By ADAM ZAGORIA
Iona on Friday landed a verbal pledge from Ben Perez, the 6-foot-3 shooting guard from South Plains (TX) Community College.
The San Diego native averaged 9.9 points on 43 percent shooting last season. Before that, he was a walk-on at San Diego State University, where he helped the Aztecs to a Mountain West Championship and an appearance in the NIT Final Four.
Perez continues an offseason makeover for the Gaels, who previously added 6-8 forward Jahnathan Maxwell of Odessa (TX) College and Niksa Nikolic, a 6-8 forward from Southeastern (IA) Community Colleg.
Iona, which lost to Duke in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, returns E.J. Crawford and Roland Griffin in the front court, and Rickey McGill, E.J. Crawford and Schadrac Casimir in the backcourt.
Perez, Maxwell and Nikolic join Eastern Kentucky transfer Asante Gist, who will be eligible in December but could get a waiver to play at the start of the 2018-19 season, and Robert Morris transfer Isaiah Still.
Photo: (Hayne Palmour IV / Union-Tribune)
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