Marquette University Athletics
Crean inks nationally-ranked recruiting class
11/13/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
The Golden Eagles recruiting class was the second-best of the future BIG EAST Conference membership according to Dave Telep of Scout.com and Hoopscoop?s Clark Francis. Scout.com ranked Marquette?s class 13th in the country and Hoopscoop rated it 14th.
?All four players in this year?s recruiting class are very good basketball players, but more importantly they are good students and better young men,? said Crean. ?Each was highly recruited and we are proud they have chosen Marquette as their future home.?
Matthews (6-5, 205), a wing player from Memorial High School, is the top-prospect in the state of Wisconsin according to Van Coleman of Hoopmasters.com, Scout.com and Hoopscoop. Hoopmasters.com rates Matthews as the 24th best player in the country and Hoopscoop places him 37th. He averaged 15.2 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists during his junior season and helped lead Madison Memorial to the state final. Matthews selected Marquette over Wisconsin and Georgia Tech.
?Wesley was an absolute must for this program. He?s a superb athlete, very competitive, his instincts are outstanding, and he is a proven winner,? said Crean. ?His versatility allows him to play different positions and his unselfishness on the floor is second to none. His mother Pam raised an outstanding young man.?
Dominic James (5-10, 180), a point guard from Richmond High School, was rated the 58th overall prospect in the country by Scout.com and 60th by Hoopscoop. Both recruiting services, as well as Rivals.com, listed the 5-10 point guard as the third best player in the state of Indiana. James averaged 22.0 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.1 assists in leading Richmond to 16 victories during his junior season. James? final two were Marquette and Purdue.
?Dominic is one of the nation?s premiere point guards, but what really separates him from the rest is his great floor leadership and explosive athletic ability. We believe he?ll be a very charismatic leader and person at Marquette. He comes from a great family and great coaching. We are very excited to have him.
McNeal (6-3, 190), a wing player from Hillcrest High School, is the consensus third best player in Illinois according to Hoopscoop, Scouthoops.com, Rivals.com and Scout.com. Nationally, Hoopscoop ranked him 33rd and Scout.com had him 50th. Led by McNeal, the team?s captain, Hillcrest is expected to begin the season as the top ranked team in the state of Illinois. McNeal averaged 22.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 5.0 steals in helping Hillcrest win its 16th-straight conference championship. McNeal selected Marquette over Purdue and Dayton.
?Jerel is the epitome of versatility. He can score on the break or in the half court. He?s an outstanding driver, rebounds with energy, and plays with pure heart. His ability to score is overshadowed by his unselfish defense. We are really excited Jerel decided to attend Marquette.?
Mortensen (6-5, 185), a small forward from Timpview High School, is considered one of the top prospects on the west coast and was ranked in the top 150 nationally by Scout.com. He averaged 15.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and shot 40-percent from three-point range playing in the state of Utah?s second-highest class, 4A. Mortensen selected Marquette over BYU, Gonzaga, Utah and Oregon State.
?We noticed Matt in April and right away were enamored with his instincts for the game; ability to play with out the basketball; and his ability to make mid-range and long range jump shots. Each time we saw him play through the recruiting process we knew he?d be a good fit for Marquette. Being able to get one of the west coasts? finest players is exciting for our program. We are looking forward to having him join the program in two years following completion of his Mormon mission.?
We are excited to have Tilly Brown (James? grandmother), Pam Moore (Matthews? mother), the McNeal and Mortensen families join our Marquette basketball family,? said Crean. ?Each of them raised outstanding young men, and they are to be congratulated.?
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