Cowboy Basketball Signs Four

Oklahoma State head men's basketball coach Travis Ford announced he has signed four players to National Letters of Intent.

Wednesday, November 21st 2012, 5:35 pm

By: News 9


Oklahoma State head men's basketball coach Travis Ford announced he has signed four players to National Letters of Intent. Three high school seniors and a junior-college sophomore will join the Cowboys for the 2013-14 season.

Jeffrey Carroll, a 6-5 wing from Rowlett High School in Texas, is ranked as the No. 21 player in the state of Texas according to Texashoops.com. He averaged 17.4 points and 4.6rebounds per game as a junior, leading his team to a 22-9 overall record, including an 11-3 mark in District 10-5A. Carroll is a three-star recruit according to Rivals.com. He chose Oklahoma State over Kansas State, Oklahoma, Nebraska and TCU.

"Jeff Carroll is a player I just fell in love with this summer," said Ford. "I didn't know a whole lot about him until I saw him on the AAU circuit. He's an extremely physical, big guard who can shoot it with great range, can score off the dribble, and is just an extremely athletic wing. He was probably one of the biggest surprises on the circuit this summer. He was one of the most consistent players I saw, and really fits our style of play. He can run, jump, press, shoot the basketball, and I really like the way he can score. He's got a great body for this level, and can play a lot of different positions."

Gary Gaskins is a 6-10 forward/center originally from Beaufort, S.C., but is currently a sophomore at Brevard Community College in Melbourne, Fla. After averaging 12.4 points, 10.8 rebounds and 4.3 blocks as a senior at Beaufort High School, he joined the Air Force. He enrolled at Brevard as a freshman in 2011, and this season, Gaskins is averaging 13.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.2 blocks in six games while shooting 69.2 percent from the floor. He chose OSU over UAB, Marshall and Nebraska after receiving recruiting interest from Oklahoma, South Florida, Wichita State and Arkansas.

"Gary Gaskins is a player that we saw play this summer and loved his athleticism and his presence around the rim," said Ford. "He's a guy that might be the fastest guy on our court, but can also put his elbows above the rim. He's a really athletic shot blocker that can score around the rim. His best days are ahead of him. He took a little break (after high school) and went into the military. Talking to his coaches, I think that by the time he's done here, he could really have a good career. He's really excited about coming to Oklahoma State. He brings a big, physical rebounding and shot-blocking presence that we desperately need."

Leyton Hammonds is a 6-8 forward from Richland High School in North Richland Hills, Texas. He is a three-star recruit according to Rivals.com, and is ranked as the No. 16 player in the state of Texas according to Texashoops.com. As a junior, Hammonds averaged 14.3 points and 7.1 rebounds per game in leading his team to a 27-4 record overall and a 15-1 mark in District 6-5A. He chose OSU over interestfrom Clemson, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Stanford and TCU.

"Leyton is playing really great basketball right now," Ford said. "he's playing like a top-50 player in the country. He's really worked on his body and gotten stronger. For a guy his size, he's really skilled. He can play inside and outside. He has a great understanding of the game. He can shoot the ball from the perimeter, he can pull up, and he can post. He's a guy who can play anything from a three to a four to a five for us; very skilled for his size."

The final signee is Detrick Mostella (DEE-trick moss-TELL-uh) a 6-3 combo guard originally from Decatur, Ala., is currently enrolled at La Lumiere School in LaPorte, Ind. A four-star recruit according to Rivals.com, he is ranked as the 68th-best player in the nation and the No. 22 shooting guard. As a junior at Austin High School in Decatur, heaveraged 16.4 points per game and led his team to the Class 6A Northwest Regional finals. As a sophomore in 2010-11, he was named The Decatur Daily's 4A-6A Player of the Year after averaging 18 points and four rebounds per contest. Mostella received scholarship offers from a host of schools, including Georgetown, Georgia, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Penn State and West Virginia.

"Detrick might be the best scoring guard in the country," Ford said. "He's a big-time scorer. He's extremely athletic and has a knack for how to score, from the three-point line, pull-up jumpers, and understands angles. He might lead the country in scoring when it's all said and done this year in the prep school ranks, and that's with five or six Division I players on his team. He can play either guard position. He's probably better suited for the two-guard, but can handle the ball well enough that he can play the point-guard position on his team. He's another guy who really fits our system and who can really score."

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