BOILING SPRINGS --- Gardner-Webb have added a trio of newcomers during the early signing period, including junior college transfer Jamaal Robateau (Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia / North Idaho College) and incoming freshmen Eric Jamison (East Point, Ga. / Greater Atlanta Christian) and Daniel "DJ" Laster (Pensacola, Fla. / Pensacola Catholic), announced head coach Tim Craft Friday.
"Our staff is extremely excited about these three young men," said Craft. "They are not only talented and versatile players, but they also have a work ethic that fits the culture of our program, as well as a commitment to success in the classroom."
Robateau is currently a redshirt freshman at North Idaho College, a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, and will have three years of eligibility to play for the Runnin' Bulldogs when he arrives. A native of Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia, Robateau is currently averaging a team-high 14.8 points per game in just 18 minutes per contest through the first six games of the season for North Idaho.
The 6-foot-5, 180-pound guard helped Mountain Creek High School to the 2010 Australia Queensland State Championships, averaging 29 points and five rebounds per game. Robateau moved to the United States prior to his junior season, playing for South Oak Cliff High School in Dallas, Texas in 2011 and Prime Prep Academy in 2012. At Prime Prep, Robateau joined a team that ranked in the top 10 throughout the 2012-13 season and received a berth in the National High School Basketball Invitational in the school's first existence.
Jamison won the 2013-2014 Georgia AA State Championship at Greater Atlanta Christian, leading the team to an undefeated 32-0 record. Greater Atlanta Christian has been picked by some media outlets to repeat this season, and is expected to rely heavily on Jamison on both ends of the floor.
The 6-foot-4, 175-pound wing also played at a high level for the Atlanta All-Stars on the AAU circuit this past summer. Jamison loves to attack in transition, get to the paint to finish at the rim and has great ball skills for his size and position. He plays with an incredible intensity and will compete to win every possession.
Laster is a two-sport athlete in both basketball and track and field at Pensacola Cathlotic High School, where he averaged 15 points and five rebounds per game as a junior. The 6-foot-6, 200-pound forward is an extremely athletic player with a nice shooting touch from outside the three-point arc.
A native of Pensacola, Fla., Laster also competes on the track in both high jump and triple jump, and hopes to break seven feet in the high jump at next spring's state championships. Laster played AAU basketball with the Alabama Challenge on the Nike EYBL circuit. He has several family ties to North Carolina – his mother is originally from Greensboro and still has several family members in the area.
