Virginia Tech announced the singing of highly-touted basketball prospect
Tyrone Appleton-Miller to a letter of intent on Wednesday. Appleton-Miller
originally committed to the Hokies back on January 5, and signed on the
first day of the Spring signing period. He completes a four-member 2006
recruiting class that should keep the Hokies competitive in the ACC for
years to come. Here’s a summary of the players that comprise the 2006
class.
Appleton-Miller
is a 6-3 combo guard originally from Gary, Indiana. He has played
basketball for Bridgton Academy in Maine, as well as Harmony Prep in
Cincinnati. He is known for his pressuring defense and his excellent floor
game. He is considered by some basketball scouts to be a Jamon Gordon type
player.
Appleton-Miller is ranked among the Top 75 players in the country by
respected recruiting analyst Brick Oettinger. Appleton-Miller reportedly
has a good jump shot out to 17 feet, although he isn’t a great
three-point threat at this point. He is also known as a clutch free throw
shooter and an outstanding defender at each of the three perimeter
positions. Appleton-Miller has the ability to play both guard positions at
Virginia Tech.
Appleton-Miller chose the Hokies over teams such as Washington and
Missouri. He also had an offer from LSU, a 2006 Final Four participant.
Appleton-Miller
joins what was already a very good recruiting class that features point
guard Nigel Munson and forwards Lewis Witcher and Jeff Allen. All four
players are ranked in the national Top 100 by at least one recruiting
service, which makes the 2006 recruiting class one of the best in Virginia
Tech history.
Jeff
Allen is a 6-7, 215-pound forward who has the ability to play inside
or outside. He played for DeMatha High School, then transferred to famed
Oak Hill Academy for his senior season, where he was a standout on a team
that featured UNC signee Tywon Lawson, Duke commit Nolan Smith and one of
the nation’s top juniors in Michael Beasley. Following his junior
season, Allen was rated the #74 player in the nation by Hoop Alliance, and
#93 by Hoop Scoop. He is not expected to enroll at Virginia Tech until
2007, likely spending the 2006-07 season at Hargrave Military Academy.
Nigel
Munson is a 6-0, 175-pound pure point guard who was Jeff Allen’s
teammate at DeMatha. Munson has seen his stock rise dramatically in the
past few months. He is a pass-first point guard who can hit the open jump
shot. As a junior, he shot 91% from the free throw line and 47% from
three-point range. He shot 43% from the outside as a senior.
Munson was ranked #108 by Hoop Alliance prior to his senior season, and
#87 by Hoop Scoop. Following an outstanding senior season, he will move
into Brick Oettinger’s Top 100, and possibly into the Top 75 on some
lists.
Lewis
Witcher is a 6-8, 215-pound power forward prospect from Rocky Mount,
Virginia, which is approximately an hour away from Blacksburg. Witcher
chose the Hokies over Maryland and Wake Forest. He is a very athletic
player who can run the court and has a nice jump shot out to 15 feet.
Rivals.com ranks him the #89 player in the nation, while Hoop Scoop lists
him at #87.
In just a short time at Virginia Tech, head coach Seth Greenberg and
staff have elevated Virginia Tech’s recruiting profile to a point where
the Hokies can be competitive in the ACC. With the strong 2003 recruiting
class of Coleman Collins, Jamon Gordon, and Zabian Dowdell getting ready
to start their senior seasons in 2006-07, the four-member 2006 class has
the talent and diversity to pick up where the current players leave off.
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