Men's Basketball Adds Four Recruits
May 09, 2006 | Men's Basketball
Ahmaad Cook (Inglewood, Calif./Westchester H.S.), Steve Horton (Cincinnati, Ohio/Western Hills H.S.), Rashuan McLemore (Richmond, Va./Mt. Zion Christian Academy) and Jarelle Redden (Cincinnati, Ohio/Western Hills H.S.), have each signed National Letters of Intent to attend Ball State University and compete for the men's basketball program, according to first-year head coach Ronny Thompson.
"The thing I love about these four guys is that they are tough, competitive kids," Thompson said. "I want to continue to attract competitive players from winning programs to Ball State. Each time these four guys step on the court, they play like they have something to prove."
Cook, a six-foot point guard, finished his senior season at Westchester High School in Los Angeles with a 25-7 overall record. He averaged 15 points, six assists, five rebounds and three steals per contest and guided Westchester to the Los Angeles City Championship, defeating nationally-ranked and favorite Fairfax in the semifinals and Woodland Hills Taft H.S. in the title game.
Cook, who is the younger brother of Georgetown guard Ashanti Cook, was named the Most Valuable Player of the Los Angeles All-City Basketball Championship and also earned MVP honors earlier in the season at the Westchester Tip-Off Classic, where Cook led his team to a 4-0 record and the classic title.
Westchester High School is a nationally-ranked high school program known for developing players such as Amir Johnson (the last high school player taken in the NBA Draft and current member of the Detroit Pistons), Trevor Ariza (UCLA and current member of the Orlando Magic) and Hassan Adams (Arizona) among others.
"Ahmaad knows how to win," Thompson said. "He comes from a perennial top five or top 10, nationally ranked program at Westchester. He has a pedigree of winning and winning at a national level. He's a playmaker who can knock down shots."
Horton, a 5-9 guard, and BSU recruit Jarelle Redden completed their sophomore seasons at Cincinnati State Technical College in 2006. Horton averaged 13 points per game last season and ranked sixth in the nation with eight assists per game. He earned the Jack Cistriano Award as the best player under six foot at last year's national tournament.
"Steve is a tremendous floor leader," Thompson said. "He likes the up-tempo style and brings a real toughness to our program."
McLemore joins the Ball State program after prep school at Mt. Zion Academy in Durham, N.C. The 6-4 wing player, averaged 16 points, five assists and four rebounds per game last season. McLemore was a teammate of current Kansas player Brandon Rush, while Tracy McGrady, currently a member of the Houston Rockets, played for Mt. Zion before being drafted in the NBA in 1997.
"Rashaun comes from one of the top prep schools in the country," Thompson said. "He is a tremendous shooter and has a distinct feel for the game. Rashaun also comes from a program with a tradition of winning and winning at a very high level."
Redden, a 6-2 guard, who like Horton was a two-year starter at CSTC, averaged 15 points per contest a year ago, ranked sixth in the nation in steals (4.0) and 11th in the nation with nearly 10 rebounds per contest.
"For a guard to average double-figure rebounds, it is an indication of Jarelle's competitive desire," Thompson said. "He's a good shooter and has the intangibles every coach looks for. He's a natural leader."
The four signees join 6-10 Micah Rollin, who signed with the Cardinals in April, as Thompson's first five recruits at Ball State. Cook and Rollin, a native of Long Beach, Calif., are the first men's basketball players from the state of California in Ball State history.
