Local colleges recruit top talent

Dip Metress usually spends the first half of his summer relaxing. In his first year at Augusta State, though, there's been too much to do.

Metress signed his final player Monday, wrapping up a monsterous recruiting period for not only him, but also USC Aiken coach Mike Roberts.

Combined, the two local Division II coaches signed a whopping total of 18 players - nine each.

"It just doesn't slow down," Metress said. "Typically, June is a slow month. Not this year."

His life has been a flurry of activity since he left Belmont Abbey for Augusta State on May 10. Aside from recruiting, Metress replaced former assistant coach Buck Harris with Jay Newberry, his former Belmont Abbey assistant.

Metress signed a trio of players he expects to make an immediate impact. Junior college guard Karim Telfer (6-foot-1, 180 pounds), German center Reberto Aufiero (6-9, 235) and Australian forward Cameron Tovey (6-7, 180) head a group that includes six Georgia high school graduates: Richmond Academy guard Jamie Quarles (6-0) and center Garrett Siler (6-10, 315); Washington-Wilkes forward Tyrekus Bowman (6-5); Martin Luther King guard Larry Diamond (6-2); Riverdale guard/forward Bryan Gates (6-4, 190); and Savannah High forward Luke Tambon (6-7, 215).

Telfer averaged 12 points and six assists a game at New Mexico Junior College, while shooting 42 percent from three-point range. Tovey averaged 24 points and 9.5 rebounds for Western Australia in the Under-20 Championships.

Aufiero played on the German U-20 national team.

"I'm hoping Telfer can come in and lead us," said Metress, who inherited three returners. "Tovey should be a good player for us. All the high school players are going to have a chance to play."

"Some people were successful with that; we weren't," he said. "I think we're better to have some kids to learn and move and progress through our system."

Roberts' list of new players includes: Lower Richland High guard Theo Oates (6-3, 172); Fork Union Military Academy guard Josh Poston (6-2, 180); Parkersburg High (W.Va.) guard Trent McCallister (6-1, 175); Loyola College guard Kenny Burr (6-5, 207); SUNY Orange forward Anthony Sampson (6-6, 215); Kennedy-King College forward Arnold Coates (6-6, 210); Hillsborough Community College guard Richard Blocker (6-2, 215); River Community College forward Marcus Robinson (6-6, 220); and Cape Fear Community College forward Josh Geyer (6-3, 185).

At Lexington High, Burr was named all-state after setting a state record for free-throw percentage (94). He redshirted at Loyola his first season and has four years of eligibility.

Geyer and McCallister might make the biggest impact. Geyer led Cape Fear in scoring (16.3 points per game) and shot 49.8 percent from the field. McCallister averaged 9.3 points, 8.7 assists and 5.6 rebounds per game his senior season.

"We've got a real mixture of kids," Roberts said. "Our class is actually a young class. It's probably the most athletic class we've ever signed."

Reach Chris Gay at (706) 868-1222 or chris.gay@augustachronicle.com.