University of North Texas Athletics
Mean Green Ink Eastern Oklahoma State's Brown And Young
4/20/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
DENTON (4/20/05) -- The North Texas men’s basketball team has signed Lionel Brown and Rich Young, both premier junior college players from Eastern Oklahoma State, to National Letters of Intent.
Brown, a 5-11, 165 pound guard from Ardmore, Oklahoma, averaged 13.9 points and 4.1 assists per game last season, while Young, a 6-5, 205 pound forward from Farrell, Pennsylvania, scored 10 points and grabbed 6.3 rebounds per game. Both players will have two year’s of eligibility remaining with North Texas after leading the Mountaineers to a 20-win season in 2004-05.
Brown, the Mountaineers leading scorer, was named First Team All-Bi State Conference and All-Region II. He was rated one of the top five players in the state of Oklahoma his senior year at Ardmore High School by the Daily Oklahoman and also played in the 2003 Oklahoma Coaches Association McDonald’s All-State game following his senior campaign. The 2002-03 All-Area Boys Basketball Team’s MVP posted a team-high 13 points in the game. Additionally, Brown scored a game-high 26 points in the Faith Seven Basketball Bowl and was the Oil Bowl MVP in 2003.
St. Bonaventure, BYU, Stephen F. Austin and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi all recruited Brown in addition to North Texas.
Young was a top defender for Eastern Oklahoma State and was second in the league rebounding as a sophomore.
Brown and Young join former Mountaineer and teammate Jeffrey Simpson on the North Texas roster. Simpson joined the team last season, starting the final 12 games and recording the third most blocks in school history for a single season.
While North Texas has one available scholarship remaining, Brown and Young could possibly complete the Mean Green’s 2005 signing class that also includes three high school standouts in Harold Edwards, Justin Howerton and Harold Stewart.
"We feel that Lionel and Rich will help finalize and put the finishing touches on a solid recruiting class," said North Texas head coach Johnny Jones. "We feel we have taken care of our needs at every position and these two young men should have an immediate impact on the Mean Green basketball program. We are extremely excited about this recruiting class and look forward to next season."
Coach Jones also commended assistant coach Fred Rike for his efforts in signing the two junior-college standouts.
