University of Richmond Athletics
Spiders Sign Kendall, Davis, Nelson-Ododa And Piotrowski
11/11/2010 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 10, 2010
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - Richmond men's basketball coach Chris Mooney announced the signing of Kendall Anthony (Jackson, Tenn.), Trey Davis (Richmond, Va.), Alonzo Nelson-Ododa (Atlanta, Ga.) and Luke Piotrowski (Atlantic City, N.J.).
 Kendall Anthony  |
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"We are thrilled with this year's recruiting class," Mooney said. "We feel like this group could have a major impact on the future success of Richmond basketball."
Anthony is a 5-foot-9 point guard from Liberty Technology Magnet School in Jackson, Tenn. He averaged 12.2 points, 3.3 assists and 1.8 steals per game last season as a junior and 12.1 poings, 4.8 assists and 2.1 steals per game as a sophomore.
"Kendall is an outstanding point guard who has great athletic ability along with a great feel for the game," Mooney said.
"I am excited about the opportunity to be a Richmond Spider next year. I feel blessed to play in the Atlantic 10 and further my athletic endeavors." Kendall Anthony
Anthony was a two-time all-district and all-region selection and is a McDonald's All-American nominee.
"Kendall is a phenomenal talent," Liberty Tech coach Jarrett Jones said. "His work ethic and love for the game has paid off with an opportunity to take his skills to the next level. Richmond's program will be a great fit, and we are excited about his bright future as a Spider."
 Trey Davis |
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Davis is a 6-foot-4 guard/forward from Benedictine High here in Richmond, where he earned Second-Team All-State VISAA as a junior, averaging 13 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal per game. Davis was an all-region selection as a sophomore.
Trey is a terrific all-around player, he's extremely competitive and has all of the skills to be a great college player," Mooney said. "We're very proud to welcome the son of a former Spider standout."
Davis is the son of John Davis, a Richmond Hall of Famer, who played from 1982-86.
"It's nice to stay close to home so my family can see me play. It's definitely nice to follow in my father's footsteps, but that didn't really factor into my decision. I want to make my own name for myself when I get there," Davis said. "It came down to the relationships I had with the coaching staff, especially Coach (Rob) Jones, and being really comfortable with the players, it really felt like a family."
Davis will join Benedictine alum and current Spider sophomore Darien Brothers next year. Davis is the fourth Richmond native that Mooney has signed in six years as the Spiders' head coach.
"Trey is the type of player that makes the players around him better people and better players, Benedictine coach Sean McAloon said. "He has constantly worked on his game and over the last year he has raised his level of play dramatically. It will be great to have two of our players down the street playing for a high-major program in a power conference, competing for championships while getting the educational opportunity that the University of Richmond offers."
 Alonzo Nelson-Ododa |
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Nelson-Ododa averaged 14 points, 8 rebounds and 3 blocks per game earning Region 8AAAA All-Conference honors at Winder-Barrow High as a junior before transferring to Norcross High for his senior year.
"Alonzo is a very talented and versatile forward," Mooney said. "He is skilled and is a high level athlete."
"When I went to Richmond on my visit and got to know the coaching staff and the players, I felt an immediate connection," Nelson-Ododa said. "I also felt welcomed by the general student body. I feel comfortable with Coach Mooney's personality and coaching style and I know he has a great history of winning programs and developing players. Assistant coach (Jamal) Brunt did a great job in the recruiting process and showed me how much I was wanted even from the beginning of my recruitment."
. Ododa, who was named to the Atlanta Tip-Off Club All-Atlanta Metro Preseason Team, also had offers from NC State, Wake Forest and California.
"Although Alonzo has only been at Norcross for a few months I have known him as a person and player for several years," Norcross coach Jesse McMillan said. "He is a very mature and level-headed young man and has set goals for himself that he is constantly working hard to achieve. He was very diligent in the recruiting process and found that the University of Richmond was the place where he could grow as a student and athlete, be challenged each day and be part of a winning program. Alonzo is already a very talented basketball player but we are all sure that he can excel under the leadership of Coach Mooney and the Richmond staff."
 Luke Piotrowski |
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The 6-foot-11 Piotrowski averaged 11 points, 10 rebounds and 4 blocks as a junior at Atlantic Christian School, playing for his father, former La Salle Explorer and NBA player Tom Piotrowski. The three-time all-conference selection and McDonald's All-American nominee is a preseason All-American nominee for the National Christian School Athletic Association (NCSAA).
"Luke is an extremely skilled front court player who has great footwork around the basket as well as the ability to shoot the ball from the perimeter."
"Richmond represents everything I was looking for in both a school and a basketball program," Luke Piotrowski said. "They met every one of my criteria and the coaching staff convinced me completely that I was a great fit for their system."
Piotrowski chose the Spiders over Arizona State, Boston University, Maryland, and Oregon State.
"This ends a long trail for Luke, our family is ecstatic about his choice to play for Richmond," Tom Piotrowski said of his son's decision. "Everything about the school and basketball program fulfills our dreams for him. It's been very comforting to hear praises for Luke's decision from coaches and fans all over the country."
