GAFFNEY, S.C.— Limestone College Head Men’s Basketball Coach Brandon Scott has announced that Joe Raga (Tampa, Fla.), James Barton (Bethel Park, Pa.), and Kenny Fluellen, Jr. (Warner Robbins, Ga.), will be joining the Saints for the 2009-10 season. All three of the newcomers are freshman.
"We are very excited about signing these three athletes to our basketball program,” commented Scott. “They are quality young men who come from great families. We have addressed big areas of improvement to our basketball team. We needed to add size, shooting, and scoring and we have done a great job of that with these three players. They are very talented offensively and all had great high school careers. They are not only going to make us better on the court, but off the court as well. They will have great careers here at Limestone. I am very excited about bringing in three more great players who are great people. We are anxious to get them on campus."
Raga is a 6-foot 5-inch forward from Bloomingdale High School. He averaged 15.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game as a senior. He was selected to the Tampa Bay Basketball Coaches Association All-Star Team. Raga played in the Hillsborough County Senior All-Star game and Hillsborough versus Pinellas County All-Star game. He was also a Second-Team Tribune All-Hillsborough County selection. He was a three-year starter on Bloomingdale’s varsity squad. Raga was named Second-Team All-Conference as a junior and First-Team All-Conference as a senior. He is the son of Karen and Jerry Raga.
"Joe is a very versatile wing/forward who can really score and pass the basketball,” pointed out Scott. “He played for a great coach this year at Bloomingdale and I think Joe is going to have a great four years here at Limestone. I believe he can come in this year and contribute immediately. He is such a hard guy to match up with because of his versatility. Joe can be a great player in our league."
Barton attended Bethel Park High School. He is a 5-foot 11-inch guard. He was a two-year starter and team captain for his high school team, and also earned MVP honors twice. He led the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League in scoring for two seasons and was a two-time WPIAL selection. He helped his team to the 2007 league championship. Barton was chosen to play in the conference All-Star game. He is the son of James and Maureen Barton and plans to study art and sports management at Limestone.
"James can flat out score the basketball,” state Scott. “I am extremely excited about getting James on campus in August. He is a tremendous shooter and just understands how to score. He will be able to play both guard positions and his ability to extend the defense will make us a much tougher basketball team to defend. James is such a quality person on and off the court."
Fluellen, a 6-foot 4-inch forward, was a three-year starter at Warner Robins High School. He broke his high school’s scoring record last season when he had 43 points on January 16. He averaged 22 points per game as a senior while shooting over 40% from long range. He was named to the All-Middle Georgia Honorable Mention team. Fluellen also earned First-Team All-State honors. His parents are Kenneth Fluellen, Sr., and Elnora Fluellen.
"Kenny is another guy who had an amazing high school career,” said Scott. “He is a great shooter and is a tremendous rebounder on both ends of the court. Kenny has a very mature game for his age. He knows his game very well and does what he is good at. He gives us a lot of depth at the forward position and I believe he can be a great scorer in our league all four years. He is a very talented player, who is also a coachable and humble young man and as a coach, that gets me very excited about him."
"Our assistant coach Jake Pickett has done a great job in his first year as recruiting coordinator, along with a lot of help from assistant coach Marquintus Jones,” Scott pointed out. “We are very fortunate to have such a hard-working coaching staff."
Two more players will join Limestone’s lineup next season after redshirting in 2008-09. Jarrell Douglass (Leesburg, Fla.), a 6-foot 5-inch forward, and Danny Friend (Morrow, Ga.), a 6-foot 6-inch forward, will add more depth to the Saints’ roster in 2009-10.