Prep School Standout Signs With Jags

After a whirlwind recruiting period this spring,SG Martino Brock of Maine Central Institute finally decided on the South Alabama Jaguars after receiving an offer from Western Kentucky and serious interest from Oklahoma State and Memphis.

Brock, the onetime Southeast Missouri State signee, has spent the last year averaging 18 points per game for the prestigious prep program at MCI. Brock had intended on attending SEMO after his year in prep school, but when the coach there was fired, Brock's recruiting was thrown wide open. After reviewing his choices, he determined that South Alabama was the right fit.

"It just felt like home," said Brock. "I've had a relationship with Coach Brown for a while and that helped me make my decision."

Coach Brown is Mike Brown, the newest assistant for the Jaguars. Two years ago Brown was an assistant at Kent State and recruited Brock out of Ridgeway High School in Memphis. Last season Brown was the head coach at Motlow State Community College in Lynchburg, Tennessee - the same school that USA signee Tim Williams hails from. In addition to being able to attract top flight talent, Coach Williams brings an excellent resume as a floor coach with a career record of 45-18 in two seasons as a junior college head coach, one at Motlow State and one at Schoolcraft in Michigan.

Brock says that the USA staff intends to play him at the shooting guard spot, his preference. While he grades his three point shooting as a "B-Minus," Brock brings an all-around game to the court.

"I'm a slasher and I play a good mid-range game, he said. "I play very hard on defense."

With the addition Brock to a spring class that includes Williams, Rob Phillips of Charis Prep, Raymond Sims of Paris Junior College and P.J. Reyes of Lamar Community College, it appears that Ronnie Arrow has completed the rebuilding necessary to get USA back to the top of the Sun Belt once again.