Barbee excited about first signing class
Auburn head basketball coach Tony Barbee has signed his first full recruiting class, and talks about the 2011-12 class that have signed letters of intent to Auburn.
"I am excited about our first full-time signing class for this fall," said Barbee. "I think we addressed some needs that we have as a program and are continuing to build the depth as a part of this team."
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Melrose (Tenn.) guard Cedrick McAfee is ranked 74th nationally by Rivals.com, and averaged 24 points per game last season at Craigmont High School before tansferring to Melrose.
The 6-foot-3 McAfee chose Auburn over Baylor and Florida International.
"In the guard position with Cedrick McAfee. He is going to add a lot in terms of his versatility and his ability to play multiple positions because of his athleticism at 6-3 and his skill to be able to score the ball and also run a team," Barbee said.
"I am excited about Cedrick and what he is going to bring to the floor, but also because I think all three of the guys are going to be great Auburn men. They really represent what Auburn stands for. They are great people, great character and really good students who are fantastic basketball players."
Birmingham Park Christian (Ala.) center Willy Kouassi is ranked 87th overall by Rivals.com as the 11th best center in the country. The 6-foot-10 Kouassi averaged 12 points and 10 rebounds last season, and chose Auburn over Florida, Memphis, and a host of other offers.
"Willy and Bernard are going to be fantastic players for us," said Barbee. "They are fantastic kids and fantastic students, but they both bring a different dimension. Willy brings us a bigger presence along the frontline who can rebound and really block shots. He is very athletic for his size at 6-10 and has a high motor and high energy level. He has to get better on the offensive end of the floor, but he can score down there given the opportunity."
Kouassi's teammate, 6-foot-8 forward Bernard Morena, averaged 10 points per game last season, and chose Auburn over UAB, Alabama, Vanderbilt, and more.
"I am excited about Bernard because he gives us a 6-8 versatile inside-out player who can play on the wing," said Barbee. "He can play from the post. He can shoot it. He can score around the basket. He has long arms, and he is very athletic so he will be a very good defender on the perimeter with his length. We are excited about this first full-time class and look forward to possibly signing a couple more late."