CLINTON, Iowa - Two of the most highly sought-after boys' basketball recruits in the Quad Cities-area will be calling Ashford University home beginning this fall.
Head Coach Oliver Drake and the AU men's basketball team announced on Monday that Tyler Yeocum, a senior at Rock Island's Alleman High School, and United Township's Damon Overton have committed to continuing their academic and athletic careers as members of the AU men's basketball family.
"Our program is really excited to be adding the top two scorers in the Western Big 6 Conference with the commitments of Tyler and Damon," said Head Coach Oliver Drake. "Both of these young men will bring instant scoring punch, versatility, athleticism, and toughness to our program and have the opportunity to have very special careers here at Ashford."
The duo ended their final prep careers as the top two scorers in the Western Big 6 Conference with Overton finishing as runner-up (199 points) to the league scoring champion, Yeocum (205 points). Both were also First Team All-Big 6 Conference selections.
Yeocum, a 5-11 guard, received Fourth Team All-State recognition in Class 3A/4A by the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) and was an Associated Press (AP) Class 3A All-State Honorable Mention Team member following this past season. He scored 22.4 points per game for the Pioneers while finishing up as the second-most prolific scorer in school history after netting 1,270 career points.
Alleman's senior leader also was named Metro Boys' Basketball Player of the Year in the Quad Cities by The Dispatch and Rock Island Argus.
Overton comes to Ashford after closing out a senior season which saw him average 18 points per game for the Panthers en route to collecting IBCA Class 3A/4A Honorable Mention All-State honors as well as AP Class 4A Honorable Mention All-State accolades.
The United Township-standout dropped 18-points in the Iowa-Illinois Senior All-Star Showcase, hosted at Augustana College last month, and played next to Yeocum, who won the event's three-point shootout.
Drake coached the Iowa team during the All-Star Showcase, but liked what he saw from his future backcourt.
"Seeing them on the floor together helped our coaching staff envision our backcourt for the next four years," added Drake. "They have the type of ability to step in and contribute immediately, and I think they really showed that in what was their final prep outing of their careers."
The local pair joins an already stellar class for the 2012-13 season and brings the total number of new incoming student-athletes to eight.
Other members of the 2012-13 AU Men's Basketball Commitment Class:
Erik Renkes - Fulton, Ill. (Fulton HS)
Austin Uhrig - Rockford, Ill. (Rockford Christian)
Cameron Burnett - Bolingbrook, Ill. (Bolingbrook HS)
Joshua Little - Bolingbrook, Ill. (Bolingbrook HS)
Jordan Flowers - Indianapolis, Ind. (Cathedral HS)
Tim Huber - Poplar Grove, Ill. (North Boone HS)
