Seawolves open 2010-11 season on Nov. 12 at Connecticut.Stony Brook, N.Y. - Stony Brook University men's basketball head coach Steve Pikiell has announced that Anthony Mayo (Philadelphia, Pa.) has signed a grant-in-aid agreement to play for the Seawolves, beginning in the fall of 2010. Mayo joins a 2010-11 recruiting class which already includes guards Dave Coley (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and Anthony Jackson (Columbus, Ohio) and forward Al Rapier (Chicago, Ill.).
"I couldn't be happier to welcome Anthony to the Stony Brook family," Pikiell said. "He will give us a great inside presence; he is an outstanding rebounder and shot-blocker and can score in the post. He also played for a fantastic high school coach [Chris McNesby], who has prepared him to contribute for us immediately. But more importantly, he is a quality student-athlete that will be an excellent representative of Stony Brook University."
A 6'9, 210 pound forward/center, Mayo played for McNesby at storied Roman Catholic High School in Philadelphia and was named a co-captain as a senior. A 2010 honorable mention All-Catholic league selection by the Philadelphia Daily News, Mayo averaged 10 points, six rebounds and three blocks per game and led Roman to the PIAA Class AAAA quarterfinals. He was ranked among the top 100 centers in the nation by ESPN.com and was the 35th ranked player in Philadelphia by PhillyHoops.net.
"Anthony's size is his greatest asset," McNesby said. "He is an outstanding rebounder and shot-blocker with great basketball IQ. He really believes in the Stony Brook coaching staff and their ability to help him grow as a player and a person."
Mayo joins Coley and Rapier, who each signed with the Seawolves last fall, and Jackson, who signed in the spring. A 6-2 combo guard, Coley was a four-year starter for head coach Lawrence Pollard at Thomas Jefferson High School in Brooklyn. A captain for Jefferson last season, he led the Orange Wave to the PSAL Class AA quarterfinals.
Coley averaged 16 points and five rebounds per game and was named to the 2010 All-Brooklyn second team by the New York Post. He was also selected to play in the Jordan Brand Classic Regional Game and scored 20 points.
A 5'11, 180 pound point guard, Jackson played for head coach Tony Staib at Gahanna Lincoln High School in Columbus, Ohio. A first-team Ohio Capital Conference selection, Jackson led Lincoln to a 26-1 record and the school's first ever appearance in the state semi-finals.
He had 12 points in Lincoln's 71-45 win over Northland, the top-ranked team in the country and scored 23 in the state semifinal game against Massillon Jackson. An honorable mention all-state selection as a senior, Jackson averaged 15 points, five rebounds and 3.5 assists per game and set a school record for three-point field goal percentage (.530).
Rapier played for powerhouse Mineral Area College and head coach Corey Tate for the past two seasons. As a sophomore, Rapier was a first team all-conference selection as he helped Mineral Area, located in Park Hills, Mo., to the MCCAC Conference Championship and a spot in the Region XVI semifinals.
An all-state and all-conference selection as a senior at Perspectives Charter Academy in Chicago, Rapier averaged 18 points, 17 rebounds, and six assists per game. The versatile 6-7 forward was also selected as the #1 player in the Blue West Conference by the Chicago Tribune.
