MBB UL basketball recruiting class injects talent
The UL basketball team emerged with three signings from the NCAA’s early fall signing period, which closed earlier this week.
When it did, the Ragin’ Cajuns had three members of Nola.com’s Super 16 Louisiana high school basketball recruits.
Quote:
<!--
The UL basketball team emerged with three signings from the NCAA’s early fall signing period, which closed earlier this week.
When it did, the Ragin’ Cajuns had three members of Nola.com’s Super 16 Louisiana high school basketball recruits.
Tops on the list among those UL landed is No. 3 Johnathan Stove, the last of the three to sign with the Cajuns.
The 6-foot-4, 215-pound swingman from Baton Rouge earned Louisiana Class 1A All-State honors after averaging 19.8 points per game last season for 27-6 Christian Life Academy. He also was MVP as a sophomore when Christian Life won a Class 1A state title.
The others are two New Orleans-area products, power forward/center Scott Plaisance of Country Day School, who is No. 6 on the Super 16 list, and No. 13 forward Bryce Washington of St. Augustine High.
“We have added three solid kids from traditionally strong programs from Louisiana who will be able to give us help at just about every position,” UL coach Bob Marlin said.
Stove also averaged a team-high 12.8 ppg and 6.9 rebounds per game while shooting 36.9 percent from 3-point range for Team Nike during AAU play last summer.
“Johnathan is a big, strong wing who can play multiple positions,” Marlin said. “He had a great spring and summer on the AAU circuit and I know he is looking forward to winning another state championship for Christian Life.
“He is physically ready to play at this level right now, having what we call a ‘college-ready body,’ which will let him compete as a freshman.”
The 6-9, 200-pound Plaisance was named the Louisiana Class 1A Player of the Year after averaging 15.8 points, 10.3 rebounds and 4.1 blocks per game last season for a 26-11 state-title team.
His mother, DoBee Plaisance, is Nicholls State women’s basketball head coach, and his sister, Theresa Plaisance, earned first-team All-SEC honors as a junior at LSU last season.
“He really plays hard, runs the floor extremely well,” Marlin said, adding that Plaisance “has got to gain some strength.” “He’s a tough young man, and certainly comes from a basketball family.”
Marlin calls the 6-6, 235-pound Washington an “excellent rebounder and passer” who is projected as a power forward with a chance to also play small forward.
He averaged 13.0 points, 11.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists as a junior last season.
“Like Scotty (Plaisance), he’s a smart player and student of the game,” Marlin said. “He really understands how to play (and) physically he’s ready to play.
“He sneaks up on opponents because he isn’t real flashy, and it isn’t until you see the stats after the game that you notice all of the things that he does for his team.”
Nola.com’s Super 16 No. 1 is Tennessee-signee Jordan Cornish of Brother Martin in New Orleans, and its No. 2 is Memphis-signee Dominic Magee of Helen Cox near New Orleans.
At No. 11 on the list is St. Thomas More’s Trey Touchet, who signed as expected with UTEP during the early fall period.
-->
