David Laury, a 6-foot-8, 240-pound forward from West Orange, N.J., has verbally committed to Iona and will be eligible to suit up in January 2013, a team source confirmed to SNY.tv.
Laury chose the Gaels over offers from Baylor, UMass and Southern Miss. He will have two and a half years of eligibility after sitting a full year at Iona.
“He is really, really good,” one Division 1 coach said. “He could be a pro.”
Laury previously committed to Iona in 2009 and also signed a Letter of Intent to Western Kentucky.
Laury played last season at Lamar State – Port Arthur (Texas) where he averaged 16 points, nine rebounds and three assists, according to JucoRecruiting.com, which first reported the news. He then transferred to Garden City (Kansas) Community College.
Now, instead of playing at Garden City he will come to Iona and sit a year before becoming eligible in January 2013.
Iona associate head coach Jared Grasso landed Laury as the latest in a line of talented JUCO players that has included 6-7 senior forward Mike Glover (Eastern Utah), 6-5 senior wing Randy Dezouvre (Monroe College – N.Y.), 6-7 junior forward Taaj Ridley (Lawson State – Alabama) and Diggs Moikobu (Cochise College – Arizona).
Iona also has a pledge from 2012 guard Da’Shawn Gomez (Antelope Valley CC – California).
Led by Glover and guards Scott Machado and Lamont “Momo” Jones, who was recently given a hardship waiver to play this season, the Gaels were picked to win the MAAC conference.
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