CHARLOTTE, N.C., (May 21, 2008) — Queens University of Charlotte head men's basketball coach Brian Good announced the addition of five young men to the Royals program on Wednesday. Prep standouts Daniel Bailey (Irmo, S.C./Hammond School), JB Baldwin (Burlington, N.C./Graham HS), Charles Burgess (Chesnee, S.C./Boiling Springs HS), Preston Newlin (Graham, N.C./Graham HS), and Joshua Twitty (Rutherfordton, N.C./Polk County HS) have each signed a national letter of intent during the spring 2008 signing period and will join the Royals on the hardwood in the fall.
“We are extremely excited about the quality of this class from top-to-bottom,” said Good. “I have never felt better about a group of kids as both basketball players and as people. In addition to being a very talented group both athletically and academically, these young men are coming from good homes and great families. Queens is getting a group of top-caliber students, and our basketball program will continue to grow and succeed because of these kids' abilities and character.”
Good also believes this to be the most versatile group of players the program has signed in his four years at the helm.
“This group's overall athleticism is as good as any I've seen, and there are some collective traits that will help us be successful. These guys are long, bouncy athletes – and there's a good bit of toughness in these kids,” said Good. “It should be fun to watch their contributions.”
Daniel Bailey, a 6'4” wing from Irmo, S.C., played his prep basketball at Columbia's Hammond School for coach Jimmy Braddock. Bailey scored over 1,700 points and grabbed 500 rebounds in his four years as a starter for Hammond. As a senior this past season, Bailey averaged 22.3 ppg and 7.2 rpg while leading his team to the SCISA state semifinals. Bailey was a two-time SCISA All-State honoree, as well as a two-time SCISA Region 3-AAA Player of the Year, while leading his team to back-to-back Region 3-AAA Championships and a 2007 SCISA state championship game berth.
JB Baldwin, a 6'6” forward from Burlington, N.C., recently completed his high school career at Graham HS after playing his first three years at Christ School in Arden, N.C. Baldwin averaged 19.9 ppg and 11.8 rpg during his senior year in which he led Graham to a 28-1 overall record and a #1 ranking in North Carolina's 2A classification. Baldwin was named the Burlington Times-News All-Region Co-Player of the Year, as well as being named 1st Team Greensboro News All-Area. Baldwin also picked up All-District and Mid-State 2A All-Conference honors during his standout senior season.
Charles Burgess, a 6'3” wing from Chesnee, S.C., was a three-year letterman during his prep career at Boiling Springs High School for coach Glenn Reese. Burgess averaged 15.6 ppg and 9.2 rpg during his senior season in 2007-08. Burgess was honored as a two-time Region 2-AAAA All-Region selection, as well as being selected to play in both the Greenville/Spartanburg All-Star game and the Spartanburg County All-Star game. Burgess carries a 4.48 grade point average at BSHS and will graduate in June in the top eight percent of the 2008 class.
Preston Newlin, a 6'1” guard from Graham, N.C., is a high-school teammate of fellow Royals' signee Baldwin. Newlin was a two-year letterman for coach Mike Williams at Graham High School, and averaged 10.4 ppg and 3.5 apg as the starting point guard on this past season's 28-1 team. Newlin earned Burlington Times-News 2nd Team All-Region honors, and was named to the Mid-State 2A All-Conference team. With a 3.92 career gpa, Newlin will graduate from Graham in the top six percent of his class.
Joshua Twitty, a 6'3” guard from Rutherfordton, N.C., finished his Polk County High School career with 1,599 career points. Twitty averaged 19.7 ppg and 7.3 rpg during his senior season. In addition to earning 1st Team Western Highlands All-Conference and 2nd Team 1A All-State honors, Twitty was named 1st Team All-Area by the Hendersonville Times-News. Along with being one of western North Carolina's top athletes, Twitty, a three-sport star, is ranked in the top 12 percent of his graduating class at PCHS and carries a 3.9 grade point average.
Queens is coming off of back-to-back NCAA Division II National Tournament berths in 2006-07 and 2007-08, and looks for this new group to continue the program's success.
