University of Dayton men’s basketball coach Brian Gregory has announced the signing of two coveted prospects from the state of Michigan to National Letters of Intent to continue their careers at UD.
The newest official members of the Flyer family are 6-foot-8 forward Percy Gibson of Southeastern High School in Detroit, and 6-foot-6 forward LaDontae Henton of Lansing’s Eastern High School.
Both players verbally committed to UD this summer.
“Sometimes in recruiting, teams have to recruit to needs alone. We targeted Percy and LaDontae not just to fill needs, but to also bring in two young men who fit our program very well and can keep us pushing the envelope in terms of what we can accomplish in our program,“ Gregory said.
“The fact that we were able to sign two players with those qualities who also happen to fill the needs we will have due to graduation is a credit to our staff. As a staff we take pride in identifying student-athletes who we feel are “Dayton guys” and then communicating to them how the qualities we see in them fit into our program for basketball, and the University for their education.”
The two newest Flyers chose Dayton after getting scholarship offers from schools that included members of the ACC, Big East, Big Ten and Pac 10. Each player signed with UD today.
“We’re extremely excited to bring two more talented athletes into our program,” Gregory added. “They fit what Dayton basketball players are becoming known for -- athletic, versatile and skilled players who have a competitive fire deep inside them. They are individuals who are serious about getting the most they can out of themselves in the classroom and on the basketball court.”
Gibson averaged 17.2 points and 11.0 rebounds last season for powerhouse Detroit Southeastern High School. Southeastern was 16-8 in 2009-10 and lost in the regional semi-finals of the state tournament. A 6-foot-8, 240-pound post player, Gibson is a skilled big man who can score in the post and make plays on the perimeter as well.
Coach Gregory On Percy Gibson:
“We are extremely excited about Percy joining our program. He has all the attributes were looking for out of a player with size. He has toughness, great feet, a soft shooting touch inside and out, and plays with the passion that is so important in our program. You can't teach his knack for putting the ball in the basket and his basketball IQ, coupled with his physical presence, allows him to be a great defender and rebounder.”
Henton is a three-time All-Michigan Class A (big school) selection. He averaged 24.8 points, 14.5 rebounds, 2.6 blocked shots, 2.5 assists and 2.3 steals, and was the only junior named first team all-state in Class A. Nicknamed “Buckets,” Henton scored at least 20 points in 20 games in 2009-10, and at least 30 points five times.
Eastern High School was 22-3 last season and lost to eventual state championship Kalamazoo Central (with current Flyer Devin Oliver) in the region semifinals.
As a sophomore, Henton averaged 19.8 points a game.
Coach Gregory On LaDontae Henton:
“LaDontae's versatility on the offensive end is easy to evaluate, but it was the energy that he competed with that made him a perfect fit in our system. His size, strength, athletic ability and skill level make him a difficult match-up at a number of positions. His unselfishness and mentality on the glass will allow a smooth transition to the college game.”
“It will be exciting to watch both these players progress during their senior years, and I believe both Percy and LaDontae's teams have a legitimate opportunity to win a state championship”, Gregory concluded. “Detroit Southeastern and Lansing Eastern are two of the top programs in the state of Michigan and both coach Ward and Coach Watts do an incredible job with their players. We signed two highly-talented players, from great families and first-class programs. It's a great day to be a Flyer!”
Dayton opens the 2010-11 season at home Saturday against Mount St. Mary’s in the first game of the Global Sports Main Event exempt tournament. Game time is 2:00 p.m. ET.
