Indians add 4 to 2010 class

The Chipola Indians and coach Jake Headrick are closing in on yet another highly rated recruiting class, after a quartet of major additions.

Already having added the top-rated player in Kentucky, Elijah Pittman, the Indians recently signed Mississippi’s Mr. Basketball in Rashad Perkins.

The 6-foot, 6-inch wing player from Starkville, Miss., originally committed to play for Southern Mississippi with Eagles assistant and former Chipola head coach Greg Heiar.

Perkins averaged 22 points and 13 rebounds for the Starkville Yellowjackets last season, leading them to a 31-2 record and the 6A state title.

Headrick said Perkins will electrify Indians fans with his above-the-rim style.

“He’s a kid who is super, super athletic,” the coach said. “From an athletic standpoint, he’s kind of like (former Indian) Torye Pelham. He’s that kind of athlete.”

Headrick also brought up a name fans of Chipola and SEC basketball remember very well.

“I think he’s going to remind people of Chris Porter,” he said. “He’s just a high energy guy, who is really athletic and really competes hard every game.”

Perkins also came up big for his high school team when it mattered most, delivering a 24-point, 13-rebound, 11-block triple-double in the state semifinals, to lead his team to the championship game.

Perhaps most incredible is that he has only played organized basketball for three years.

“I think his best days are ahead of him,” Headrick said. “He’s going to develop and get better. There are things like ball-handling and shooting that he’ll have to work on, but he’s got the things you can’t teach with his size, athleticism and competitive nature.”

However, the Indians’ most recent addition is perhaps their biggest, as Dayton, Ohio’s Geron Johnson signed with Chipola Saturday.

A 6-foot, 3-inch combination guard, Johnson is ranked the No. 54 player in the nation by ESPN.com.

Johnson led powerhouse Dunbar High School to a state title this season, scoring 24 points in the championship game.

A top recruit major Division I programs backed off of due to grade concerns and off the court issues, the Chipola coaching staff made him a primary target for next season.

“Any time you can get a kid of this caliber, it’s just a huge get for us right now,” Headrick said. “We’ve got our big guys signed, so we needed some guards. This is a kid we put a lot of time into. We’re just very excited about the future he’s got here at our program.”

Headrick compared Johnson’s playing style to Kentucky star point guard John Wall.

“He handles the ball and is really fast and athletic,” the coach said. “Plus, he really knows how to play. He’s just a playmaker. We’re going to turn him loose on the floor and just let him make plays. That’s what he does.”

While Perkins and Johnson are each big-time high school signings, the Indians also added a pair of experienced transfers who will also have an immediate impact.

Will Ohuaregbe, a 6-foot, 8-inch, 255-pound big man from London, England, transfers in from UNC Wilmington.

Ohuaregbe averaged 4.0 points and 4.8 rebounds during his freshman season.

Chipola also added Charlotte transfer Shamarr Bowden, a 6-foot, 3-inch shooting guard who averaged 5.7 points per game last season.

Bowden had a season-high of 21 points on 6-of-11 from the 3-point line against UNC-Asheville last season, and made five 3-pointers in an 87-65 win over Louisville.

Headrick said both players would provide things the Indians desperately need next season.

“(Ohuaregbe) is a guy that we’re bringing in expecting to have a huge role on this team. From a physical standpoint, he’s maybe a guy we didn’t have last year with the body and experience that he’s going to bring,” Headrick said.

“Shamarr is a guy with size who can really shoot the basketball and shoot it with range. He’s a guy capable of making a lot of shots quickly. When he gets hot, he really gets hot. He’s a really good kid, and a kid we were lucky to get.”

Chipola will return a nice core of players from last year’s team in Keith DeWitt, Aaron Davis and Sam Grooms.

Headrick said next season’s additions are meant to compliment the returning guys, as well as add a winning history to the team.

“We’ve been targeting guys who have won,” the coach said. “Elijah Pittman won a state title, Rashad Perkins won a state title, so did Geron Johnson,” the coach said. “Sometimes you forget how important that stuff is.”

Headrick said the Indians were planning on adding up to three more players to this class.