Keller Adds Three-Star Forwards Hart and Pope During Early Signing Period
11/14/2018 7:22:00 PM | Men's Basketball
SFA bolsters front court with pair of high-profile high school signees
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - A pair of three-star front court players - one from Texas and the other from Louisiana - inked their National Letters of Intent to play basketball for SFA and head coach Kyle Keller Wednesday.
Sama'Zha Hart (Dallas, Texas | L.G. Pinkston HS) and Tylan Pope (Franklinton, La. | Franklinton HS) both put pen to paper Wednesday and announced their intentions to join SFA beginning in the 2019-20 season.
"Our staff continues to amaze me in how they continue to excel in all areas of the their job - recruiting being one of those key areas," commented Keller who is in his third season as SFA's bench boss. "Both of these young men were highly recruited kids that our staff spent lots of time developing deep relationships with and I am thrilled they chose SFA today."
Sama'Zha Hart | 6-8 | 200 | F | Dallas, Texas | L.G. Pinkston High School | Highlights
• Three-star recruit according to ESPN, 247Sports and Rivals
• Ranked 50th in his position, 36th in the region and 24th in the state in the 2019 class by ESPN
• Had offers from Baylor, Colorado State, Kansas State, Louisiana Tech, Oklahoma, TCU, Texas, Tulsa, UT-Arlington and Virginia Tech
• Averaged 17 points, 11 rebounds and three blocked shots per game as a junior at L.G. Pinkston High School in 2017-18.
• Earned First Team All-District and First Team All-Region accolades following the conclusion of his junior year.
• Named to the Greenville Invitational All-Tournament Team.
• Competed alongside fellow 2019 SFA signee Tylan Pope on the Pro Skills team at both the Nike EYBL and the Peach Jam in the summer of 2018.
• At the Nike EYBL, averaged 4.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game while posting shooting splits of .426/.278/.538.
• While competing in the Peach Jam, averaged 3.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game while posting shooting splits of .605/.200/.500.
What they're saying about Hart
Cedric Griffin | L.G. Pinkston High School Head Basketball Coach | "It has been a pleasure to have coached one of the best basketball players out of Texas' 2019 signing class. Sama'Zha has helped our team do great things and I wish him all the best at SFA once he finishes his high school playing career."
Corey Evans | rivals.com Scout | "Sama'Zha Hart is the ideal history guy. Tough, scrappy and full of energy, this is the type of guy that could immediately impact the program through his grit but also his ability to defend up to three positions. If available in the spring, Hart would have been a high-major target. Once his skillset catches up with his physical tangibles, what he can contribute on the floor will only be ramped up another few levels."
Kyle Keller | SFA Head Basketball Coach | "Sama'Zha is a young man that we have recruited for a long time. We targeted him early and thought he was someone that could impact our program. He brings a great thoroughbred-type athletic style and scores at a lot of different levels. I think he's someone that plays above the rim and he can really shoot it. The thing that caught my eye initially was how well he shot the ball for a guy his size who's so graceful and athletic. He fits the athleticism mold that we're continuing to try to bring to SFA. Desmond Haymon and our staff did a great job recruiting him. SFA was his first campus visit and it was a place that made him feel comfortable."
Tylan Pope | 6-6 | 220 | F | Franklinton, La. | Franklinton HS | Highlights
• Three-star recruit according to rivals.com.
• Two-star recruit according to VerbalCommits.com
• Refused offers from Appalachian State, Baylor, Cincinnati, Little Rock, Louisiana, McNeese, Missouri State, New Orleans, Richmond, Texas A&M, Texas State, Tulane, UMass-Lowell, Utah State and Wyoming to sign on at SFA.
• District 8-4A First Team selection as a sophomore in 2016-17
• District 8-4A First Team selection as a junior in 2017-18
• District 8-4A Most Valuable Player as a junior in 2017-18
• Competed alongside fellow 2019 SFA signee Sama'Zha Hart on the Pro Skills team at both the Nike EYBL and the Peach Jam in the summer of 2018.
• At the Nike EYBL, averaged 10.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game while posting shooting splits of .545/.167/.653 through a 15-game span.
• While competing in the Peach Jam, averaged 11.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game while posting shooting splits of .590/.000/.647 through a five-game span.
What they're saying about Pope
Brad Oestriecher | Franklinton High School Head Basketball Coach | "Tylan is a dominant rebounder and the most physical basketball player I have ever seen. He is a one-of-a-kind leader and an even better kid. SFA is getting a phenomenal basketball player and person."
Corey Evans | rivals.com Scout | "Tylan Pope is a bit of an undersized interior presence but his strength, super long arms and instincts enables for him to produce regardless of opposition. He is a premier rebounder of the ball with a great feel and skillset in the low post. He is a walking double-double thanks to his timing and IQ for the game where he always seems to be in the right spot. He screams ready made producer and should, at the very least, leave a large dent on the glass from his freshman year on."
Kyle Keller | SFA Head Basketball Coach | "He always caught my eye whenever we were in the same gym. Both of the players in our recruiting class so far, I didn't think we'd have a good opportunity to recruit since a lot of other places were recruiting them, too. Today's commitment from Tylan speaks volumes about how much effort Wade Mason put into building a great relationship with him and going above and beyond to bring another special player to SFA. As for Tylan, he is an extremely tough young man who possesses a lot of parallels with the culture of SFA basketball. I think our fans will really enjoy watching him play because he is a winner. He's a different kind of player - maybe not the high-flyer that Sama'Zha is - but he wins and tries to win every possession. We need guys like that to continue the tradition of excellent that SFA is known for."
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