Men's Basketball Inks Two Early Signees
11/13/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
CONWAY - With Wednesday being the opening of the NCAA Division I men's basketball National Letter of Intent signing period, Coastal Carolina head coach Cliff Ellis announced two student-athletes as part of the 2015-16 recruiting class. Amidou Bamba and Joseph Williams-Powell have committed to the Chanticleers to continue both their educational and basketball careers.
"I am extremely excited to announce the addition of these two great young men," said head coach Cliff Ellis. "Amidou and Joseph are great people and both come from winning programs. These two guys will help solidify our front court as we move forward into the Sun Belt Conference."
Amidou Bamba
Toronto, Ontario/High Point Christian Academy (N.C.)
Forward | 6-8 | 230
Bamba is an athletic 6-8 forward at High Point Christian Academy. He is originally from Toronto, Ontario, and is ranked as the No. 3 recruit out of the Ontario providence by ESPN.com. Bamba is a three-star recruit according to ESPN.com with a final grade of 74 out of 100. During his junior season, Bamba averaged 9.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game while sharing the floor with three additional Division I signees. He shot 68 percent from the field in his 31 games played. Bamba also excels academically, owing a 4.0 grade point average.
Ellis on Bamba: "I am excited about Amidou joining our program. He is a well-rounded student-athlete that any coach would want representing their program. The sky is the limit for Amidou. He is a big man that has great hands and feet. He also has a college ready body along with a desire and work ethic that is unparalleled. Our fans are going to enjoy watching this young man over the next several years."
Joseph Williams-Powell
Saginaw, Mich./Saginaw HS/Palm Beach State College
Forward | 6-7 | 210
Williams-Powell is a 6-7 junior college forward at Palm Beach State College. He averaged 6.3 points and 4.9 rebounds per game in 2014-15, helping the Panthers to a 20-10 overall record during his freshman season. Williams-Powell shot 52.3 percent from the field and grabbed 141 rebounds in his 29 games played last season. He set his career-high with 14 points in a win over Florida State-Jacksonville.
Ellis on Williams-Powell: "I am equally excited that Joseph will be joining our program. He is the type of player that every team has to have to be successful. He brings great energy and passion to the game. He is an athlete that rebounds his position extremely well. Joseph is the guy on the floor that is always around the ball and making positive things happen for his team."
