Rutgers head men’s basketball coach Mike Rice announced Wednesday that power forward/center Greg Lewis (Baltimore, Md.), point guard Myles Mack (Paterson, N.J.) and shooting guard Mike Taylor (Brooklyn, N.Y.) have signed to compete for the Scarlet Knights. The incoming trio signals the start to the early period, in which recruiting analysts predict RU to sign an incoming class ranked among the top nationally.
“We are very excited to welcome Greg, Myles and Mike into the program,” said Rice. “Not only are they talented basketball players, they are quality young men who will help us build a foundation for the future. We look forward to a recruiting class that Rutgers and its fans will be proud of.”
GREG LEWIS
Forward/Center 6-9, 225
St. Frances Academy Baltimore, Md.
Rivals 150 member ranked as the No. 130 overall prospect and No. 14 center nationally … Rated by ESPN.com as the No. 14 center prospect nationally … Rated by Scout.com as the No. 15 center prospect nationally … Will be a 2011 graduate of St. Frances Academy in Baltimore, Md. … Averaged 14 points and 11 rebounds in 2009-10 at SFA under head coach and former Temple University standout Mark Karcher … Team posted a 20-9 record, was ranked No. 3 in the state of Maryland, and earned its third consecutive Catholic League championship … Competed at the 2010 LeBron James All-America Camp and NBA Players Association Top 100 Camp … Is a cousin of the late former Boston Celtics star Reggie Lewis … Competes on the AAU circuit for Nike Baltimore Elite.
Rice on Lewis: “A tough, physical big man from Baltimore, Greg will have an immediate impact in the paint next year. As his offensive game continues to mature, he will have an opportunity to one day be one of the premiere bigs in the conference.”
MYLES MACK
Guard 5-10, 165
St. Anthony High School Paterson, N.J.
ESPN.com four star prospect … A member of the ESPN100, rated as the nation’s #15 point guard and #84 overall player … Rivals 150 member ranked as the No. 119 overall prospect and No. 19 point guard nationally … Scout.com four star recruit rated as the No. 12 point guard prospect nationally … MaxPreps.com’s No. 60 overall prospect … A Newark Star-Ledger Third Team All-State and First Team All-Passaic selection after averaging 14.8 points and 2.8 steals in 2009-10 at Paterson (N.J.) Catholic … Was a part of a PC team that climbed as high as No. 3 in the national polls in 2009-10 under head coach Damon Wright … The team won its first 28 games and captured the City of Palms (Fla.) Christmas Tournament title during which Mack was named the championship game most valuable player … Scored 979 points in three seasons at Paterson Catholic … Competed at the 2010 LeBron James All-America Camp and the NBA Players Association Top 100 Camp … Will be a 2011 graduate of Saint Anthony HS in Jersey City, N.J., where he will compete as a senior under Naismith Hall of Fame coach Bob Hurley … Competes on the AAU circuit for the New Jersey Playaz.
Rice on Mack: “We are extremely excited to welcome Myles to the Rutgers family. One of New Jersey’s own, by way of Paterson, Myles will surely be a fan favorite with his grit, passion for the game and ability to put the ball in the hole. He has all the tools to succeed the day he steps on campus.”
MIKE TAYLOR
Guard 6-3, 185
Boys & Girls High School Brooklyn, N.Y.
A NYSSWA Second Team All-State selection in 2009-10 after averaging 15.8 points-per-game … A New York Daily News First Team All-Star denoted the city’s top shooting guard for 2010-11 … Rated by ESPN.com as the No. 55 shooting guard prospect nationally … Will be a 2011 graduate of Boys & Girls HS in Brooklyn, N.Y. … Led BGHS, under head coach Ruth Lovelace, to their first PSAL title since 1979 in 2009-10 … Scored 11 of his game-high 25 points in the fourth quarter when the Kangaroos beat Cardozo, 55-50, at Madison Square Garden to win its first PSAL title in 31 years … Averaged 21 points and nine rebounds in the postseason, including 30 points in win over Wings Academy in the semifinals … Boys & Girls is one of the Big Apple’s most storied programs, producing legendary players such as Lenny Wilkens, Connie Hawkins and Pearl Washington … Cited as the fifth-best overall player in the city by NYCHoops.net … Competed internationally this summer in Turkey for the New York City Nike All-Star team … Competes on the AAU circuit for the Metro Hawks.
Rice on Taylor: “A shooter and a winner. Mike has the ability to stretch the defense with his range, which will be a great fit with our 2011 class. In addition, he comes from a great high school program and led them to the PSAL title last year.”
The early signing period for men’s basketball is Nov. 10 through Nov. 17. Per NCAA rule, signings may not be announced until the prospective student-athlete has signed and the destination institution confirms the signing via the received paperwork. Rutgers anticipates additional announcements during the men’s basketball early signing period.
**For more on Rutgers, read my feature on Malick Kone here.
Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter
