Tulsa fills last open basketball scholarship in 2017 class

Tulsa filled its final open basketball scholarship when 6-foot-7 wing Jeriah Horne signed a Financial Aid Agreement with TU on Thursday. The transfer from Nebraska made an official visit to Tulsa from April 19 to April 21. He will have three years of eligibility remaining after sitting out the 2017-18 season.

“After one year of college under my belt, I felt more confident about assessing my transfer options,” Horne told Inside Tulsa Sports. “The University of Tulsa satisfied the majority of my priorities and proved to be the best fit. After speaking with the coaches, athletes and administrators, I felt good about the academics, the support system for student-athletes, the basketball program, and the campus life.

“I am excited and believe I will have a great opportunity at Tulsa.”

As a freshman at Nebraska last season, Horne averaged 4.3 points and 1.9 rebounds in 12 minutes per game. He played in 29 games and shot 40.5-percent from the field. Horne improved his averages to 5.3 points and 2.2 rebounds per game in 17 Big Ten conference games.

Horne scored a season-high 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting in a win over Southern in December. He also had big games against ranked opponents, scoring 16 points and a season-high seven rebounds against No. 20 Purdue and dropping in 11 points at No. 16 Indiana.

"Jeriah is a tremendous addition to our program, and while fans won't see him on the court until the 2018-19 season due to transfer rules, he helps upgrade our talent and gives us a young and versatile forward for years to come," said Tulsa head coach Frank Haith. "Jeriah was one of the most efficient players for Nebraska last year as a true freshman, and he had a big role for them during Big Ten play.

“His scoring and rebounding numbers went up during conference games, so that tells me he is a young man driven to get better and is ready to make the most of his opportunities.”

As a high school senior at Barstow in 2015-16, Horne averaged 22.0 points, 11.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game, taking his team to a 27-4 record and a second-place finish. Rivals.com ranked him as the No. 122 player in the nation.

During high school, Horne played AAU basketball for Kansas City Run GMC – the same team as 2017 Tulsa signee Darien Jackson from Overland Park (KS) Blue Valley Northwest.

"We are ecstatic to welcome Jeriah to the Tulsa family and pleased to keep Kansas City's best players looking firmly at TU,” Haith added.

Along with Horne and Jackson in Tulsa’s 2017 class are DaQuan Jeffries from Western Texas CC and Elijah Joiner of Chicago (IL) Curie.

Signed a National Letter of Intent with the Golden Hurricane in November … rated a three-star prospect by Rivals.com, Scout.com and 247Sports.com, he is ranked as the No. 18 combo guard in the country by 247Sports.com … also ranked as the No. 8 overall player and No. 3 shooting guard in the state of Illinois by PrepHoops.com … was a four-year varsity starter for head coach Mike Oliver at Curie Metropolitan High School … averaged 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists and helped lead Curie to a 25-4 record and regional title as a senior in 2016-17 … earned first-team All-State honors from the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association and first-team All-City recognition following the campaign … also earned All-State special mention honors by the Chicago Tribune and was named All-Area by the Chicago Sun-Times … outscored No. 4 Kenwood by himself with 40 points on 11-of-17 shooting, including a 6-of-9 effort from behind the arc … averaged 11.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 2015-16 as he helped lead the Condors to the Class 4A state title … off the court, he earned the 2016 Teen of the Year Award by the YMCA of Metro Chicago for his efforts in peacemaking, leadership, sportsmanship and service with the Chicago-area YMCA.

Signed a National Letter of Intent with the Golden Hurricane in November … led Western Texas Community College to a 22-10 record as he averaged 15.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.1 steals per game during the 2016-17 season on his way to first-team All-Western Junior College Athletic Conference and All-Region V honors … shot 66-percent from the floor and connected at a 77.8-percent clip at the free-throw line … averaged 16.1 points and shot 39.1-percent from behind the arc in conference play … averaged 6.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and shot 57-percent during his freshman season at Oral Roberts in 2015-16 … earned 2015 Oklahoma Class 6A All-State honors and was named the Defensive Player of the Year in the Central Oklahoma Athletic Conference in his final season at Santa Fe High School … helped lead the Wolves to a runner-up finish at the 2015 state tournament when he averaged 15.8 points and 7.8 rebounds per outing … was a teammate of TU sophomore Curran Scott for three seasons at Santa Fe.

Signed a National Letter of Intent with the Golden Hurricane in April … three-year letterwinner at Blue Valley Northwest High School in Overland Park, Kan., for head coach Ed Fritz … a three-star recruit by Rivals.com and 247sports.com … averaged 18.1 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists as a senior in 2016-17 to lead the Huskies to a 22-3 record and the Class 6A state title … averaged 20.7 ppg during the state tournament, including 26 points in the championship game … was a McDonald's All-American nominee and earned Class 6A first-team All-State honors from the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association (KBCA), Topeka Capital-Journal and Wichita Eagle … also a first-team All-Metro pick by the Kansas City Star and a first-team All-Eastern Kansas League selection … named to the Greater Kansas City Basketball Coaches Association All-Star Game and the KBCA All-Star Game … also was a first-team All-Eastern Kansas League selection and named Class 6A second-team All-State by the Topeka Capital-Journal and Wichita Eagle as a junior.

Appeared in 29 games and averaged 4.3 points and 1.9 rebounds per game during the 2016-17 season at Nebraska … shot 40.5-percent from the floor and his 22 3-pointers ranked fourth on the team and tops among the squad's freshmen … upped his averages to 5.3 points and 2.2 rebounds per game during Big Ten play … scored in double-figures five times, including a season-high 18 points in a win over Southern (Dec. 20) … was a four-year standout at The Barstow School in Kansas City for head coach Billy Thomas … three-time first-team all-state in Missouri and All-Metro pick by the Kansas City Star … led the Knights to three consecutive Class 3 title games and brought home the state championship in 2015 … totaled more than 2,000 points during his prep career and helped the team to an 82-9 record over his final three seasons … three-star prospect by Rivals.com, Scout.com and 247sports.com … Rivals ranked him the No. 122 player in the country … shared the 2016 DiRenna Award, which is given to the top player in the Kansas City area, and was a finalist for Mr. Basketball in the state of Missouri … starred for coach L.J. Goolsby on AAU circuit with the Kansas City Run GMC program.

(Bio notes courtesy of TU Athletics)