Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG, Va. – Virginia Tech head coach Seth Greenberg has announced the signing of four players to national letters of intent for the 2011-12 academic year.
C.J. Barksdale, a power forward from Danville, Va., Robert Brown, a wing player from Clermont, Fla., Dorian Finney-Smith, a forward from Portsmouth, Va., and Marquis Rankin, a point guard from Charlotte, N.C. have signed to play for the Hokies beginning in Fall 2011.
The Fall 2010 Virginia Tech signing class has been ranked as the No. 12 national recruiting class by ESPN.com. The class has been ranked No. 17 by Rivals.com and as the No. 3 class in the ACC by Scout.com.
“We feel like we got the two best players in the State of Virginia, which is very important as we build our brand and become Virginia’s team,” Greenberg said. “This class is skilled, long, athletic and posses a great passion for the game. They are versatile, they will be tough to defend and they should be one of the best defensive groups that we’ve had in a long time.
“Having three players playing together for a year is an asset. As well, those players will be able to enroll in school for the first summer session and get acclimated to Virginia Tech. This group has a chance to be one of the elite freshman classes, not only in the ACC, but in the country.”
Barksdale, Brown and Rankin are all playing their senior seasons as members of the post-graduate team at Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Va. Finney-Smith will complete his high school career at I.C. Norcom High School in Portsmouth, Va.
Barksdale, (6-8, 220 lb.) was a second team All-AAA selection by the Associated Press last season at George Washington High School in Danville, Va. He averaged 19.0 points, 13.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists as a junior. He is ranked a four-star recruit by all three major rating services and was selected as the No. 14 power forward and No. 65 overall recruit nationally by Scout.com, as the No. 15 power forward nationally by ESPNU and the No. 17 power forward and No. 95 overall recruit by Rivals.com. He played for the Richmond Squires AAU program.
“C.J. Barksdale is another tough match-up,” Greenberg said. “He can step away and make shots, he has a terrific jump hook and he can rebound the ball in traffic. He’s long, active and athletic. He’ll be a tough match-up problem due to his quickness and his skill level.”
Brown (6-5, 180 lb.) averaged 20.1 points per game as a junior at East Ridge High School in Clermont, Fla., where he was a fourth-team AAAAAA All-State selection. He is ranked as a three- and four-star recruit by the three major rating services and was selected as the No. 35 shooting guard by Scout.com, as the No. 61 shooting guard nationally by ESPNU and the No. 29 shooting guard and No. 108 overall recruit by Rivals.com. He played for the Showtime Ballers/Florida Assault AAU program.
“Robert Brown is a prototypical wing scorer,” Greenberg said. “He’s got great athleticism and bounce. He shoots the ball with range and has potential to be a world-class defender. He plays well above the rim. He has the ability to slash, attack and make plays. He scores the ball with ease.”
Finney-Smith (6-7, 185 lb.) was named the VHSL AAA Player of the Year by the AP, after leading I.C. Norcom High School to the AAA state title in 2010 as a junior. He averaged 19.7 points, 13.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 3.0 steals and 2.0 blocked shots per game last season. He was named a five-star recruit by ESPNU, which also selected him as the No. 4 small forward in the nation and the No. 15 overall recruit. Scout.com selected him as the No. 7 small forward and the No. 28 recruit overall nationally and Rivals.com selected him as the No. 11 small forward and the No. 28 overall recruit, nationally. He was a member of the Boo Williams AAU program.
“Dorian Finney-Smith is one of the most complete players I’ve ever recruited,” Greenberg said. “He’s got the length and size to create match-up problems at any position. He has the ball skills of a point guard, the rebounding ability of a power forward and the competitive spirit that we are looking for in all our players. He’s an incredibly tough match-up and a huge player for our program to earn a commitment from.”
Rankin ( 6-1, 170 lb.) averaged 13.6 points, 7.0 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game as a junior at Vance High School in Charlotte, N.C. He was a 2009-10 third team All-State selection by the North Carolina Basketball Coaches Association and was a three-time all-conference selection. He was selected as four-star recruit and the No. 15 point guard and No. 84 overall recruit by Scout.com and a four-star recruit and the No. 21 points guard by ESPNU. He played for the Chris Paul All-Stars AAU program.
“Marquis Rankin is a pure point guard,” Greenberg said. “He distributes the ball, he’s got great speed and he is as good an on-ball defender as I’ve seen since Jamon Gordon. He has great speed with the basketball in the open court. He loves the game and enjoys making other players better. He’s the perfect compliment for the wing players that we have in our program.”