KENNESAW, Ga. (May 10, 2013) –Orlando Coleman, a combo guard/forward, has signed a grant-in-aid to play at Kennesaw State, head men’s basketball coach Lewis Preston announced on Friday.
Coleman, a rising redshirt-sophomore, will join the Owls program after competing at Alabama Southern Community College in Monroeville, Ala., during the 2012-13 season. He averaged 18.7 points, 11.6 rebounds and 1.0 assists while playing in 28 games and starting 27 for the Eagles.
The 6-foot-5, 195-pound Coleman shot 53 percent from the field en route to earning first team all-region accolades. He led the state and ranked sixth in the country in rebounding and finished sixth among Alabama junior college players in scoring.
The Pleasant Grove, Ala., native produced 19 double-doubles (points-rebounds), scored 30 or more points six times and totaled 17 or more rebounds on three occasions. Coleman was the No. 77th-ranked junior college player by jucorecruiting.com and made the Top 20 at the All-American JUCO Showcase Elite 80.
“Orlando is going to bring to us someone with the ability to slash and drive, get to the basket and hit the perimeter jump shot,” Preston said. “He has the ability to play at all three levels, post up against smaller guards, take bigger guys out and dive by them and also being able to knock down the jump shot. Even more importantly, Orlando is going to bring us rebounding for that position in the fact that he averaged 11 rebounds a game at Alabama Southern."
Coleman initially signed a letter-of-intent to attend Morehead State in 2011 but did not play for the Eagles. He then enrolled at Alabama State before transferring to Alabama Southern Community College in the fall of 2012.
A standout prep player at Pleasant Grove High School in Pleasant Grove, Ala., Coleman averaged 15.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists en route to earning All-West Metro First Team honors as a senior. The Spartans compiled a 32-3 record that included a 30-game winning streak, and advanced to the regional finals. He capped the year by playing in the North/South All-Star Game.
Coleman is one of five players who have signed on to be a part of the Kennesaw State program since last fall. Other newcomers set to join the Owls include freshman Jordan Jones, a 6-8, 205 combo forward from nearby Saint Francis High School (Alpharetta, Ga.), who signed a national letter-of-intent in November.
Nate Rucker, a 6-6, 240-pound forward from Memphis, Tenn., Southwest Community College and Northern Illinois, joined the program in December and will be eligible following the fall semester. Drew McGhee, a 6-11 senior center signed a grant-in-aid in March and will be eligible immediately. Shooting guard Tanner Wozniak (Belleair, Fla.) inked a letter-of-intent in April after playing the 2012-13 season at Jones County Junior College in Ellisville, Miss.
Preston anticipates having all five players join the current team for the Owls’ summer workouts that begin May 29.
Kennesaw State University is celebrating 30 years of intercollegiate athletics during the 2012-13 academic year.
