Zack CreglowDaily Egyptian
The SIU men's basketball team secured its first commitment of the 2006 recruiting class Monday the Daily Egyptian has learned, reeling in multi-dimensional guard Joshua Bone from Nashville, Tenn.
Bone, who averaged about 15 points, four assists and four rebounds last season for Brentwood Academy, visited the SIU campus last weekend. He said he chose the Salukis over offers from Miami (Ohio), Bradley, UNC-Wilmington and George Mason.
"I saw how they played and wanted to be a part of it," said Bone, a 6-foot-3, 185-pound athlete who says he has already heard comparisons of his physique to Saluki great Darren Brooks.
After Bone's commitment, the Salukis still have one scholarship remaining for the 2006 class. Josh Tabb, a guard from Harmony Prep School in Cincinnati who signed with SIU last season, took an official visit to Tennessee last weekend, according to a report in the Nashville Tennessean.
In recent weeks, the Saluki coaching staff offered Bone a scholarship and increased their recruiting efforts. The other schools had been recruiting him longer, he said, but the Salukis "recruited me the hardest."
"They came down here about two to three weeks ago, and I guess they liked what they saw," said Bone, a high school teammate of Brendan Wright, one of the top recruits in the nation. "They wanted me to visit as soon as I could."
Bone, who plans to major in either business or sports administration, said he has worked recently to improve his quickness and strength. Bone said he plans to take no further college visits.
"I didn't know that they were that hard of a defensive team, and their offense is pretty good," Bone said. "It was a good match for me."
