RENO, Nev. Luke Babbitt of Reno, Nev., London Giles of Dallas, Texas, and Mark McLaughlin of Kenmore, Wash., have signed national letters of intent to study and play basketball at the University of Nevada beginning in 2008-09, fourth-year head coach Mark Fox announced Wednesday.
“We are very excited to announce the signing of three young men to national letters of intent today. This class - like every class - should be judged at the end of their careers, not before, but we are very pleased to add three players who we feel can improve our team,” Fox said. “Although they play different positions, they each have a great deal in common. All three are quality kids who come from great families, and they share an ability to shoot the basketball. We are very much looking forward to their careers as student-athletes at the University of Nevada.”
Nevada’s fall signing class is listed among the best in the nation. Rivals.com has the Wolf Pack’s recruiting class ranked 22nd in the nation, while Scout.com lists the Wolf Pack 23rd in the country. Rivals.com also listed the best signing player at each position for each conference, and Giles was listed as the best point guard coming into the Western Athletic Conference, McLaughlin as the best shooting guard and Babbitt as the best power forward.
A 6-8, 220-pound power forward, Babbitt comes to Nevada from Galena High School in Reno. Last year, he was named the 2007 Northern 4A Region Co-Player of the Year with current Wolf Pack freshman Armon Johnson. He averaged 27.8 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game and led Galena to the 2007 Nevada state championship last season. Babbitt was voted No. 3 on the Long Beach Press-Telegram’s prestigious “Best of the West” team and is listed as the 24th-best player in the country by Scout.com.
“Luke has established himself as one of the premier high school basketball players in the country, but he is an even better person. He is a proven winner in every way,” Fox said. “He scores both inside and outside while bringing a great competitive spirit. That combination makes him a very effective player. It means a great deal to me when a local player embraces our program. We are all very excited to have Luke join the Wolf Pack.”
Giles is a 6-3, 180-pound guard out of Kimball High School in Dallas, Texas. He was named the District 14 4A Newcomer of the Year last season after leading his team to a 23-10 record. Giles averaged 10.5 points and 6.3 assists per game as a junior and is listed as the 14th-best player in the state of Texas by TexasHoops.com.
“London comes from the tradition-rich Kimball High School basketball program. He is a big point guard who understands how to run a team and win games,” Fox said. “He is a leader both on and off the court. That leadership and ability to shoot the ball really will help our program.”
McLaughlin is a 6-5, 175-pound guard from Inglemoor High School in Kenmore, Wash. He was the second-leading scorer in King County 4A last year with 24 points per game. McLaughlin is listed among the top 100 players in the country by the national recruiting services, including the 16th-best shooting guard in the country by Scout.com, and also checked in at No. 14 on this year’s Long Beach Press-Telegram’s “Best in the West” team.
“Mark is a long scoring guard. The Seattle area has provided some great players for our program, and we are excited to be adding another,” Fox said. “Mark is a very good shooter, and we are very happy to add more scoring ability to our team.”
