Courtesy of GoGriffs.com
Canisius head men’s basketball coach Reggie Witherspoon announced that D.J. Heath (Anniston, Ala.), Scott Hitchon (Whitby, Ontario) and Jalanni White (New Haven, Conn.) have officially signed NCAA National Letters of Intent to join the Golden Griffins for the 2017-18 season.
Heath, Hitchon and White join with Takal Molson, who signed his NLI to join the Golden Griffin program last month, to add to the incoming class for next season.
D.J. HEATH | 6-0 | 180 | G | ANNISTON, ALA. | SACRED HEART
• Helped lead Sacred Heart to three-straight Alabama Class 1A state titles (2015-17).
• A finalist for the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s 1A Player of the Year award, he averaged 20.8 points and 5.1 assists per game in his senior season.
• Scored 18 points in the 2017 Class 1A Area 10 championship game and was named tournament MVP.
• An ESPN Top-100 four-star recruit, he is rated as the fourth-best senior in the state of Alabama by ESPN.com.
Witherspoon on Heath: “We are excited to have D.J. join our basketball program here at Canisius College. D.J. comes from an extremely successful Sacred Heart basketball program in Alabama. He has been a leader for that program and we’re certainly glad to add him and his leadership capabilities to our roster.”
SCOTT HITCHON | 6-8 | 215 | F | WHITBY, ONTARIO | THORNLEA SECONDARY
• Was good for 19 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game while averaging 31 minutes per contest.
• Invited to participate in the Toronto North Pole Hoops Showcase Top-10 in the summer of 2016.
• A member of the Canada Elite AAU program, he was rated 27th in the Class of 2017 by NorthPoleHoops.com.
• Known for his toughness and physical play around the basket.
Witherspoon on Hitchon: “We are very pleased to have Scott join us here at Canisius. We look forward to him bringing his temperament, his determination and his winning approach to our basketball program.”
JALANNI WHITE | 6-7 | 195 | F | NEW HAVEN, CONN. | NOTRE DAME
• Averaged 12.1 points, 11.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game in 2016-17.
• Helped lead Notre Dame-West Haven to the school’s first undefeated season (22-0) in 2016-17.
• A New Haven Register All-Area selection, he was also honored as an All-SCC honoree.
• Played in the 56th annual Bridgeport JCC Schoolboy Classic in April, one of five future Division I players in the game.
• Was a high school teammate with Tremont Waters, an ESPN top-100 recruit.
Witherspoon on White: “We are extremely happy to have Jalanni join our program. He comes from a successful high school program, where he improved every year as a basketball player. His strong commitment to the classroom and the game of basketball are two qualities we look for in future Golden Griffins.”
Canisius went 18-16 overall and 10-10 in MAAC play last season, Witherspoon’s first year at the helm of the program. The Griffs ended the season with a berth in the 2017 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament, the fourth postseason appearance in the last five years for the Blue and Gold.
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