University of Memphis Athletics
Nov 13, 2002 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 13, 2002
The University of Memphis has the makings of another top 10 recruiting class as the Tigers inked two Beaumont, Texas, high school teammates and one of New Jersey's top talents during the first day of the NCAA's early signing period Wednesday.
As juniors, Kendrick Perkins and Keena Young helped lead Beaumont's Ozen High School to its second straight Class 4A finals. And in addition to signing Perkins and Young, Memphis inked forward Sean Banks off Bergen Catholic High School's (Oradell, N.J.) state championship team.
Perkins, a 6-11, 295-pound center who has been in every recruiting publication's top 10, averaged 24.2 points, 14 rebounds and six blocks per game in leading Ozen to a 32-3 record last year. Perkins was named first-team all-region as a freshman and was selected all-state as both a sophomore and junior. He was named the Texas Class 4A Player of the Year as a sophomore. Last year he was a second-team Parade All-American.
ESPN.com ranked Perkins No. 3 among its top 100 recruits. He was also recruited by Alabama, Miami, North Carolina, Texas and Texas A&M.
Also emerging as one of the best all-around players in Texas' Class 4A last year was Young, who at 6-7, 185 pounds, averaged 15 points, eight rebounds and three steals. As a junior, he was selected all-District 20-4A.
Young was also recruited by Texas Tech and has been ranked in the top 100 of some publications' prospect list.
Ozen is again picked to vie for a state championship after losing to Dallas Lincoln in last year's title game. Over Perkins and Young's three-year career, Ozen is 93-11. Ozen won the 2001 Class 4A state championship, going 36-0 and finishing the season ranked 18th nationally. Last year's 32-3 squad were ranked 14th in the final prep national poll.
ESPN.com ranked Banks the No. 8 prep prospect after averaging 17.2 points and 6.5 rebounds as a junior at Bergen Catholic. He helped lead his high school squad to a 25-7 record and Class A state championship, a division which includes the state's largest parochial schools.
Banks was named first-team all-county for a second straight year as a junior along with being selected all-region and all-state. He was also named all-Northern New Jersey Intercollegiate League.
At 6-8, 210, Banks was also recruited by Connecticut, Duke, Louisville, Pitt, Rutgers, St. John's and Seton Hall.
"This fills our needs," third-year coach John Calipari said of the Tigers' three signees. "They will make us better and deeper."
The signing period continues into next week and Memphis could add to its class.
