Gillispie Signs Pair of Texas Preps, One JUCO Player
Nov 12, 2004 | Men's Basketball
November 12, 2004
David Devezin of Houston, Josh Carter of Dallas and Jamar Finley of Panola Junior College have signed letters-of-intent to play college basketball at Texas A&M, Aggies coach Billy Gillispie said Friday.
"All three of these guys wanted to be here and have great feelings for Texas A&M," Gillispie said. "They will improve our roster dramatically. We're not done yet, but this is a great start for our recruiting class."
Devezin (6'1") is rated as the 66th best prospect in the country by BasketballPhenoms.com and is considered by many to be the top prospect in the Houston area this season. He averaged 21.0 points and 8.0 assists as a junior at Clements High School in Sugarland, earning district most valuable player and first-team all-region honors. Devezin played AAU basketball with Houston Hoops and will play his senior season at Marshall High School. He also was recruited by Oklahoma State, among others.
"We think Dave is as good any anyone out there," Gillispie said. "He wants to win every time he takes the court, and his team usually does. He leads by example and will be a very good lead guard for us. It's great to open the recruiting door into the Houston area and we hope this opens the flood gates and we can get some other guys in here."
"Dave is a fantastic young man with a great personality -- he's very humble," Marshall coach Gary Nichols said. "But when he gets on the floor, his personality changes. He's very competitive and wants to win. He's a true point guard and looks to make everyone on the floor better before he thinks of himself. He works hard and knows how to run a team."
"Dave is an awesome kid with a huge upside," Houston Hoops coach Hal Pastner said. "He'll probably be the preseason player of the year in Houston. He can penetrate and get to the basket as well as anybody in the country. Dave is special. He's a good young man who works very hard and is a great addition to the A&M program. It's a tribute to coach Gillispie and coach Williams and the good reputation they have in Houston that they were able to get Dave."
"David is as good as any guard in the state," Texas Hoops' Mike Kunstadt said. "He's a very quick and athletic player who can take the ball to the rim, where he can either score or distribute it to the open man. He's a good outside shooter who can breakdown defenses and create scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates."
Carter (6'5") averaged 12.3 points and 5.6 rebounds as a junior at Lake Highlands High School, where he ranked among the top three-point shooters in the Dallas area with 2.2 three-pointers per game. He earned second-team all-district honors and also ranked among the team's leaders in assists, steals and blocked shots. Carter's brother, Warren, is a former Texas Mr. Basketball who is entering his sophomore year at Illinois, while another brother, Kevin, plays at A&M-Commerce.
"Josh has a chance to come in and be a surprise player," Gillispie said. "He knows how to play and can pass it, catch it and shoot it. He has an unbelievable understanding of the game and grew up wanting to be an Aggie. I think he will adjust quickly to the college game as he gets stronger."
"Josh is a great kid who really turned it up last year," Lake Highlands coach Rob Wylie said. "We think he'll keep getting better and better, and he's an outstanding three-point shooter."
"Josh is a big guard who can shoot the three and take the ball to the rim," Kunstadt said. "He's also a good rebounder. He needs to get stronger, but that should come with maturity and a good weight program. He' a super nice kid who will represent A&M well."
Finley (6'6") averaged 18.0 points an d 11.0 rebounds as a freshman last year at Panola Junior College in Carthage, Texas, and is averaging 25.0 points and 15.0 rebounds so far this season. A native of Rome, Ga., Finley is considered one of the top players ever to come out of Rome High School, according to the Rome News-Tribune. Finley was a two-time all-area pick in high school, leading the team to consecutive regional titles.
"Jamar entered junior college at mid-term last year and is kind of under the radar right now," Gillispie said. "He's a very versatile player who does whatever it takes to win. He's put up great numbers so far this year and we really like his abilities."
"Jamar is a very good player who can really shoot and he's also a good passer," Panola coach Scott Monarch said. "He's very skilled offensively and will fit in well at A&M."
2004-05 MEN'S BASKETBALL SIGNING CLASS (3)
| Name | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | Hometown (Current School) |
| Josh Carter | 6-5 | 175 | Fr. | Dallas, Texas (Lake Highlands) |
| David Devezin | 6-1 | 175 | Fr. | Sugar Land, Texas (Marshall) |
| Jamar Finley | 6-6 | 175 | Jr. | Rome, Ga. (Rome/Panola JC) |
