Gillispie Signs Top Player in Texas, Oklahoma Prospect
Nov 08, 2006 | Men's Basketball
November 08, 2006
DeAndre Jordan of Houston and Derrek Lewis of Tulsa, Okla. signed national letters-of-intent on Wednesday to play college basketball at Texas A&M.
 DeAndre Jordan  Derrek Lewis photos from rivals.com |
Jordan (7-0, 240 lbs.) is rated as the top prospect in Texas the No. 8 recruit nationally by Rivals.com. He earned all-state and All-Greater Houston honors as a junior after averaging 16.5 points, 14.0 rebounds and 7.0 blocked shots per game and is playing his senior season at Houston's Christian Life Center. Jordan also was recruited by Florida, Indiana, LSU, Texas and Florida State, among others.
"DeAndre has unlimited potential," A&M Coach Billy Gillispie said. "He's a fantastic prospect, one of the best in the country. He is long and athletic and we're excited about helping him become the type of player he wants to become."
"A&M is really coming on under Coach Gillispie," Jordan said. "I like the way he develops players, the way he coaches players and the way he's shown he can turn those players into a true team. In two years, they've gone from single-digit wins to being one of the top teams in the country, already a tournament team."
"DeAndre is a seven-footer who is very skilled and athletic, which is pretty unique," said Mike Kunstadt of Texas Hoops. "He can run the floor, post up and he's a good shot blocker and rebounder. He's an outstanding player but he's also a great kid."
"DeAndre has a chance to be a special ball player," said Dave Telep of Scout.com. "He made a quality decision to go to Texas A&M. Very few players have his physical attributes and he's shown the ability to do things others are not capable of. He's one of the best players in the country and I think it will really come together for him at A&M."
Lewis (6-3, 190 lbs.) is regarded as one of the top five prospects in Oklahoma and is rated as a 3-star recruit by Rivals.com. An All-Metro pick as a junior, Lewis averaged 16.5 points and 4.7 rebounds and led Tulsa's Union High School to the state Class 6A finals. He made 65 three-point field goals and was named to the all-state tournament team. Lewis also was recruited by Tulsa, among others, but committed to A&M as a prep sophomore.
"Derrek came to our Elite Camp his sophomore year and we really liked what we saw," Gillispie said. "We think he can develop in much the same way that Josh Carter has. He can shoot the ball, handle it and play multiple positions. He should be a very versatile player for us."
"Derrek is a polished kid who is an all-around good athlete and player," said Union Coach Rudy Garcia. "He understands the game, can play either guard and has a lot of upside. He can play point if you need him, but he's probably more of a scorer."
Gillispie expects to announce additional signings later this week.
2006-07 MEN'S BASKETBALL SIGNEES* (2)
* as of November 8, 2006
| Name | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | Hometown (Current School) |
| DeAndre Jordan | 7-0 | 240 | Fr. | Houston, Texas (Christian Life Center) |
| Derrek Lewis | 6-3 | 190 | Fr. | Tulsa, Okla. (Union) |
