Cobra men’s basketball adds seven recruits

By Messenger Staff Reports

Published: July 18, 2008

Coker College head men’s basketball coach, Dan Schmotzer announced the newest additions to the 2008-2009 Cobra basketball team this week.

Schmotzer and the Cobras will be joined by seven newcomers in the fall. Two of the players are transfers, while the other five will be true freshmen.

Liam Kyle and Richardo Smith both come to Coker after previous stints in college.

Kyle is a six-foot seven-inch post player, who is transferring from West Liberty State University, in West Liberty, W. Va., where he averaged 6.7 points per game in 11 games with the Hilltoppers.

Before his time at West Liberty, Kyle played at the IMG Academy in Florida.

Smith is a five-foot eight-inch point guard joining the Cobras after two seasons at Spartanburg Methodist Junior College. Richard is a native of Darlington, and was a standout basketball player at Lamar High School.

David Short, David Thomas, Rocky Ullah, Delonte Doles and Brenden Marcell are the five true freshmen looking to make big impacts on the Timberlake-Lawton Court over the next four years at Coker.

Short is another Darling-ton native, where as a post player, David was a standout for the Darlington High School Falcons.

Thomas is a post player from Andrews, where he was a four-year figure on the Andrews High School team.

Ullah joins the Cobras from Brooke Point High School in Virginia. Rocky is a five-foot ten-inch guard who averaged 15 points per game with 6.1 assists per game.

Doles is a native of Roswell, Ga., where he was a standout point guard for the Centennial High School Knights.

Marcell is a forward from Greenville, where he played for Greenville Tech Charter High School.

“With the players we have coming back,” Schmotzer said, “and the news guys coming in, I have to be a little excited.”

Schmotzer expects the transfer athletes should be able to contribute quickly to the team. “It’s all about avoiding injuries and attitudes and making choices,” the coach said Wednesday afternoon. “I like our talent, though. On paper, we are a good looking team. The Cobras are a little excited right now.”

The coach said he’d like to establish dominance in the paint with returning forward Mason Ambler and also expects good things from guards Josh Poston and Lukas Varga.

Schmotzer and the rest of the Cobras will begin their 2008-2009 season in November, as they look to improve on last season’s 9-19 overall record.