Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Men's Basketball Announces Three Early Signees
11/18/2010 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 18, 2010
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bucknell head men's basketball coach Dave Paulsen has announced the signings of Steven Kaspar, Joshea Singleton and Cory Starkey to National Letters of Intent, and the trio will join the Bison program in 2011-12. Kaspar is a 6'2" guard from Evangelical Christian School in Memphis, Tenn.; Singleton is a 6'3" guard from Kestrel Heights School in Durham, N.C.; and Starkey is a 6'7" forward from Petoskey High School in Northern Michigan.
"We are excited about each of these three young men," said Paulsen of his third Bucknell recruiting class. "They all share a passion for the game and are all `gym rats' who are focused on continually getting better. We believe that each individual will fill a need on our team and will have the opportunity to make an impact early in their careers. Most importantly, they are exactly the types of students and people that will be great ambassadors for Bucknell."
Kaspar, a native of Lakeland, Tenn., is starting his fourth season of varsity basketball for Evangelical Christian. Last season he was a first team all-region selection and a McDonalds All-America nominee after averaging 14 points, four assists and four steals per game.
"Steven caught my eye this summer and quickly rose to the top of our point guard list," said Paulsen. "He has good size for a point guard, has excellent vision, and great moxie. He has a high basketball IQ and is equally adept at shooting from the perimeter or penetrating for his own shot or passing to a teammate."
Singleton is a Kinston, N.C., native who attends Kestrel Heights School in Durham, where current Bison assistant coach Michael Cotton was formerly the head coach. Singleton, who performed very well at Paulsen's prospects camp this past summer, averaged 14.6 points per game as a junior and has been elected team captain for his senior campaign.
"Joshea has been on our radar since early in his junior year," said Paulsen. "He quickly became a primary recruiting target because of his versatility, athleticism and tireless work ethic. We believe he'll be able to guard multiple positions on the court and be an explosive scorer for us in a variety of ways."
Starkey comes to Bucknell from Petoskey, Mich., where he was a Class B all-state selection at Petoskey High School last season. As a junior he averaged 20.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting 57.2 percent from the field. Those numbers helped him earn Big North Conference Player of the Year honors, in addition to helping his team post a 23-2 record while capturing Big North and Class B district and regional championships. Starkey was also a first team all-conference player as a sophomore after averaging 14 points per game.
"Cory has also been on our recruiting board since early in his junior year," Paulsen noted. "We love his versatility as well, as he is able to play any of the three frontcourt positions. He is a student of the game, is an excellent athlete, and is a fierce competitor. He will arrive on campus with a college-ready body and an ability to defend and rebound."
Paulsen's first Bucknell recruiting class landed a league-record three players - Bryson Johnson, Mike Muscala and Joe Willman -- on the 2010 Patriot League All-Rookie Team. This year's rookie crop consists of Cameron Ayers, Ryan Hill and Ben Brackney.
The current Bucknell squad is 1-2 on the season, rebounding from losses at No. 6 Villanova and Marquette with a 28-point win over Binghamton at home on Wednesday. The Bison travel to Saint Francis (Pa.) on Saturday at 7 p.m.
