Turgeon Lands Nationally-Ranked Recruiting Class
Nov 11, 2009 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 11, 2009
COLLEGE STATION - The four players who signed with Texas A&M on Wednesday hand the Aggies and Head Coach Mark Turgeon one the of the nation's best recruiting classes, according to ESPN analyst Bob Gibbons.
Tobi Oyedeji (pronounced OH-yuh-DEDG-ee) of Houston; Daniel Alexander of Drippings Springs, Texas; Keith Davis of DeSoto, Texas; and Kourtney Roberson of Arcadia, La., will enter A&M as freshman next fall. All four players are big men measuring at least 6-foot-8.
"The four players that the Aggies signed have positioned them to have a surefire top-15 recruiting class," Gibbons said. "When all the dust settles, it could be ranked even higher. No school in America has assembled a class with this much size, length, versatility, and athleticism. Mark Turgeon and his staff are known for doing things the right way and continue to bring top talent to Texas A&M."
"A&M signed two top 100 players from the class of 2010, a postgraduate player who would be in the top 100, and Keith Davis, who is a little under the radar but is one of the steals of the class," ESPN recruiting analyst Mike LaPlante said. "Davis could potentially be the best of the group. There were not a lot of quality bigs out there this year and A&M managed to get four of them. Their size and athleticism really stands out and they will be extremely competitive in the Big 12."
"I'm very excited about our 2010 signing class," Turgeon said. "These guys are great kids and come from great families. This class has a great balance of length, skill and athleticism. It's great to be able to keep Texas kids home and in the Big 12. This class is made up of high character kids who will mesh greatly with the current players in our Aggie basketball family."
2010 TEXAS A&M RECRUITING CLASS Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Class Hometown (HS/Prep) Daniel Alexander F 6-8 210 FR Dripping Springs, Texas (High) Keith Davis C 6-9 220 FR DeSoto, Texas (High) Tobi Oyedeji F 6-8 215 FR Houston (Bellaire HS) Kourtney Roberson F 6-9 230 FR Arcadia, La. (High/Christian Life)
Tobi Oyedeji, F, 6-8, 215, Houston (Bellaire HS)
A 6-foot-8 forward from Bellaire High School in Houston, Oyedeji is the No. 68-ranked prospect in the country by Scout.com. He is the top-ranked senior in the city of Houston after averaging 15 points and 12 rebounds as a junior. Oyedeji also was recruited by Oklahoma, Baylor, LSU, Georgia Tech, and Arizona State.
TOBI OYEDEJI: "I feel comfortable at Texas A&M. Coach Turgeon knows how to develop big men. He did a great job of developing Chinemelu Elonu last season. The basketball program has become one of the best in the country and has become a program that wins every year. A&M's facilities are big time. It has everything that you need to be successful. I'm really close with Coach Turgeon and I know the future is bright at A&M. Some of the guys talk about being the first A&M squad to get to the Final Four. That's exciting and I want to be a part of what is going on there."
JIM HICKS, RSC SPORTS (Houston Basketball Recruiting Expert): "If you love Dikembe Mutombo then you will love Tobi Oyedeji. When people speak of Mutombo, they first talk about how great of a person he is, then they say `oh yeah, he's a pretty good basketball player, too.' It's very rare for a player who doesn't take a lot of shots and is not 7-feet tall to be able to control a game, but Tobi does just that. He's a tremendous defender and rebounder who can and will score when needed to. He's matched up with the best talent in the country over the last few summers and has proven that he's one of the elite big men in the class of 2010. Texas A&M has landed the top big man in Houston in three out of the past four years. Tobi's impact on Texas A&M's program will reach far beyond the stat sheet as he has a magnetic personality and is someone who other kids will want to play with
BRUCE GLOVER, BELLAIRE HIGH SCHOOL HEAD COACH: "Tobi is always working on his game and is willing to get better. He works on both ends of the floor and does not take plays off. That's what makes him special. He loves the relationship he has with Coach Turgeon and the staff at A&M. The academics at Texas A&M played a big role in his decision as well."
REGGIE RANKIN, ESPN RECRUITING EXPERT: "Tobi is an active and aggressive forward who plays with great passion. He's an above-the-rim finisher but has also improved his shooting. He's now knocking down the 15-foot jumper in addition to his jump hook in the low post. This is a terrific get for Turgeon and his staff."
Mark Turgeon, TEXAS A&M HEAD COACH: "We have been recruiting Tobi since we first arrived at Texas A&M. He's a great student, great person and great player. His family did a great job of instilling a solid value system in him and it shows in how he carries himself. On the court, Tobi is a hard-working power forward. He controls the game on the defensive end of the floor by blocking shots and rebounding inside and outside of his area. He excels at transitioning from defense to offense and uses his athleticism and length to finish on the break. Offensively, Tobi can score in the paint or from the elbow. His teammates enjoy playing with him because he's not afraid to pass the ball out of the post. Tobi is a product of a great high school program and has been taught how to play the right way."
Daniel Alexander, F, 6-8, 210, Dripping Springs, Texas (HS)
A 6-foot-8 forward, Alexander is the No. 89-ranked prospect in country by Rivals.com. He earned district MVP honors after averaging 19.6 points and 12 rebounds as a junior at Dripping Springs High School. Last summer, Alexander was invited to the prestigious Lebron James Skills Academy and the Vince Carter Skills Academy. He is featured on the cover ESPN Rise, a national magazine devoted to high school sports. Alexander also was recruited by Arizona, Baylor, Marquette, and Southern California.
DANIEL ALEXANDER: "The coaching staff recruited me really hard and it's obvious they worked the hardest in the recruiting game. The distance from home is close enough to where my family can come and see me and far enough where my mother can't come and check my room. I love their playing style. It's more of a motion and more of a fluent game. All the players are genuine guys and they're not worried about themselves. It's like a family and it's an `all for one, one for all' attitude with them. Coach Turgeon is a straight shooter who tells it like it is and focuses on making you a better basketball player."
MAX IVANY, TX D1 AMBASSADORS HEAD COACH: "Daniel has been an absolute joy to coach for the past three years. He comes from a great family that is extremely loyal and exudes high character. He's extremely skilled to be 6-8 and has excellent court vision and NBA shooting range. This summer, Daniel exhibited extraordinary toughness by playing with a cracked vertebrae in his back. Texas A&M is getting a special player with character, talent and toughness."
JOEL FRANSISCO, ESPN RECRUITING EXPERT: "Daniel is a very good athlete with solid quickness and bounce. He excels in transition and can either nail the 3-point shot or finish at the rim with a powerful dunk. In addition, he's a very clever passer and generally has a nice feel for the game. He should have a fine career for the Aggies."
DAN ALEXANDER, FATHER: "First and foremost, Coach Turgeon's a great basketball coach and he's getting it done. I know he'll develop and mentor Daniel throughout his career. Second, Coach Turgeon's open and honest in his dealings with players. He handled himself with integrity the entire process. Daniel loves the style of play and the vision for the program that Coach Turgeon has. They want to get to the point where, as a team, they run the court well and play a transition game. Daniel has become a lot faster and is getting stronger. I think most of the credit goes to Coach Turgeon because he's been very clear about what he sees in Daniel and what Daniel needs to work on in order to be a high-level college player at Texas A&M."
Mark Turgeon, TEXAS A&M HEAD COACH: "We are thrilled to add Daniel to our basketball program. He's a high-character kid who has a great personality. Daniel's successes on the court mirror his successes in the classroom and he comes from a close-knit family. Daniel is best known for his ability to shoot the basketball. He has great range on his shot and will really be able to help us stretch defenses. He has uncommon ball skills and playmaking ability for a guy his size. Daniel is a well-rounded player who has the talent and ability to impact every aspect of the game by scoring, defending and rebounding. He will help us continue to play our fast-paced offensive attack."
Keith Davis, C, 6-9, 220, DeSoto, Texas (DeSoto HS)
A 6-foot-9 center, Davis is rated as a 4-star prospect by Scout.com. Last spring, he led DeSoto High School to the Class 5A state championship. He joins a long line of recent athletes from DeSoto who have come to A&M, including Cyrus Gray (football), Tony-Jerod Eddie (football), Garrick Williams (football) and Sydney Carter (women's basketball). Davis also was recruited by Texas, Florida, Oklahoma State and Arkansas.
KEITH DAVIS: "I'm very excited to be an Aggie. When I go there I can be taught the game of basketball from good coaches and be in a good environment. A&M is the perfect spot because I can do my own thing. Coach Turgeon and I would talk and the trust was there and I felt it. When you watch their home games you see the crowd and how everybody is wild. I like how the team gets after the other team on defense and the way they run. It's great to see a team that actually wants to play defense and wants to run up and down the floor. It came down to which staff I was more comfortable with, the depth chart and being close to home and my mother. We all agreed that on these points, A&M was the best fit. Coach Turgeon won't settle for us to be just basketball players. He wants to help us develop as people and get our degrees. They run a lot and give their posts a lot of freedom to run the floor, block shots, and rebound."
EVAN DANIELS, SCOUT.COM NATIONAL RECRUITING EXPERT: "Keith Davis is a long, active big man who runs the floor well, blocks shots and is starting to pick things up offensively. He's got a nice set of hands and has already developed a jump hook over his left shoulder."
CHRIS DYER, DESOTO HIGH SCHOOL: "Keith was a big part of our success during our state title run. He bought into everything we did about playing defense first and going hard. He was instrumental. He had a terrific summer and everybody caught wind of him. Texas A&M had been there since day one. When school started and they were able to come up, they were here."
MIKE LAPLANTE, ESPN RECRUITING ANALYST: "Keith is a testament to how quickly a young, athletic big man can progress in a short period of time. He's always had high-level athleticism and a well-coached low post skill set, but was missing the confidence to take over a game. Well, the swagger has arrived and his game has elevated along with it. He runs the floor effortlessly and is a human pogo stick on the offensive glass. He's not afraid of contact and finishes with authority or can make you pay from the free throw line. I love his attitude and the energy level he brings to the floor. Keith is a great get for Texas A&M. Under the radar nationally, he's a great kid with an outstanding work ethic who may be one of the bigger steals in this year's class."
Mark Turgeon, TEXAS A&M HEAD COACH: "Keith is a very important player for us because he gives us a legitimate Big 12-caliber center. He's a great kid with a lot of ambition. Keith is an elite athlete and uses his athleticism to be a great presence on the defensive end of the floor. He can run the floor and will put a lot of pressure on opposing teams' transition defense. His offensive game is still evolving and we are looking forward to helping him develop into a dominant and complete player. Keith will continue the trend of student-athletes from DeSoto High School being successful at Texas A&M."
Kourtney Roberson, F, 6-9, 230, Arcadia, La. (Arcadia HS/Christian Life)
Roberson, a 6-foot-9 forward from Christian Life Academy in Houston, is the half-brother of Bernard King, A&M's all-time leading scorer who played from 1999-03. He was rated No. 87 nationally by ESPN.com as a senior at Arcadia High School, where he was a two-time all-state pick, He averaged 21 points and 15.8 rebounds as a senior, leading the team to a runner-up finish at the state tournament. He was regarded by some publications as the top prospect in Louisiana in 2009. Roberson also was recruited by LSU, Southern California, West Virginia, Texas and Louisiana Tech.
Kourtney Roberson: "A&M is a great school academically and I really like the closeness of the coaches and players. I felt comfortable there and my brother said it was a great place to go to school. I like how A&M treated me and it's a good school. It's a good fit for me. The players and coaches are what made A&M stand out. They are good guys and I feel like they will treat me right. You can talk to the coaches about anything. I have good ball handling skills and I'm a good rebounder. They told me what I need to work on and that I should be able to come in and help them right away."
Mark Turgeon, TEXAS A&M HEAD COACH: "We are very excited about the opportunity to coach Kourtney. For his size, he is a player who has a lot of skill and instincts for the game. His best basketball is in front of him. Kourtney is a great example of the type of player we are bringing in to our program. At 6-9, he has the ability to do a lot of different things for us on the court. He has a chance to be a great defender and great all around offensive player for us."
ANTONIO WILLIAMS, ESPN.COM RECRUITING COORDINATOR: "In Roberson, Coach Mark Turgeon adds another talented recruit with a great deal of upside. He attacks the boards with aggression on both ends and points usually result from offensive rebounds and put-backs. He also has good athleticism which allows him to get out and score in transition. Reoberson plays the game with great intensity and displays the toughness necessary to compete on the interior."
BOB GIBBONS, ESPN.COM RECRUITING ANALYST: "Roberson is a quality big man with great size. He is a good rebounder and shot blocker. With his developing scoring ability, good athleticism, and toughness he has the tools to be a very effective post player for the Aggies"
