University of Dayton head men’s basketball coach Archie Miller has announced that Khari Price has signed with the Flyers. Price, a 6-foot-0, 175-pound point guard from Salmen High School in Slidell, La., chose Dayton over schools from the Big EAST, SEC and Sun Belt. He had made his intentions known last week, but the official announcement had to wait until his letter was received and processed.
Price averaged 18.2 points, 5.6 assists and 2.3 steals in leading Salmen to a 27-6 record this season. The Spartans advanced to the state quarterfinals, where they lost by one point to Neville. Salmen won the regional round of the state tournament behind a 28-point scoring effort by Price. The Second Team Class 4A All-Louisiana selection shot 42% from the field and 74% from the line as a senior. He was rated among the top 10 players in the state, regardless of classification, in 2011-12.
Salmen also won two in-season basketball tournaments – the Skipper Classic in Mandeville, La. and the Hancock High School Tournament in Kiln, Miss. – and Price was named the MVP in both.
“We are extremely excited to add Khari,” Miller said. “He is everything you want in a student-athlete. As we try and develop depth for years to come, in particular at the point guard slot we feel this is a great match. He comes from a great high school program at Salmen, and has been coached by one of Louisiana’s most-respected coaches in Jay Carlin. Khari’s feel for the game and basketball IQ are tremendous and his big-game mentality is going to really help us continue to grow."
Salmen High School was a combined 113-19 during his four-year varsity career. In 2010-11, the Spartans finished 32-4 and lost in overtime in the state semifinals. Price was a three-year starter and the sixth man on the 2009 Louisiana 4A State champions. As a junior, he averaged 14.9 points a game.
Salmen is the same high school that Duke star Chris Duhon attended. Duhon has played the last eight seasons in the NBA with the Bulls, Knicks and Magic. Slidell, La. is located on the eastern edge of Lake Pontchartrain across the lake from New Orleans.
Price is the third member of next season’s freshman class for the Flyers, joining Jalen Robinson and Devon Scott from Columbus Northland High School. Robinson was the Ohio Division I Co-Player of the year. Two more new faces will belong to transfers Matt Derenbecker (LSU) and Vee Sanford (Georgetown), who will both be eligible in 2012-13 after sitting out last season per NCAA transfer rules.
When Derenbecker (a native of Metairie, La.) and Price take the court next year, they will be the first players from Louisiana to play for the Flyers.
Dayton returns three starters from last season’s 20-13 team that advanced to the NIT and won the 2011 Old Spice Classic. Leading the returnees will be All-Atlantic 10 point guard Kevin Dillard, who was second in the A-10 and tied for 16th in the NCAA in assists per game with 6.0. Dillard also led the Flyers in scoring (13.3), assists (6.0), steals (47) and minutes (32.7).
