CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Head basketball coach Wes Long announced the addition of five new members to the Queens University of Charlotte men's basketball program on Wednesday.
Charlotte native Ben Richter, an upcoming Charlotte Christian School graduate, signed a National-Letter-of-Intent during the Spring signing period, and joined a trio of November signees; Joby Glymph (Lexington, S.C. / Lexington HS), Justin Hollimon (Decatur, Ga. / Southwest DeKalb HS), and Tré McLean (Charleston, S.C. / West Ashley HS) to make up the Royals' 2012 freshman class. In addition to the four freshman signees, Long and his staff have signed Appalachian State transfer and former Myers Park High School standout guard Griffin Shaw to a scholarship agreement. Shaw will have three years of eligibility remaining at Queens.
“We are very excited about this group of newcomers, and are confident that they will be a hard-working and high-achieving class from the moment they step on to campus,” said Long, who will enter his fifth season as the Royals' coach in 2012-13.
“Our staff liked the athleticism, skill sets, and versatility of these guys. We felt that in order to continue to compete for conference championships and post-season play, we needed switchable length and athleticism on the wings and in the backcourt, and these guys bring those traits and abilities to the table.”
Long also addressed the replacement of the program's 2012 senior class; a group who won 40 games over the past two seasons, including a 29-5 conference record and two conference regular season championships.
“The class of young men who graduated this past weekend worked very hard to grow the program and achieved some wonderful things over the past couple seasons. Their success, coupled with the construction of the Levine Center for Wellness & Recreation, enabled us to attract this recruiting class, which we feel is our most talented group in four years on the job.”
Glymph Capsule: A 6-2 combo guard, Glymph averaged 12.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game for Coach Bailey Harris' Lexington High School team. The Wildcats amassed a 24-6 record and earned a berth in the South Carolina AAAA state championship game. In his three years as a varsity starter, Glymph helped lead Lexington to two AAAA lower state titles. He earned first team all-region honors as a senior this past year, when he also set a school record for free throws attempted in a season. Glymph played AAU basketball for the South Carolina Kings organization.
“Joby's competitiveness and work ethic will help make him a valuable part of Queens' program,” commented Lexington High School head coach Bailey Harris. “I am very excited about the opportunity he has to be an exceptional player in such a solid program at Queens.”
Long added, “Joby possesses a number of God-given talents and abilities which give him the chance to be a terrific player for Queens. He has an above-average basketball IQ and has played for a very solid high school program. With hard work and a desire to be great, we think he can be a multiple threat guard in our program.”
Hollimon Capsule: A 6-5 forward, Justin was a key starter on Southwest DeKalb's Georgia Class AAAA state runner-up team. Hollimon averaged eight points and five rebounds for the Panthers, who finished 22-10 after falling in the state title game. Hollimon scored 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the title game. The newcomer was named to the DeKalb County All-Star team, and played AAU basketball for the Atlanta Flight.
“Justin is one of the most team oriented guys I have ever met,” said SW Dekalb head coach Dwayne McKinney. “He is a great defender, and because of his length and quickness he is able to defend several positions on the floor! He is a great person as the people at Queens will soon find out! He is a well-rounded young man who will have great success both on and off the court at Queens.”
Long commented, “Justin is one of those players we love having at Queens, because he can guard multiple positions, and his offensive abilities will allow him to play both inside and out. We believe he is an underrated athlete who has the chance to develop into a special athlete, and know he will work hard to be a great player and student.”
McLean Capsule: A native of Charleston, S.C., McLean averaged 16.2 points, 9.1 rebounds, 2.7 steals, and 2.2 assists per game for Coach Ronnie Dupre's West Ashley Wildcats during his senior season. A versatile 6-3 wing, McLean led West Ashley to a 20-6 record and the third round of the South Carolina class AAAA state playoffs, where his team fell to future teammate Joby Glymph's Lexington team. McLean was a two-time South Carolina AAAA All-Region 7 honoree, and following his standout senior season was named to both the North-South All-Star game and the South Carolina Basketball Coaches AAAA All-State team. McLean played his AAU basketball for TMP.
West Ashley High School head coach Ronnie Dupre stated, “Tré is a very versatile player who can play multiple positions. He works hard each day to improve and is a very competitive player who cares about winning. He has the potential to be a valuable contributor for the Queens program over the next four years.”
“As an athlete, Tré reminds our staff of Queens standout
Daniel Bailey, and we believe he can be an impact player,” added Long. “His length and athleticism combined with his ability to score the ball in a variety of ways makes him a potentially explosive offensive player. With that said, we are extremely excited about his ability to be a premier defender from multiple spots.”
Richter Capsule: Richter, a 6-3 shooting guard, averaged 11.0 points and 2.9 rebounds for Coach Shonn Brown's Charlotte Christian School team which finished 24-8 and made its third consecutive NCISAA 3A state championship game appearance. A two-year varsity starter, Richter was one of the Knights' top three-point threats. Richter shot 40% from behind the arc as a junior, and eclipsed the 40% mark as a senior as well.
Charlotte Christian head coach Shonn Brown had this to say about the newcomer. “Ben is a terrific kid who has continuously improved over his career with us at Christian. He can really shoot the basketball and understands how to score. His athleticism should allow him to be a good defender, and he will work hard to be a valuable contributor for Queens.
“We are thrilled to add Ben to our program, because I am confident in not only his basketball abilities, but more importantly in his character,” expressed Long. “Ben's ability to shoot the basketball is a skill that we don't think you can have enough of, and his size and athleticism will help him contribute at multiple positions. I believe that he will be able to do most everything we ask.”
Shaw Capsule: Griffin Shaw, a 6-0 native of Charlotte, joins the Royals after spending two years at Appalachian State University, where he was a preferred walk-on on the men's basketball team. Shaw averaged 16 points and eight assists per game as a senior in 2009-10 at Myers Park High School for Coach Rick Lewis. He was named to the Southwestern 4A All-Conference team and also earned team MVP honors during his senior campaign. Griffin was a four-year varsity letterman at Myers Park, where he helped the Mustangs to a 72-19 record during his high school career. Shaw played AAU basketball for the Charlotte Royals organization.
“Griffin is one of the best guards I have had the pleasure of coaching in my 22 years of coaching in Charlotte,” commented former Myers Park head coach Rick Lewis. “His basketball IQ was off the charts. He will be a great asset to the Queens program as a player and student.”
Long added, “We are excited that Griffin chose to come home and play for the Royals. He turned in a terrific high school career just down the street at Myers Park, and he has developed as an athlete during his time at App State. He is a hungry and competitive young man, and we believe that he will be a great contributor to our program in short time.”
