6
w w w. Racer Insider. c o m
April 29, 2015
Recruiting
Prohm fills key roster holes
by landing Patty, Jones
u
Will Aubrey
Racer Insider Senior Writer
The Murray State Racers announced the signing of two players last Monday, Bryce Jones and
A. J. Patty. Jones is a 6-0 guard from Brooklyn, New York. He played the last two seasons at Jones
County Junior College in Mississippi. Patty is a 6-8 post player from Westchester, Illinois. A junior
college transfer, Patty played two years at Vincennes University.
“Bryce was a huge signee for us since we're losing Cam Payne,” head coach Steve Prohm said.
“We knew we had to do everything we could to replace him. And we were able to get one of the
top junior college point guards. He's a winner. He's a leader. He won a city championship and a state
championship in high school. He won a national championship in junior college. I think he'll fit in well
with our style of play. I'm looking forward to getting him on
campus and getting to work with him.
“Then with the loss of Jonathan Fairell and Jarvis Williams we needed to bring in some experience up front. A.
J. comes from a great junior college program. He's been
coached well the last two years at Vincennes. He's only lost
a hand full of games over the last two years so he's used to
winning. But I'm excited about both of these kids and what
they'll bring to our program.”
Jones was an All-Region 22 pick this season and he led
Jones County in scoring with 19.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and
5.9 assists per game. He was named MVP of the Mississippi Junior College All-Star game as he scored a game-high
28 points to lead the South team to a 123-117 victory. As a
freshman in the 2013-14 season, Jones helped lead the Bobcats to the NJCAA National Championship.
He chose Murray State over Memphis, Colorado State, Virginia Tech, and Florida State among
others.
“I like the way Coach Prohm has done so well with point guards,” he explained. “When I came for
“Bryce was a
huge signee for us
since we're losing
Cam Payne.”
Steve Prohm
Bryce Jones
A.J. Patty
my visit everyone showed me a lot of love. They care about
basketball there and I think I fit their style of play. I can score
in a variety of ways. I mix it up a lot.”
247Sports.com says, “Jones is considered a four-star
prospect. Brad Winton of JucoRecruiting.com considers
him one of the top 2015 junior college point guards in the
country.”
"Bryce just wants to win," Jones County head coach
Rahim Lockhart said. "He's a humble person and he's thankful for what he has. He's the kind of kid you want in your
program. He's a talented floor general and I'd say his ball
handling ability is his best attribute on the floor. He doesn't
turn it over a lot and he's got a knack for making big shots."
Of course, the Racers have had a couple of outstanding
point guards over the last six years in Payne and Isaiah Canaan. But Prohm says that Jones shouldn't worry about how he compares to those two.
“It's not about Cam or Isaiah,” he said. “It's just about making Bryce into the best player we possibly can. He has a knack for making others better. He has a great feel for the game, great vision, and
he can score the basketball too. Hopefully we can get him on campus this summer so he can get
bigger and stronger and max himself out.”
Patty helped lead Vincennes to a 32-0 start this season. He averaged 12.9 points and 7.6 re-
“A.J. is very
versatile. He can
score around the
basket and he can
step out and make
a shot.”
Steve Prohm
u Continued On Page 18
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w w w. Racer Insider. c o m
April 29, 2015
Recruiting
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bounds while shooting 51 percent from the floor, 38 percent from
3-point range, and 76 percent from the free throw line. He scored
20 or more points six times and had 27 against Cochise in the
NJCAA tournament. During his two years in Vincennes the Trailblazers won 67 games and lost just five.
Patty chose Murray State over Auburn.
“I really didn't consider a lot of other schools,” he said. “I was
kind of high on Murray State from the start. When I came on my
visit I felt like I fit in well with the guys. I liked Murray's style of
play. I did my homework as far as who was leaving and I like the
opportunity that I'll have. I love the coaching staff. The facilities
are great and I love the fans. The whole community seems to
revolve around the basketball team.”
Prep Hoops Illinois says, “ The skilled four man is a former Illinois prep standout from St. Joseph’s and played with the Illinois
Wolves on the travel team circuit. Patty was among the most
coveted junior college power forwards in the Midwest. Patty...
can stretch the floor with his jumper, but also showed great improvement on the block scoring this season...”
"A.J. is a quality kid, comes from a solid family and is good in
the classroom," said Vincennes head coach Todd Franklin. "He's
long and has good hands. His best work is done around the basket. He's gotten quite a bit stronger with us and I think he will only
get stronger as he fills out."
Patty is expected to play right away for the Racers.
“A. J, is very versatile,” Prohm said. “He can score around the
basket and he can step out and make a shot. He's long and thin
and he can defend the post. He needs to get bigger and stronger
but we'll work on that.”
With just seven players returning the Racers need bodies for
next season and Prohm says he expects to sign three or four
more before he's finished this spring.
“We need another high school point guard for sure,” he said.
“We need more depth at that position. We'll look to add a transfer. And then we still need to sign two front court players, hopefully a junior college post and a high school post, maybe just two
high school posts.”
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