DAYTON -- University of Dayton men's basketball coach Archie Miller has announced the signing of three top high school players to letters of intent on Wednesday.  They are 6-foot-4 guard Jordan Davis of Irmo, S.C., 7-foot center Jordan Pierce of Scotch Plains, N.J. and 6-foot guard McKinley Wright from Champlain, Minn.

The new Flyer recruits also had scholarship offers from schools in the ACC, Big Ten, Big XII and Big East, among others.

JORDAN DAVIS
6-Foot-4 Guard – Irmo, S.C.  – Dutch Fork High School

A sharpshooting guard who has been a high school varsity player since the eighth grade, Davis was the South Carolina Class 4A Player of the Year last year.  He averaged 22.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 2.0 steals per game in as a junior.
Davis also reached the 1,000 point mark for his career in 2015-16, putting him within easy striking distance of the school record of 1,487 points.  As a sophomore, he averaged 17.4 points, 4.1 boards, 3.1 assists, and 1.7 steals per game. 

Dutch Fork has moved up to Class 5A this season, and even with the move up, coach Matt Brown's team is projected as a Top Three squad in South Carolina.  That is thanks in part to a seven-man senior class headed by Davis.

Davis is Dayton's first-ever player from South Carolina.  Irmo is just outside the state capital of Columbia. 

Archie Miller on Jordan Davis
 "We are very excited to have Jordan join us next fall.  He is a tremendous kid who comes from a great family.  We identified Jordan right away in the spring and after getting to know him and what his family were looking for in his college choice, it was clear we had a real connection.  He's been a big-time scorer all the way through high school and AAU, we felt he could bring an offensive punch early in his career.  His shooting ability stands out immediately, with great range and ability to make shots.  Athletically and in transition he will thrive in our system."

JORDAN PIERCE
7-Foot-0 Forward/Center – Scotch Plains, N.J. – Union Catholic High School

An emerging big man, Jordan Pierce signed with the Flyers after a strong summer season.  The 7-foot-0, 255-lb. big man averaged 7.8 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game in 24 games as a junior.
As a sophomore, he was 6-foot-8 and described himself as "chubby," but a growth spurt coupled with a strong work ethic turned him into a productive junior, and eventually a D-I prospect.

Union Catholic was 17-8 last season under coach Jim Reagan, and is projected as the No.9 team in state of New Jersey according to NJ.com this year. 

Pierce is from Scotch Plains, N.J., which is just southwest of Newark.

Archie Miller on Jordan Pierce
"Jordan brings the one element that is so hard to get, which is great size.  At 7-foot and 275 pounds he is going to fill a void we don't have, but beyond that his upside is super-high.  He has tremendous work ethic and is always in the gym.  He continues to get better and better.  He has a chance to really impact the rim on both ends with how we play.  His mobility and touch on offense will allow us to throw the ball low and early, but defensively protecting the rim and rebounding he can be a force.  Off the court and in the classroom he will be as engaging of a student-athlete as we have had here at UD.  He and his family love how passionate the community is towards our program. They love the fit academically and socially, most importantly the love the close, tight-knit feel on our campus."


McKINLEY WRIGHT
6-Foot Guard – Champlin, Minn. – Champlin Park High School

McKinley Wright is a do-everything point guard who has been a four-year varsity player for one of the top high school programs in the country, Champlin Park High School in suburban Minneapolis.  Champlin Park is coached by Mark Tuchscherer.

As a sophomore, he started for the 31-1 Rebels whose only loss was in the championship game of the Minnesota big school state tournament.  Ranked among in the top 25 high school teams in the country, Champlin Park lost to another nationally-ranked team, Apple Valley, by three. Wright scored 17 points and had six rebounds in the championship game.

As a sophomore, he averaged 14 points, 6.6 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 2.5 steals per game.   Last season, Wright was team MVP and Second Team Star-Tribune All-Metro after he averaged 20.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 2.4 steals per game.

Champlin Park has won conference championships in each of Wright's three seasons.  His career record as a Rebel is 77-11.  He is a two-time all-conference selection.

As is the case with Flyer classmate Jordan Davis, he has already scored more than 1,000 points in his high school career.

Archie Miller on McKinley Wright
"We started recruiting McKinley the July leading into his junior year of high school.  We immediately identified him as our number one point guard prospect.  He is a true point guard who has a pass-first mentality.  His teammates love playing with him.  His physical tools and explosiveness with the ball will really allow us to put pressure on teams in transition.  Defensively, he is tough-minded and brings a confidence to the floor immediately.  One thing has been consistent from Day One with him, --  he is universally liked and respected by everyone who comes in contact with him, on and off the court."


Dayton opens the 2016-17 season on Friday, Nov. 11, when the Austin Peay Governors visit UD Arena.  Game time is 7:00 p.m. ET.