Underwood Inks Three In Early Signing Period
11/12/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
NACGODOCHES, Texas – Stephen F. Austin head men's basketball coach Brad Underwood announced the signing of three student-athletes to National Letters of Intent on Wednesday evening during the early signing period. The class includes two prep stars and one junior college transfer.
The signing class consists of Lasani Johnson (Dallas, Texas; Bishop Dunne High School), Nathan Bain (Freeport, Bahamas; Sunrise Christian Academy) and Coris “CJ” Williams, Jr. (Powder Springs, Georgia; Hill College).
“We are elated about these three young men, because they meet the needs that we have,” Underwood said. “I think that offensively, we’ve got some very talented players. Having a skill set that fits our system is vital, so we’ve earmarked these young men from, really, since we first got the job. They really meet needs that fit us and it’s a tribute to my staff and their hard work. They’ve done a great job of evaluating and recruiting these young men and finding the pieces that need to be replaced. That’s a part of college basketball, we lose seniors and you’ve got to fill in with guys that can replace those guys.
“This is a very talented group. They’re athletic. They’ve got tremendous offensive firepower. They have a tremendous skill set, which I am very excited about being able to coach when they join our program next season, but more importantly, they have extremely high character. These guys are good kids. They’re devoted to basketball. They’re committed to being great, and they’re young men that fit. They fit the SFA culture and the environment that we want here in our basketball program, so I’m elated about having them.”
Lasani Johnson - Dallas, Texas (Bishop Dunne HS), 6-1, Guard
A three-star recruit according to rivals.com, Johnson is a 6-1 guard currently in his senior year under head coach Michael Alfers at Bishop Dunne High School in Dallas, Texas.
As a junior, Johnson earned first team all-state honors after averaging 28 points per game for the Falcons. In that season, he set the school’s record for most points in a single-game, netting 63 against Copperas Cove in the Dallas ISD/Coca-Cola Tournament.
Johnson’s improved his scoring in each of his first three years at BDHS, averaging 14.8 points per game as a freshman, 21.8 points per game (+7.0 points) as a sophomore and 28 points per game (+6.2 points) as a junior, leading the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex in scoring between all public and private schools.
He is the son of former NBA player Larry Johnson, who played with the Charlotte Hornets and New York Knicks from 1991-2001. His father was the first overall pick of the 1991 NBA draft after a standout career at UNLV (1989-1991).
Underwood on Johnson:
“Obviously, there is great pedigree with Lasani, but as we dove deeper into his recruitment and got more involved with him, we saw that he is a young man who is a very talented and gifted scorer. But it goes way beyond that with him, as his dedication, work ethic and maturity go well beyond his years. He’s a young man that has a great feel and great instincts for the game.
“He’s grown up around the game, as his father had a lengthy career in the NBA. He’s cerebral. He’s got an explosive athleticism about him, and he’s been extremely well coached. All of that leads to him, in my opinion, being able to come in here as a freshman and step right in, because he does one thing that a lot of guys can’t do, and that is he figures out how to score the basketball. Scoring is an art that he’s very good at. His personality, commitment level and strong character make him a great young man and I’ve enjoyed visiting with him and his mother a great deal through this process. We’re excited to have him join our SFA family.
Coach Michael Alfers on Johnson:
“Lasani is a tough competitor and a pure scorer. He is a very, very efficient player that does not have to put up a lot of shots to get his points. He is a very good shooter, who literally treats every practice like it is the state championship game. He practices hard, and I think he is the type of guy that fits coach Underwood’s mentality and system.
“He is not about himself. He is very humble, but he is also vocal player, and as he has gotten older, he has become a leader. I have coached him since his freshman year on varsity. Obviously when he was younger, he was a little quieter, but as he has gotten to his junior and senior year, he has not been afraid to tell the guys what they need to do for the team to be better.”
Nathan Bain - Freeport, Bahamas (Sunrise Christian Academy), 6-6, Forward
A three-star recruit according to rivals.com, Bain is a 6-6 forward currently in his senior year under head coach Kyle Lindsted at Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire, Kansas.
Currently ranked as one of the top 50 prospects in the United States, Bain has posted a 69-9 record through three years with the Buffaloes. Entering the season, SCA is ranked as one of the top five schools in the country at the prep level.
Underwood on Bain:
“Nathan is a young man that I’ve seen for quite some time in the Sunrise Academy in Wichita, Kansas. He was playing a great deal of his AAU ball with Kansas City and Wichita area teams back when I was at Kansas state, so I’m very familiar with him. He’s been extremely well coached. He’s extremely high-motored and an elite athlete at 6-6. He scores the ball a variety of ways, but his energy and his motor are second to none. I think it is very hard to find a player like him today that plays with his energy level and passion. He is very dedicated to the game and a very mature young man when it comes to knowing what he wants out of basketball and what he wants out of school. He is also a young man that, in my opinion, can be an impact guy as a freshman. I’m very excited to get and to have him in this program, because he is a multi-talented, multi-position guy. He can literally play anywhere on the court, and, more importantly, he can guard anywhere on the court. He fits our system, and I’m very excited about him and his upside.
“He’s got a very special family. It was a pleasure to go to Freeport, Bahamas, and meet his mom and dad. He has a terrific family environment at home and we are excited to have him and his parents as a part of our family.”
Coach Kyle Lindsted on Bain:
“Nathan is very athletic, border line freakishly athletic, talent with some of the things he is able to do. He can shoot, has a good pull-up and three, and is really relentless on the glass. He is a great offensive and defensive rebounder for a guy his size. He plays hard defensively and is a tough player. He will be ready to contribute right away when he walks in the door.
“He comes from a great family and has been a great fit here in this program. His parents and grandparents have a really good church and school in the Bahamas, where he is from. Academically, he does very well. From a moral and spiritual standpoint, he has a great base.”
Coris “CJ” Williams, Jr. - Powder Springs, Georgia (Hill College), 6-7, Forward
Williams is a 6-7 forward currently in his sophomore season under head coach Swede Trenkle at Hill College in Hillsboro, Texas.
As a freshman, Williams averaged a double-double, posting 10 points and 10 rebounds per game, in helping the Rebels to a 25-9 record and NJCAA Region V championship.
Williams already has ties to SFA, as former teammate Jared Johnson signed with the ‘Jacks in Underwood’s first recruiting class as head coach last November.
His father, Coris Williams, Sr., played basketball at Alcorn State.
Underwood on Williams:
“CJ is a unique player, and I say that in the fact that he is a big, strong, physical player. Out of all the players at the junior college level, he was probably the best passer I’ve seen. He has extreme feel and touch. He’s a guy who can step out and shoot the three, but he is also a guy who is a high-volume rebounder and can defend multiple positions. He’s a matchup nightmare on the offensive end, as he can play on both the interior and exterior within our system. With his high IQ and his instinctive ability to pass, he’s a guy that impacts the game in so many ways beyond scoring. He doesn’t have to have a 20-point game to have a huge impact. He makes his teammates better, and he is a terrific young man.
“We’re excited to have him and his maturity. Our team needs his age and experience. As we replace four seniors, he’ll give us a little maturation, as he’s been in an awfully successful program at Hill College. Hill went to the national tournament last year and they’re one of the top 25 teams in the country led by him. We’re excited to have him join our ranks.”
Coach Swede Trenkle on Williams:
“CJ is a real strong kid. He plays physical and plays well. He handles the ball well for his size and he does all the little things that make him a versatile player. He can hit jumpers, score off the bounce and go to the rim. In junior college, he is a dream, because he is really hard to guard and I think his success will follow him to the next level. He is a very good basketball player.”
-SFA-
