Courtesy of BucknellBison.com
LEWISBURG, Pa. – The 2016-17 men’s basketball season is just two days away, but already the 2017-18 roster is beginning to take shape. John Meeks, a 6’6” forward from Burlington, North Carolina, and Jimmy Sotos, a 6’3” guard from Elk Grove Village, Illinois, signed National Letters of Intent Wednesday on the first day of the NCAA’s early signing period.
“I am very excited to welcome John and Jimmy to the Bison basketball family,” said head coach Nathan Davis. “Both are terrific talents who will fill needs for us on the floor as we look ahead. Just as important, these are high-quality, high-character young men who selected Bucknell just as much for our academic reputation as our success on the basketball court. We wish them the best of luck in their upcoming high school seasons, and can’t wait to have them in our program.”
Meeks is currently a senior at The Burlington School in North Carolina, giving Bucknell a recruit from the Tar Heel State for the second straight year. Ben Robertson (High Point) is currently a freshman on the Bison squad. Meeks was an All-State and All-Region selection while also earning conference player of the year honors a season ago. Last year he averaged 16 points and seven rebounds per game, and he is already a 1,000-point scorer entering his senior campaign.
Meeks has also helped elevate his team to one of the best in a talent-rich state. He has been a varsity player dating back to his freshman year, and The Burlington School is 79-6 over those three seasons, with a state championship and a pair of conference titles. Last season, the Spartans finished 34-1, and in 2014-15 they went 31-1 and captured the North Carolina Independent School Athletic Association (NCISAA) Class 1A state title.
Meeks also competes in baseball and track and field at The Burlington School, and he has played AAU basketball with PSB Select. He is the son of Cliff and Betsy Meeks and has two younger sisters, Anna (14) and Alie (12).
“John is a big, strong, lefthanded wing who we think can have an immediate impact here,” said Davis. “He is versatile in that he can score in many different ways. He is also a very tough player, he is not afraid to get in there and mix it up.”
Like Meeks, Sotos also hails from a strong high school basketball program and was one of the top-ranked guards in the state of Illinois. He is entering his final season at Conant High School in the Chicago area and will lead a squad that captured regional and sectional championships before falling in the quarterfinals of the state playoffs a year ago. Sotos averaged 16.5 points, four rebounds and five assists per game as a team captain in 2015-16. He was named conference and area player of the year, and earned a spot on the All-State Team.
Sotos, who has grown from 5’2”, 115 pounds as a ninth-grader to 6’3”, 180 pounds going into his senior year, has played AAU basketball with the Young Legends and has also played on the UnderArmour Circuit. He is the son of Jim and Katy Sotos and has three older brothers who have all played college basketball. Danny (20) is a sophomore forward at Lake Forest College; Christian (24) played at Carroll University; and Tommy (26) played at the University of Chicago.
“Jimmy brings many skills to the table at the point guard position,” said Davis. “He has great size for the position, and he can score in a multitude of ways. He is very tough-minded and has the potential to be a terrific defensive player.”
Meeks and Sotos will join a Bucknell team that has captured five of the last six Patriot League regular-season titles. The Bison open up the 2016-17 season at home against Manhattan on Friday night before traveling to Wake Forest on Sunday.
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