University of Dayton men’s basketball coach Archie Miller has announced the signing of three top high school players to letters of intent. They are 6-foot-2 guard Kyle Davis, 6-foot-5 wing Kendall Pollard and 6-foot-2 Dayshon “Scoochie” Smith. Davis and Kendall are two of the top high school players out of Chicago this year, while Smith is one of the top point guards out of New York City in the class of 2013.
ARCHIE “We are very excited to add these three young men to the University of Dayton men's basketball program,” Miller said. “They will all thrive in what we think is one of the best "quality of life" environments that any major university can provide a student-athlete. They are a great fit for us, and we are a great fit for them. They really embody what we are striving for in our program. They will mix in nicely with our returning players, especially those we brought in last year.”
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KYLE DAVIS
6-Foot-2 Guard, Chicago Morgan Park High School
Kyle Davis became the first recruit in the class of 2013 UD head coach Archie Miller when Davis committed in August. The 6-foot-2 left-handed combo guard averaged 25 points and seven assists for Hyde Park Academy last season. He was Chicago Sun-Times Third Team All-Chicago Public League as a junior. Davis will play for Morgan Park High School as a senior.
He selected Dayton after receiving offers from teams in the Big Ten, Big East, ACC and SEC. Both Rivals and Scout.com rate him a “four-star” recruit, and Rivals considers him the 105-th best player in the nation in the class of 2013.
Dayton Coach Archie Miller on Kyle Davis
"Kyle is extremely competitive. He is a very smart basketball player and has the skill set to play our style of basketball. He is the kind of player who makes those around him better. But what sets him apart is the kind of competitor he is. I don’t know if I’ve been around a young guy who wants to win any more than Kyle.”
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KENDALL POLLARD
6-Foot-5 Forward, Chicago Simeon Career Academy
A member of the 2011 and 2012 Illinois 4A state champions at Simeon Career Academy and a teammate of Jabari Parker, the nation’s top-ranked player, Kendall Pollard is a three-star recruit who ESPN.com rates as the 35th-best small forward in the country.
Pollard has a nearly 7-foot wingspan, and one recruiting service called him “a workhorse who is highly active around the basket. He has good instincts on the glass and a nice shooting touch in the paint area, which explains why he shoots at a high percentage. In addition, he gets out on the break well and is a hard-nosed defender who doesn’t take plays off.”
Pollard averaged 9.0 points and 6.3 rebounds a game for Simeon last year.
Dayton Coach Archie Miller on Kendall Pollard
"I love Kendall’s basketball IQ. He can play multiple positions, is tough and a winner. In fact he may come to us next year as one of the winningest basketball players ever in the state of Illinois. He brings us the ability to make an impact at both ends of the floor, and can be a productive player inside and outside. His versatility will make him a difficult matchup.”
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DAYSHON “SCOOCHIE” SMITH
6-Foot-2 Guard, Putnam Science Academy
The second member of Archie Miller’s 2013 recruiting class to be ranked in the top 125 nationally is 6-foot-2 point guard Dayshon “Scoochie” Smith. A native of the Bronx, Smith is ranked the 121st prospect in the nation by Rivals. He transferred to Putnam Science Academy in Putnam, Ct. after his high school in New York City closed.
Smith averaged 17.2 points and 6.1 assists last season for PSA, while shooting better than 40% from three-point range. The signings of Davis and Smith give the Flyers their first two Top 125 recruits in the same class in school history.
Coach Archie Miller on Scoochie Smith
"Dayshon is the one point guard we evaluated extensively during the recruiting process whose approach and decision-making fits perfectly with the way we want to play. He is a pass-first point guard who is a threat to score in any situation. All this, along with his combination of length and quickness will give him a chance to be one of the better point guards in our league early in his career.”
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