Grizzlies Add to Great Recruiting Class

From OUgrizzlies.com

The Oakland University men's basketball team has made yet another addition to its recruiting class, coach Greg Kampe announced Tuesday, as Matt Samuels has signed a National Letter of Intent to compete for the Golden Grizzlies in the 2008-09 season. The addition of Samuels rounds out arguably the top recruiting class in school history.

"We're extremely excited about Matt joining our program," said Kampe. "Our biggest remaining need in recruiting was the point guard position. Matt is a pure point with great speed and a Derick Nelson-type body, and can score the ball. I also think he can be a great defender because of his outstanding strength and quickness."

Samuels, a 6-0 Washington, D.C. native, averaged 22 points and five assists per game as a senior at Coastal Christian Academy in Virginia Beach, Va. Samuels played for the prestigious Richmond Squires AAU team and was heavily recruited, committing to Wyoming before a coaching change prompted Samuels to re-open his recruitment.

Samuels joins early signees Blake Cushingberry, who was listed as the sixth-best player in the state of Michigan by BankHoops.com and No. 128 nationally by ESPN.com as a shooting guard; Drew Maynard, who was ranked as the third-best player in the state of Michigan by BankHoops.com and the 36th-best shooting guard in the nation by ESPN.com, in addition to being a two-time all-league, all-area, and Oakland Press Dream Team member as well as a third-team all-state honor; and Jay Thames, who was ranked as the 36th-best power forward in the country by ESPN.com and the 10th-best player in the state by BankHoops.com, earning all-state, all-area, and all-conference honors along the way.