SPRING SIGNING PERIOD

Durham eager to make a point

Arkansas’ men’s basketball team expects to add another point guard today on the opening day of the spring signing period.

Junior college point guard Jabril Durham of Seminole (Okla.) State College said he plans to sign with the Razorbacks this afternoon and will join three others who signed with the Razorbacks during the early signing period in November.

Durham, 6-1, 180 pounds, orally committed to Arkansas on March 13 and made an official visit to Fayetteville last weekend. He chose the Razorbacks over scholarship offers from Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, Western Kentucky, Marquette and several others.

“I’m ready to get down there and get started,” Durham said. “The coaches treated me like a member of their own family, and the team did too. I couldn’t be happier with my decision.”

Other members of Arkansas’ 2014 signing class are forward Trey Thompson, 6-9, 260, of Forrest City; guard Nick Babb, 6-4, 180, of Arlington (Texas) Martin; and point guard Anton Beard, 6-1, 180, of North Little Rock.

Durham averaged 21.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, 6.7 assists while shooting 50.1 percent from the field and 44.1 percent from beyond the three-point line this season.

The Razorbacks haven’t had a true point guard the past two seasons, but the addition of Durham and Beard will give them two heading into next season.

“I’ll bring a leader on and off the court, for sure,” Durham said. “I’ll bring a defensive-minded point guard. I can score, and I have great instincts with the basketball and spread the ball and get everyone involved.”

In addition to Durham, former Pulaski Academy guard Dusty Hannahs announced last week that he plans to transfer from Texas Tech to Arkansas. He will sit out next season and will have two years of eligibility.

The UALR men’s and women’s teams aren’t expecting any signings today.

Arkansas State’s men’s team also doesn’t expect to add anyone today, but the school’s women’s team anticipates adding one player fresh off its Sun Belt Conference regular-season title.

Lauren Bradshaw, a 6-2 forward from Horn, Texas, is expected to sign with the Red Wolves on Thursday. Bradshaw averaged 15 points, 12 rebounds and 4 blocks per game for Horn, which finished the season 21-10 in Texas’ highest classification.

She is expected to help fill the void created by the departures of forwards Jane Morrill, Carlisha Wyatt and Carletta Wyatt.

Things are expected to be much busier at the University of Central Arkansas.

Coach Russ Pennell, who was hired last month after interim coach Clarence Finley led the team to an 8-20 record this past season, is expected to sign at least seven players today.

The seven players who have orally committed to UCA are guards Mike Martin, 6-0, from Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College; Derreck Brooks, 6-5, from Phoenix College; Jordan Howard, 5-10, from Perry (Ariz.) High School; Thatch Unruh, 6-4, from Quakerdale (Iowa) Prep; Michael Milligan, 6-6, from Future College Prep (Calif.); and forwards Christian Musoko, 6-9, from Layton (Utah) Christian Academy and Otas Iyekekpolor, 6-8, from Lillian Osborne High School in Edmonton, Alberta.

Information for this article was contributed by Troy Schulte and Jeremy Muck of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

Sports, Pages 21 on 04/16/2014

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