Many look back on the 2006-2007 men’s basketball season and see only the win and loss columns. What is widely ignored is the work Head Coach Ed Cooley put into secure one of the strongest incoming freshman classes in the MAAC.
Cooley focused on recruiting players who fit his philosophy and system, which focuses on a strong inside presence with a lot of big bodies.
The fruits of his labor were a promising group of long-bodied athletes with excellent track records.
Lyndon Jordan, a 6’2″ point guard out of Winder Barrow High School in Georgia, is an exciting point guard who knows how to run the floor and has “great court vision,” according to Cooley. He averaged 15 points and seven assists to go with two steals a game as a junior at Winder Barrow.
Sean Grzeck out of Wilmington and Yorel Hawkins from Apex highlight a tandem of heralded North Carolina high schoolers.
Grzeck, a 6’7″ forward, finished his career at Hoggard High with the all-time marks in both three-pointers made and rebounds, as well as Mideastern Conference Player of the Year his senior year after he averaged 16 points and nine boards a game.
Hawkins is a 6’6″ forward who led Apex High to back-to-back 20 win seasons while averaging over 23 points and nine rebounds a game. He won the league’s Player of the Year award as a junior, and Cooley promises fellow Stags will fall in love with his energetic style of play.
Warren Edney, considered the most athletic of the bunch, is a 6’5″ forward who brings a fierce defensive presence to go along with his offensive prowess.
He was the Liberty District Player of the Year and also collected All-State honors during his career at James Madison High School.
Considering these impressive credentials, Cooley is looking to this freshman class to make an immediate impact on what promises to be an exciting season.
Leave a Reply