Holtmann Signs Three Student-Athletes To National Letters of Intent
November 18, 2010 | Men's Basketball
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. - Gardner-Webb announced the addition of
three men's basketball student-athletes Thursday, as Donta Harper,
Corey Hensley and Max Landis signed National Letters of
Intent.
The haul is the first fall recruiting class for new head coach
Chris Holtmann, and all three players are rated as one of the
top-150 prospects at their respective positions nationally
according to ESPN.com in the Class of 2011.
"Our staff did a tremendous job identifying and recruiting
this trio of student-athletes," said Holtmann. "Each player fits a
specific need for our program and all three are excited to be
Runnin' Bulldogs. As we move forward in building Gardner-Webb into
a contender for the Big South Conference championship and the NCAA
Tournament, securing the talent of players like Donta, Corey and
Max is key to achieving our goals.
"I could not be happier with this start to our recruiting
efforts," Holtmann added.
Harper (Winterville, N.C. / South Central HS) is one of the
top players in Eastern North Carolina in the Class of 2011, and is
rated the No. 3 small forward in the North Carolina by ESPN.com.
Harper, ranked as the No. 89 small forward nationally, averaged
18.4 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.1 assists to lead South Central's
Falcons to a 27-2 record in 2009-2010 and a sectional title.
The 6-foot-5, 180-pound slasher scored a season-high 33 points
vs. Wilson Beddingfield and was named Area Player of the Year by
the Greenville Reflector. He chose Gardner-Webb over Western
Carolina and had garnered early recruiting interest from several
high-major programs, including Mississippi State, Clemson, Georgia
and Georgia Tech.
Hensley (Candler, N.C. / Hargrave Military Academy) is
currently averaging 11.5 ppg for national prep school powerhouse
Hargrave Military (Va.) Academy during a postgraduate year. The
6-foot-8, 215-pounder is rated as the No. 146 power forward in the
country by ESPN.com and is the Tigers' sixth man on a team with a
starting five made up of high-major talent headed to North
Carolina, Virginia Tech and Xavier.
Hensley was an All-State selection during his senior season at
Enka (N.C.) High, finishing among the state's scoring leaders and
earning a spot in the annual East-West Game in Greensboro. Hensley
proved he belonged in that contest, leading all scorers with 22
points and grabbing 12 rebounds in a narrow loss to the East.
During the regular season, Hensley averaged 27.6 points and
12.3 rebounds per game for the Jets and topped the 1,000-point mark
for his career. He earned All-State honors from NCPreps.com and the
N.C. Coaches Association and finished with at least 30 points in 10
different games - including 43 points against North Buncombe and 41
markers against A.C. Reynolds. In addition to his All-State
accolades, Hensley was named NCBCA District 12 Player of the Year
and Conference Player of the Year. He was also named first-team
All-Western North Carolina by the Asheville Citizen-Times.
As a junior, Henley averaged 19.8 points and 9.1 rebounds per
game. He selected Gardner-Webb after considering offers from Navy,
The Citadel and several other programs.
Landis (Indianapolis, Ind. / Perry Meridian HS) is a
sensational combo guard who plays in one of the Hoosier State's
toughest conferences. The 6-foot-2, 175-pound standout averaged a
team-high 17.6 points per game last season and dished off 4.0
assists per game.
He earned a spot on the prestigious Indianapolis Star Super
Team, and was one of only two guards from the Class of 2011 named
to that team - along with Kentucky signee Marquis Teague. Landis is
rated as the No. 17 overall prospect in Indiana by ESPN.com (No. 6
point guard) and as the nation's No. 121 point guard prospect in
the Class of 2011.
Gardner-Webb Men's Basketball Signees
Donta Harper 6-5 180 G/F Winterville, N.C. / South Central
HS
Corey Hensley 6-8 215 F Candler, N.C. / Enka HS / Hargrave
Military Academy
Max Landis 6-2 175 G Indianapolis, Ind. / Perry Meridian
HS
No videos available.
