on the wing. He can really shoot the ball. As his frame fills out and he more aggressive and confident, he’s got a chance to be a very good player and good shooter for them on the wing.”
Steve Keller/National Recruiting Report: “He’s a wing who can catch, shoot and handle. He’s got the pieces to be good. He’s got a spin move from the wing that he uses to slash his way to the basket. He can also hit a pull-up and knock down 21-footers.”
Allen Rubin/Hoop Scoop: “He’s a very good wing-forward. He’s a born scorer. A good outside shooter who draws out defenders and can put it on the floor. He’s a very good defender.”
Lorenzo Edwards F 6-7, 225 Lake Forest, Ill./Lake Forest
All-State First Team selection by the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association… Averaged 19.0 points, 11.1 rebounds and 3.3 blocks per game as a senior at Lake Forest … Also shot 51 percent from the field as the team went 18-10… Named the Lake County Player of the Year… All-Area honoree… Received All-State Honorable Mention by both the Chicago Sun-Times and the Chicago Tribune… Father, Kevin Edwards, played for DePaul and had an 11-year NBA career with Miami, New Jersey, Orlando and Vancouver.
Nick Robinson G 6-6, 195 Chicago, Ill./Kenwood Academy
All-City and All-Area selection at Kenwood Academy… Also received All-State Second Team honors… Averaged 17.0 points and 9.0 rebounds per game… Hit the game-clinching free throw as Kenwood advanced to the city championship for the first time ever in 2016… Team went 22-4 and earned a berth in the sectional title game.
Biographical information courtesy of Saint Joseph’s Athletics.
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