Men's Basketball Signs Two Players

University of Alabama Men’s Basketball Coach Anthony Grant has announced the signings of two student-athletes to National Letters of Intent for the 2010-11 season.

Joining the Crimson Tide next season will be point guard Trevor Releford from Shawnee Mission, Kan. and guard/forward Charles Hankerson Jr. from Miami, Fla.

“Trevor and Charles Jr. are winners first and foremost,” Alabama Coach Anthony Grant said. “They both come from great high school programs and understand what it takes to be successful. I feel like we have addressed some of our needs on the perimeter with the additions of Trevor and Charles Jr.”

Releford, a 6-1, 180-pound point guard, was tabbed as a four-star prospect by Scout.com. He signs with the Tide as the No. 11 point guard in the 2010 class according to scout.com and is ranked a top-100 recruit. As a junior, he led Bishop Miege High School to the 5A state finals and earned first team all-metro honors from The Kansas City Star. En route to a 21-2 record, he averaged 18.6 points, 6.3 assists and 2.1 steals per game for Coach Rick Zych’s squad.

“Trevor will provide ball handling, decision making, and a level of toughness and competitiveness from the point guard position,” Grant said. “He understands the game and knows how to make those around him better.”

Regarded as a talented ball handler, Slam Magazine named Releford the best ball-handling guard in the nation in its ‘Ultimate High School Floor General’ survey. He was also invited to the NBA’s Top-100 summer camp. The son of Venita Vann, his older brother Travis Releford is a sophomore on the University of Kansas basketball team.

Hankerson signs with Alabama as a 6-5, 210-pound student-athlete who can play both the guard and forward positions. Named the Miami Herald 6A-5A Player of the Year, Hankerson is rated as a four-star prospect by Ccout.com and is the No. 26 prospect at the shooting guard position. Last season, he averaged 21.6 points and six rebounds per game to lead Coral Reef High School to its first-ever state title. Hankerson scored 27 points with nine rebounds and five assists in the championship game for Gaston ‘Chachi’ Rodriguez’s team that finished the season with a 27-4 record.

“Charles Jr. will also provide our team with more skill on the perimeter,” Grant added. “He can play multiple positions and has an innate ability to make the game easier for his teammates. He can score in a variety of ways and brings the versatility that I like to have in our perimeter players.”

Ranked as the No. 47 player in the nation, he is the son of Charles Sr. and Cheryl Hankerson.