Alabama Men's Basketball Lands the Nation's No. 16 Signing Class with Four Additions
4/15/2020 1:11:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Five-star guard Josh Primo, graduate transfer Jordan Bruner, JUCO All-American Keon Ellis and freshman standout Darius Miles headline the newest additions
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Alabama men's basketball team added four signees to its 2020 signing class during the late signing period, head coach Nate Oats announced on Wednesday. The newest additions, along with fall signee Keon Ambrose-Hylton (Toronto, Ontario/Andrews Osborne Academy [Ohio]), combine to make up the 16th-ranked class in the nation by Scout.com and the No. 18 overall class according to 247Sports.com.
In addition to having a top-20 class, Oats also welcomes one of the top available graduate transfers in the country in Yale's Jordan Bruner, who earned First Team All-Ivy League this past season. Bruner led the conference in overall rebounds (9.2) and defensive rebounds (7.4) per game, ranked fourth in assists (3.8 apg) and was third in blocked shots (1.7 bpg) while adding 10.9 points per contest during the 2019-20 campaign.
Headlining the other signees is five-star prospect Josh Primo, who is rated by 247Sports.com as the No. 27 overall player and the No. 7 overall combo guard in this year's class. Primo, a native of Toronto, Ontario, plays on the same AAU team as Ambrose-Hylton and reclassified from a 2021 recruit to the class of 2020 after completing his prep requirements early from Royal Crown International.
Primo is joined by NJCAA Second Team All-American Keon Ellis out of Florida SouthWestern State. The Fort Myers, Fla., native is rated by 247Sports.com as the No. 3 overall JUCO player and No. 1 combo guard in the nation. Meanwhile, freshman standout Darius Miles is tabbed the 26th-best small forward in the nation by Rivals.com and comes to Tuscaloosa from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.
The group joins Ambrose-Hylton, who signed as a consensus four-star prospect and is rated the No. 2 overall player in Canada's National Player Rankings.
"We're ecstatic about the five players we're bringing into our program," Oats said. "We wanted to bring in young men with high character that fit our system, and we feel we've done exactly that throughout the entire class. We have five skilled, long, athletic players that all fit into an up-tempo spread system we've implemented since we've arrived on campus. We feel all five of these players will immediately help us reach our goals of making this one of the best programs both in the SEC and nationally."
Below is a breakdown of each of the newest signees and a quote from coach Oats on each player.
Jordan Bruner (Columbia, S.C. – Yale/Spring Valley)
6-9 // 205 // F // Gr.
Career Highlights
- 2020 First Team All-Ivy League
- 2020 Academic All-Ivy
- Ivy League Player of the Week (week of Feb. 22, 2020)
- Ivy League Rookie of the Week (week of Jan. 9, 2016)
- Earned his undergraduate degree from Yale in African American Studies
Yale (2017-20)
- Appeared in 83 total games making 53 starts across his three seasons from 2016-17 through the 2019-20 campaign
- Missed the 2017-18 campaign due to an injury
- Scored 807 career points including 305 points this past season (10.9 ppg)
- His 149 total blocked shots rank fourth-most in school history and his 647 rebounds are 10th at Yale
- Named First Team All-Ivy League in 2020 after averaging 10.9 points a contest and leading the conference in rebounding (9.2 rpg), while also ranking third in blocks (1.7 bpg) and fourth in assists (3.8 apg)
- Expanded his game during league play, making 32 three-pointers (2.5 threes made per game) and shooting 90 percent (27-of-30) from the foul line
- Became the first Bulldog to ever post a triple double when he had 14 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in a victory at Cornell (week of Feb. 22, 2020), earning him Ivy League Player of the Week honors
- Was one of only two players to start all 30 games as a redshirt junior in 2018-19
- Averaged 10.4 ppg that season and ranked second in the league in rebounding (8.3 rpg), third in blocked shots (1.5 bpg) and tied for seventh in assists (3.0 apg)\
- As a freshman in 2016-17, he led the team with 55 blocks (2.2 bpg), which ranked second in the league
- Appeared in 25 games off the bench that season and finished fifth in the league in field goal percentage (.513) and 11th in rebounding (5.6 rpg).
Prep Highlights & Personal Information
- Three-time all-state and all-region selection at Spring Valley High School under head coach Perry Dozier
- A four-star prospect by Rivals and three-star according to 247Sports and ESPN.com
- Ranked as the No. 2 player in the state of South Carolina in the Class of 2016, according to 247Sports, and No. 3 by ESPN
- Selected as a South Carolina Top 5 player in each of his four years
- Averaged 16 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and four blocks per game as a senior in 2016
- Played for Upward Stars AAU team
- Was also recruited by South Carolina and Clemson, among others, out of high school
- His sister, Ashley, played for the University of South Carolina (2009-13) and currently plays professionally overseas
Coach Oats on Jordan Bruner
"We felt like Jordan was the best grad transfer available this season based on what we needed. He provides us a big that impacts the game tremendously on both sides of the ball. Offensively, he's a big that is capable of being a playmaker on the perimeter while also providing a presence inside. His basketball IQ and overall skill level are exactly what we needed to put us in a position to contend on a nationally-relevant level. Defensively, he can provide rim protection, move well enough to switch and guard perimeter players, rebound the ball and then push the ball in the break to help our transition game. He's played in multiple NCAA tournaments and pushed Yale to unprecedented heights in his time there. We're looking for him to do the same in his year with us."
Keon Ellis (Fort Myers, Fla. – Florida SouthWestern State/Leesburg)
6-6 // 170 // G // Jr.
- Named a Second Team NJCAA All-American
- A four-star junior college prospect by 247Sports.com after playing two seasons under head coach Eric Murphy at Florida SouthWestern State College
- Rated by 247Sports as the No. 1 combo guard and the No. 3 JUCO player in the nation
- Averaged 18.7 ppg for the Buccaneers, who finished the 2019-20 season with a 29-2 overall record and were ranked No. 1 in the NJCAA
- Connected on 54 percent shooting from the field, 40 percent from beyond the arc and 81 percent from the charity stripe for the year
- Made his presence felt on the defensive end as he averaged 2.1 steals and 1.2 blocks per game as a sophomore, making him just one of four players nationally to average 2.0 or more steals and 1.0 or more blocks per game
- His 562 points and 64 steals during his sophomore season are the most in a single season in school history
- Finished his career ranked among the program's top-10 in career points, field goals made, field goal percentage, three-pointers made, three-point percentage, free throws made, free throws attempted, blocked shots and ranks as FSW's all-time leader with 114 steals
- Helped lead the Buccaneers to a 59-5 record over his two seasons (2018-20) and back-to-back undefeated Suncoast Conference Championships, as well as consecutive berths in the NJCAA National Tournament
- Scored 20 or more points in 10 games during his freshman season, including a career-best 41 points in a 92-77 win over St. Petersburg Collegewhile he made a career-high eight three-pointers in a win over Miami Dade (Dec. 10, 2019)
High School
- Led Leesburg High School under head coach Sean Campbell to back-to-back state titles in 2017 and 2018
- A two-time Class 6A All-State and All-Area honoree by the Florida Association of Basketball Coaches (FABC)
- Averaged 18.1 points per game as a senior on his way to earning 2018 first team all-state honors
- Led Leesburg to a 29-1 record and a second consecutive state championship that season and was chosen to compete in the FABC All-Star game at the end of the year
- As a junior, he helped the Yellow Jackets to the first of consecutive state titles while earning second team all-state and first team all-area recognition
- Averaged 12.7 points, 11.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game during the 2017-18 campaign
Personal
- Born January 8, 2000
- Son of Montea Ellis
Coach Oats on Keon Ellis
"Keon is dynamic scorer that's proven he can score at a high-level while being efficient as well on offense. He plays the defensive side of the ball as well, being a long perimeter defender with quick instincts. While his offensive production has us really excited, we're equally excited for his defensive contributions he will provide as well. He's a proven winner having played on the top-ranked junior college team in the country this season. He led them in scoring while shooting over 40 percent from three-point range. He's exactly what we're looking for in a scoring guard in both our offensive and defensive systems."
Darius Miles (Washington, D.C. – IMG Academy [Fla.])
6-7 // 185 // SF // Fr.
- Rated as a four-star prospect by Rivals and a three-star signee according to 247Sports
- Rivals.com lists him as the 113th best prospect and the 26th best small forward in the nation
- Averaged 12.1 points and 2.5 rebounds per game while playing on the prestigious IMG postgraduate team
- Played at St. Charles High School in Washington, D.C., during the 2018-19 season and averaged 13.6 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game
- Signed with Alabama over Minnesota, Memphis, Georgetown, LSU, Texas A&M and Boston College, among other schools
Coach Oats on Darius Miles
"Darius has tremendous upside as a big wing that can play multiple positions. He's exceptionally skilled for his size on the perimeter. One of the best aspects of his game as I watched him was his passing ability from his position. His outlet passes and ability to handle the ball in the break will enable us to play even faster than what we had before. He has all the tools to be a great defender and rebounder as well. Playing his last year as a postgrad has given him a head start on what will be required of a freshman at a high major D-I level. We think once he's fully into our program he can contribute to our overall culture of winning up-tempo basketball and play multiple positions for us."
Josh Primo (Toronto, Ontario – Royal Crown International)
6-6 // 180 // G // Fr.
- Rated as a five-star prospect, the No. 27 overall player and the No. 7 overall combo guard in the 2020 class by 247Sports.com
- Reclassified from a 2021 recruit to the class of 2020 after completing his prep requirements early from Royal Crown International
- At one time he was rated as the No. 3 player in 2020 North Pole Hoops (NPH) Canadian National Player Rankings
- Considered one of the top international players who projected as a mid-first round selection in ESPN.com's 2021 Mock NBA Draft
- Was the youngest player invited to the Canadian National Team for the 2019 FIBA U-19 World Cup Games in Greece where he averaged 11.2 minutes and 4.2 points per game across his six games played
- Competed for UPLAY Canada under head coach Dwayne Washington on the Nike EYBL circuit
- Played alongside fellow signee Keon Ambrose-Hylton on UPlay
- Listed as a four-star prospect by ESPN.com and Rivals.com
- Stole the show at the Basketball Without Borders Global Camp which was held in Chicago during All-Star Weekend in February of 2020, wowing numerous NBA Scouts with his effort and play during the event
- Played the 2018-19 season at Huntington St. Joseph Prep in Huntington, W.Va.
- Chose Alabama over the likes of Creighton, Ohio State, Arizona State, Auburn and California, among others
Coach Oats on Josh Primo
"Josh gives us that other ball-handler in the backcourt to play alongside our other guards. His size at the guard position allows us to play multiple guards on the floor together as we like to do. He's a big-time gym rat that's shown great improvement even here recently. His play in February showed he's ready to immediately contribute heavily for us as we compete for an SEC title. We love Josh's overall versatility, play-making ability, shooting and his experience playing on Canadian national teams. He's a proven competitor on both ends of the floor on an international level of play."
For all the latest information on the team, follow AlabamaMBB on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. General athletic news can be found @UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and Alabama Athletics on Facebook.
