Tulsa completes large 2016 basketball signing class

On the first day of the basketball spring signing period, Tulsa coach Frank Haith announced the signing of five more student-athletes in the 2016 class: Geno Artison, Joseph Battle, Will Magnay, Curran Scott and Jaleel Wheeler.

"This is certainly an exciting day for our program and the culmination of tireless evaluation and relationship development by our staff," Haith said. “When we got to Tulsa in the spring of 2014, we knew we would have eight or nine scholarships to fill and that we needed to balance our classes out with high-character, high-quality student-athletes that fit our university's mission. I feel like we were able to do that.

“Each of these young men, along with Travis Atson, Corey Henderson, Martins Igbanu and Lawson Korita who we signed in the fall, fill significant needs for us and fit our program characteristics of having great character, skill and toughness. I am excited about the future of Tulsa Basketball."

Battle and Magnay are high school seniors, Artison and Wheeler are junior college transfers, and Scott is a D-1 transfer from the University of Charlotte in Conference USA. Artison is a freshman at the College of Southern Idaho and will have three years of eligibility remaining, while Wheeler is a sophomore at Kilgore College in Texas and will have two year of eligibility. Scott will sit out the 2016-17 season and then have three years of eligibility remaining.

Tulsa’s nine-member class includes two juniors, two sophomores and five freshmen, making it the largest since Tubby Smith's first class in 1991. Nolan Richardson's first class in 1980 also included nine newcomers.

Artison averaged 14.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game this season in nine games before an injury ended his season. As a senior at Franklin High School in Seattle, Artison averaged 18.3 points, 1.6 blocks and 1.0 assists per game.

"Eugene is a dynamic forward that has the ability to play in transition, score on the block or spot up on the perimeter," said Haith. "At 6-foot-9, Eugene can create some matchup problems for opponents and we are excited about that added versatility in our program. Eugene has worked hard rehabilitating from an injury last year, but being just a sophomore next season, we are very excited about his future at Tulsa as his best basketball is ahead of him."

"Eugene has a chance to be really, really good," said College of Southern Idaho Head Coach Jared Phay. "He is athletic and skilled. He was having a good season and we were expecting big things from him. I think his upside is really, really high. When I say upside, I think he has a chance to be in the NBA. The sky is the limit with him. He is a really good kid, and he was our biggest cheerleader in every practice and every game. I felt like he wanted to win as badly as anybody, even though he couldn't play. He is a just a really good teammate and really supportive in that way."

Battle led his team to a Class 2A state championship, averaging 31 points, 7 rebounds and 3 steals as a senior. He was named Class 2A Player of the Year honors, Gatorade Men's Basketball Player of the Year, as well as Mr. Basketball for the state of South Carolina.

"Joseph is a winner," Haith said. "Not many seniors across the country can claim state titles as a point guard and as a quarterback in the same year, but Joseph accomplished that last season. He is a tremendous competitor and leader. He has incredible character and will do whatever it takes to make his teammates better. From a point guard standpoint Joseph has great intangibles and we are excited to welcome him into our family."

"Joseph is a great young man, an outstanding student, well-liked in the community, and a hard worker in the classroom and on the court," Abbeville High School Head Coach Doug Belcher said. "He is a leader on the court, and leads by example in everything he does. He can play the point, and he can play the two-guard. He loves the game. In that state championship game, he was phenomenal. He scored inside, he scored outside, driving – whatever it took, he did it. He is a tough kid, an all-around student-athlete, and well-liked by his teammates. Tulsa is getting an outstanding young man."

Magnay, a 6-foot-10 forward from the Australian Institute of Sports in Brisbane, Australia, was named the top defensive player and a first-team all-tournament selection at the U20 Australian Junior Championships in February. He averaged 9.3 points, 9.4 rebounds and 3.3 blocks per game.

"We love Will's size and physicality. Recruiting and signing a true center was very important in this class and we are excited about what Will brings to our program," said Haith. "He has an opportunity to make an impact defensively for us very early in his career, and he has a good skill level that will allow him to really develop on the offensive end of the court. Much like the rest of this class, we really like Will's makeup as a young man. He has great character and a passion for winning. We are excited to have him join our program."

Scott was recruited by Tulsa while at Edmond (OK) Memorial in the 2015 class before he signed with Charlotte. As a freshman with the 49ers, he scored in double figures in 17 games, including five games with at least 20 points. For the season, he averaged 10.5 points and hit 44 percent of his three-point attempts.

"We are excited to add someone of Curran's skill level and experience to this recruiting class," Haith said. "Curran was one of the top freshmen in Conference USA last season at Charlotte and has the ability to score the basketball at multiple levels, whether it's attacking the rim, getting to the foul line or from the perimeter. Being an Oklahoma native, our fans will have great familiarity with Curran. He was a tremendous player in Edmond throughout his high school career and we feel fortunate to have him back in our state after a great start to his Division I career."

"Curran is a very driven, dynamic offensive player, and a prolific scorer," said Edmond Memorial High School Head Coach Shane Cowherd. "He has a real knack for getting to the free throw line, and getting extra possessions as a result of being able to draw contact. He is tenacious about his personal improvement, and I think what makes him special is that he has a motor and a drive to win and to be successful, unlike many kids that I've ever coached before. You're going to see a player that is not going to take days off from practice, and will drive his teammates to get better because he wants to get better. He is a leader with his actions on the court."

Wheeler earned 2016 NJCAA All-America honorable mention and All-Region XIV first-team honors as a sophomore at Kilgore College in Texas. He averaged 22.3 points and 2.5 assists per game this season, connecting on 40 percent of his three-pointers and 81 percent of his free throws.

"Jaleel adds an element of maturity to our incoming class. Being a junior college transfer, he is a little older and has a better understanding of what it will take to compete daily at this level," Haith said. "As a player, we really like Jaleel's overall makeup. He was one of the top junior college players in the country last season, and attacks his opponent relentlessly on the offensive end. Jaleel fills a big void for us with the graduation of Shaquille (Harrison) and James (Woodard) and we are excited he is going to be a Golden Hurricane."

"Jaleel is a first-class person. He is very conscientious about his school work, how he presents himself off the court, and how he handles people. He has been a really enjoyable person to have in our program the last two years," Kilgore College Head Coach Brian Hoberecht said. "He is very versatile as a player. He has a knack for scoring the basketball from many different areas on the floor. He has a great body with strength, so he can finish through contact. He has a nice mid-range game, and shot it at a high percentage from the 3-point line. He has a great personality, and I think the people of Tulsa will fall in love with him, as a person and as a player."