LITTLE ROCK – The first signees of the
Darrell Walker era are official as Little Rock has announced four additions to the men's basketball roster. Kamani Johnson, Markquis Nowell, Ethan Steinbronn and Horace Wyatt Jr. have all signed their letters of intent and will join the program later this summer.
"I was looking for guys that can play two or three positions, guys that are skilled and guys that can make plays," Walker said. "The way the game is going, you need players who are interchangeable and can do multiple things. These signees are all very athletic and I think will be great fits in what we're trying to build here in Little Rock. We've got a nice little crew coming in here. I'm excited about my team."
Johnson, a native of Brooklyn, New York, spent his senior year of high school at Holy Spirit Prep School in Atlanta, Georgia, after playing for Montverde Academy in Florida for two seasons and leading the Cougars to a state championship. A two-star recruit, the 6-7 Johnson averaged 17 points, nine rebounds, three assists and 1.5 blocks during his prep career and is projected to play the three position for the Trojans.
"Kamani has a really big upside," Walker said. "He can put the ball on the floor, can shoot very accurately, is a good rebounder and has good feet. This is a young man that was recruited by some very good schools and we feel fortunate he has committed to our program."
Nowell brings another New York connection to Little Rock as the Harlem native plays for St. Patrick High School after playing for Bishop Loughlin High School. The 5-8 point guard is a four star recruit by ESPN, averaging nearly 20 points and eight assists per game, complemented by three steals and 2.5 rebounds. He is rated as one of the top-40 point guard prospects in the nation, earning a nickname as the "King of New York."
"Markquis may be 5-8, but he can flat out distribute the ball as well as score," said Walker. "Again, he was recruited by a lot of big name universities, and he is really something special to see at 5-8. He can shoot it from deep, he can handle the ball, he's quick and he's a floor general. The Little Rock fans are going to love this guy.
Steinbronn comes to Little Rock after spending one season at Little Priest Tribal College in Winnebago, Nebraska. The 6-11 forward averaged 16.1 points and 8.7 rebounds per game, shooting 52.9 percent from the floor, being ranked as one of the top-10 most efficient post scorers in the JUCO ranks. Prior to his time in Nebraska, the Maynard, Iowa native spent one season at Iowa Central Community College after a standout prep career at West Central High School.
"The way I want to play, you need to have some bigs that can shoot the ball, and Ethan definitely fills that role," said Walker. "He can stretch the floor and posts up really well on the left block. He's got good hands and gives us that dimension of having a 6-11 player that is a shooting threat, which opens up the floor for everyone else."
Wyatt brings an Atlanta connection to central Arkansas as the 6-7 small forward plays for Mays High School, helping lead the Raiders to a playoff appearance. A two-star recruit, Wyatt averaged 17 points, eight rebounds and eight assists during his high school career, and was highly sought after by coach Walker during his time at Clark Atlanta.
"Horace is another guy with a really big upside – someone who can run and someone who can finish," Walker said. "The thing which stood out to me about Horace when I saw him play is that he knew how to make the right plays and he made his teammates around him better. He's very athletic and will be a good defender and will be a good player in this league."
The newcomers should provide quite the mix with Little Rock's six returning players from 2017-18 as Walker continues to work towards filling his first recruiting class. The Trojans return four guards in
Ryan Pippins,
Deondre Burns,
Jaizec Lottie and
Rayjon Tucker with
Damir Hadzic and
Kris Bankston filling the forward spots.
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