Texas A&M basketball coach Billy Kennedy landed another strong class for his program on Wednesday with the announcement of the signing of three student-athletes to national letters of intent.
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J.J. Caldwell (Houston) and Robert Williams (Vivian, La.) will begin with the program next year, while Kobie Eubanks (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) will join at the conclusion of this fall semester.
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J.J. Caldwell is considered one of the top guard prospects in the state of Texas.
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"J.J. is an explosive point guard that we've recruited for some time now," Kennedy said. "He's one of the best passing guards that I've seen in a long time. He can really defend the ball and is aggressive getting to the basket. He'll have a chance to impact our team right away as a freshman."
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A 5-foot-11 athlete, Caldwell is regarded by well-known recruiting expert Bob Gibbins as the nation's fifth-ranked point guard recruit as well as the country's No. 30 overall recruit. Additionally, he is a member of the ESPN Top 100, ranking as the No. 84 recruit nationally and listed as a four-star prospect by ESPN, 247 Sports, Rivals.com and Scout.com. Scout also slots him as the 53rd-ranked player in the country.
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"The four-star prospect is a terrific passer who will do a great job pushing the ball on the break, off the dribble or by applying instant pressure to the transition defense with a quick up-the-floor advance pass," ESPN basketball recruiting expert Reggi Rankin said of Caldwell. "He does a good job of running the half-court offense, getting in the lane and making plays at end-of-clock situations, where he is strong enough to finish through contact if he has to complete the play himself."
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Caldwell played at Cypress Woods High School as a junior last season where he averaged 13.9 points, 7.6 assists and 6.5 rebounds per contest, earning First-Team All-District 17-5A honors along the way. As a sophomore at CWHS during the 2013-14 campaign, Caldwell was recognized as District 17-5A Newcomer of the Year as he averaged just under 12 points and over 10 assists per contest.
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As a senior this season, Caldwell will compete with the SATCH Varsity West Team, under the direction of head coach Ben Perkins. SATCH stands for "Sports Association of Texas Christian Homeschoolers." SATCH is a non-profit organization that began in 2003 as a competitive homeschool basketball organization.
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"J.J. is one of the most unselfish and willing passers that I've had a chance to work with on the high school level," Perkins said. "So the one thing I can tell you is you're going to get a floor general that is looking to create and make plays for his teammates."
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In AAU competition, Caldwell has competed with the Houston Defenders organization, where he averaged 9.3 points, 6.3 assists and 4.8 rebounds per outing.
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Additionally, Caldwell turned heads at the NBA Top 100 camp in Charlottesville, Va., over the summer where he stood out as one of the event's top passers and defenders.
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A 6-foot-5 prospect, Kobie Eubanks is considered a big, talented guard with scoring ability and will join the Aggies at the semester break this December.
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"Kobie is a late addition to our freshman class," Texas A&M head coach Billy Kennedy said. "He's a guy that can come in this December and will be eligible to play. He brings a physical presence and maturity as a freshman because he basically had to sit out a year. He'll add some scoring ability, being a big power guard with us losing [Danuel] House and [Alex] Caruso next year. Kobie is a guy who can really impact our team and as we like to say 'get buckets'."
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Eubanks is regarded as a four-start prospect by ESPN, 247Sports, Rivals.com and Scout.com. A consensus top-100 recruit, Eubanks was listed as the fifth-ranked player in New York and No. 21 in the East Region coming out of high school.
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"What we've seen is a big and strong wing who can score the ball from various spots on the floor and at all three ranges," ESPN's Adam Finkelstein said of Eubanks. "He can absorb contact going to the rim, has definite three-point range, but has also become very proficient utilizing his pull-up game to score over top of smaller defenders and even bringing them to the block where he can post them up."
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Most recently, Eubanks spent the 2014-15 season at Elev8 Sports Institute in Delray Beach, Fla., where he played for head coach Chad Myers.
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Eubanks finished his high school career playing at Our Savior New American School in Centereach, N.Y., for Rev. Ron Stelzer and Eric Jaklitsch. While there, Eubanks averaged 18.5 points while leading Our Savior New American to a 24-3 record as a senior in 2013-14. He scored in double figures in 25-of-27 games, including 13 games with at least 20 points and a pair of 30-point games. He also hit at least one 3-pointer in all 27 games and knocked down multiple 3-pointers in 24-of-27 contests.
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Outside of school, Eubanks played AAU basketball for the Each1 Teach1 program based out of Orlando, Fla., under coach Edward "Boobie" Francis. The E1 T1 squad is a part of the elite Nike EYBL Youth Series.
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A native of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Eubanks played his first three years of high school basketball at American Heritage School in Plantation, Fla., before heading to New York for his senior year. While at AHS, Eubanks was named MVP of the 2013 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. "Stop the Violence" Basketball Classic after posting 18 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists in a 61-56 win.
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Forward Robert Williams is regarded as the top prospect in the state of Louisiana.
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"For me, being a Louisiana guy, to get the number one player in the state of Louisiana is exciting," Kennedy said. "Robert is extremely talented. He's a shot blocker, an athlete, and brings something we don't have in the program right now from an athleticism standpoint and his ability to alter opponents' shots around the basket. He can score too. When he figures out how good he can be, it could be scary."
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Williams is considered a consensus four-star prospect, with ESPN regarding him as a member of its Top 100 as well as the No. 1 player in the Pelican State. Both ESPN and Scout.com slot Williams as the No. 12 power forward prospect nationally with ESPN ranking him as the 48th overall recruit in the country.
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"Williams is a blossoming prospect who is just starting to scratch the surface of his talent," ESPN.com's national recruiting director Paul Biancardi said. "His best quality right now is his versatility and his shot-blocking ability, as he can influence the game on both ends of the floor. Long and athletic with a good motor, Williams runs the floor with effort to finish a break with explosiveness."
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A 6-foot-8, 225 forward, Williams plays his prep ball at North Caddo High School in Vivian, La., where he stars for head coach Ron Meikle. As a junior during the 2014-15 campaign, Williams earned First Team All-State accolades from the Louisiana High School Basketball Coaches Association and honorable mention All-State distinction from the Louisiana Sports Writers Association after averaging 21.0 points and 13.4 rebounds per contest.
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"Aggie fans can expect the type of player who comes in a game and makes an immediate change in the flow of the game, because of his ability and skill level to block and alter shots with his length and quickness," Meikle said. "He's going to take a little bit of time catch up to the speed of the game in the SEC, but he is really skilled and really smart and will be able to help defensively immediately."
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Last season, Williams helped guide North Caddo to a 29-4 record and a showing in the semifinals of the Louisiana Class 2A playoffs, coming within two wins of a state title. During the summer, he played for Houston Hoops where he contributed 8.1 points and 6.5 rebounds per contest while shooting 63.5 percent. An elite shot blocker, he led the entire Nike EYBL by maintaining a 3.6 block-per-game average.
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"He had a coming out party at the state tournament and really started to figure out how good he is," Meikle added. "It really took off from there and he had a great summer in the Nike circuit. I think A&M is really getting a hell of a player."
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J.J. Caldwell (Houston) and Robert Williams (Vivian, La.) will begin with the program next year, while Kobie Eubanks (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) will join at the conclusion of this fall semester.
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J.J. Caldwell is considered one of the top guard prospects in the state of Texas.
Â
"J.J. is an explosive point guard that we've recruited for some time now," Kennedy said. "He's one of the best passing guards that I've seen in a long time. He can really defend the ball and is aggressive getting to the basket. He'll have a chance to impact our team right away as a freshman."
Â
A 5-foot-11 athlete, Caldwell is regarded by well-known recruiting expert Bob Gibbins as the nation's fifth-ranked point guard recruit as well as the country's No. 30 overall recruit. Additionally, he is a member of the ESPN Top 100, ranking as the No. 84 recruit nationally and listed as a four-star prospect by ESPN, 247 Sports, Rivals.com and Scout.com. Scout also slots him as the 53rd-ranked player in the country.
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"The four-star prospect is a terrific passer who will do a great job pushing the ball on the break, off the dribble or by applying instant pressure to the transition defense with a quick up-the-floor advance pass," ESPN basketball recruiting expert Reggi Rankin said of Caldwell. "He does a good job of running the half-court offense, getting in the lane and making plays at end-of-clock situations, where he is strong enough to finish through contact if he has to complete the play himself."
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Caldwell played at Cypress Woods High School as a junior last season where he averaged 13.9 points, 7.6 assists and 6.5 rebounds per contest, earning First-Team All-District 17-5A honors along the way. As a sophomore at CWHS during the 2013-14 campaign, Caldwell was recognized as District 17-5A Newcomer of the Year as he averaged just under 12 points and over 10 assists per contest.
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As a senior this season, Caldwell will compete with the SATCH Varsity West Team, under the direction of head coach Ben Perkins. SATCH stands for "Sports Association of Texas Christian Homeschoolers." SATCH is a non-profit organization that began in 2003 as a competitive homeschool basketball organization.
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"J.J. is one of the most unselfish and willing passers that I've had a chance to work with on the high school level," Perkins said. "So the one thing I can tell you is you're going to get a floor general that is looking to create and make plays for his teammates."
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In AAU competition, Caldwell has competed with the Houston Defenders organization, where he averaged 9.3 points, 6.3 assists and 4.8 rebounds per outing.
Â
Additionally, Caldwell turned heads at the NBA Top 100 camp in Charlottesville, Va., over the summer where he stood out as one of the event's top passers and defenders.
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A 6-foot-5 prospect, Kobie Eubanks is considered a big, talented guard with scoring ability and will join the Aggies at the semester break this December.
Â
"Kobie is a late addition to our freshman class," Texas A&M head coach Billy Kennedy said. "He's a guy that can come in this December and will be eligible to play. He brings a physical presence and maturity as a freshman because he basically had to sit out a year. He'll add some scoring ability, being a big power guard with us losing [Danuel] House and [Alex] Caruso next year. Kobie is a guy who can really impact our team and as we like to say 'get buckets'."
Â
Eubanks is regarded as a four-start prospect by ESPN, 247Sports, Rivals.com and Scout.com. A consensus top-100 recruit, Eubanks was listed as the fifth-ranked player in New York and No. 21 in the East Region coming out of high school.
Â
"What we've seen is a big and strong wing who can score the ball from various spots on the floor and at all three ranges," ESPN's Adam Finkelstein said of Eubanks. "He can absorb contact going to the rim, has definite three-point range, but has also become very proficient utilizing his pull-up game to score over top of smaller defenders and even bringing them to the block where he can post them up."
Â
Most recently, Eubanks spent the 2014-15 season at Elev8 Sports Institute in Delray Beach, Fla., where he played for head coach Chad Myers.
Â
Eubanks finished his high school career playing at Our Savior New American School in Centereach, N.Y., for Rev. Ron Stelzer and Eric Jaklitsch. While there, Eubanks averaged 18.5 points while leading Our Savior New American to a 24-3 record as a senior in 2013-14. He scored in double figures in 25-of-27 games, including 13 games with at least 20 points and a pair of 30-point games. He also hit at least one 3-pointer in all 27 games and knocked down multiple 3-pointers in 24-of-27 contests.
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Outside of school, Eubanks played AAU basketball for the Each1 Teach1 program based out of Orlando, Fla., under coach Edward "Boobie" Francis. The E1 T1 squad is a part of the elite Nike EYBL Youth Series.
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A native of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Eubanks played his first three years of high school basketball at American Heritage School in Plantation, Fla., before heading to New York for his senior year. While at AHS, Eubanks was named MVP of the 2013 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. "Stop the Violence" Basketball Classic after posting 18 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists in a 61-56 win.
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Forward Robert Williams is regarded as the top prospect in the state of Louisiana.
Â
"For me, being a Louisiana guy, to get the number one player in the state of Louisiana is exciting," Kennedy said. "Robert is extremely talented. He's a shot blocker, an athlete, and brings something we don't have in the program right now from an athleticism standpoint and his ability to alter opponents' shots around the basket. He can score too. When he figures out how good he can be, it could be scary."
Â
Williams is considered a consensus four-star prospect, with ESPN regarding him as a member of its Top 100 as well as the No. 1 player in the Pelican State. Both ESPN and Scout.com slot Williams as the No. 12 power forward prospect nationally with ESPN ranking him as the 48th overall recruit in the country.
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"Williams is a blossoming prospect who is just starting to scratch the surface of his talent," ESPN.com's national recruiting director Paul Biancardi said. "His best quality right now is his versatility and his shot-blocking ability, as he can influence the game on both ends of the floor. Long and athletic with a good motor, Williams runs the floor with effort to finish a break with explosiveness."
Â
A 6-foot-8, 225 forward, Williams plays his prep ball at North Caddo High School in Vivian, La., where he stars for head coach Ron Meikle. As a junior during the 2014-15 campaign, Williams earned First Team All-State accolades from the Louisiana High School Basketball Coaches Association and honorable mention All-State distinction from the Louisiana Sports Writers Association after averaging 21.0 points and 13.4 rebounds per contest.
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"Aggie fans can expect the type of player who comes in a game and makes an immediate change in the flow of the game, because of his ability and skill level to block and alter shots with his length and quickness," Meikle said. "He's going to take a little bit of time catch up to the speed of the game in the SEC, but he is really skilled and really smart and will be able to help defensively immediately."
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Last season, Williams helped guide North Caddo to a 29-4 record and a showing in the semifinals of the Louisiana Class 2A playoffs, coming within two wins of a state title. During the summer, he played for Houston Hoops where he contributed 8.1 points and 6.5 rebounds per contest while shooting 63.5 percent. An elite shot blocker, he led the entire Nike EYBL by maintaining a 3.6 block-per-game average.
Â
"He had a coming out party at the state tournament and really started to figure out how good he is," Meikle added. "It really took off from there and he had a great summer in the Nike circuit. I think A&M is really getting a hell of a player."
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