T A T E P L A Y E R P R O F I L E

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1 S T A T E P L A Y E R P R O F I L E S Atlanta Hawks co-owner and Georgia State graduate Michael Gearon, Jr., along with Hall of Fame Hawks player Dominque Wilkins invited the Panthers into the Hawks Locker Room. Coach Michael Perry is at left with guard Leonard Mendez, with center Deven Dickerson beside Wilkins. 17

2 Junior Forward/Center Lithia Springs, Ga. Lithia Springs HS Oct. 3, 1985 Two-Year Career Totals: During his freshman and sophomore seasons, the big man has played in 55 of a possible 58 games with 24 starting assignments and 890 game minutes of experience to take into his final two years. Billingslea has scored 262 points in his early half of his career and pulled down 118 rebounds. He has also swatted away 28 opponent shots. His close-in range has enabled him to shoot better than 52 percent for his career (108 for 206) Season: In the transition year into the CAA, sophomore Billingslea started at center in the season opening win over Delaware. Billingslea led the team in field 52% Career goal percentage FG Percentage (.529 on 90-of-170), was second in blocked shots (21), and fifth in scoring 18 (7.6 per game with 220 points scored). His 84 rebounds were fifth most on the team. Billingslea enjoyed his first eight double-figure scoring games as a Panther. He began in the season opener, his first-ever start, with 18 points in the win over Delaware (8-of-13) and topped that with 19 points in the win at Savannah State (7-of-11 FG and 5-6 FT). Billingslea had 14 points against three non-league foes Charlotte (7-of-9), Charleston (a perfect 6-of-6 FG) and Alabama State. He also had 13 points at Hofstra (5-of-8). J.B. shot better than 50 percent in 15 games as a sophomore. His highest rebound total was seven at Hofstra with six games of five or more rebounds on the season. Billingslea blocked four shots at Alabama State and three shots each in the Delaware game and at Hofstra. He blocked two shots in the tournament vs. George Mason, the NCAA Final Four team, Billingslea had solid games in the win at James Madison with 10 points and five rebounds and the game at Northeastern with 14 points and five rebounds.

3 JUSTIN BILLINGSLEA (continued) Season: As a freshman, Billingslea saw action in 26 of the 29 games, logging 221 minutes, during his inaugural season with Georgia State. Justin finished with 42 points scored and 34 rebounds. He also dished out 12 assists, blocked seven shots, and made four steals. For the season, he shot 50 percent from the field. Justin recorded the first double-figure game of his college career with a 10point day vs. conference rival Campbell. He scored eight points at Florida Atlantic and seven points at Troy. His top rebounding games were six boards vs. Lipscomb, five vs. Troy and four vs. Campbell. He had two blocked shots in games vs. Campbell and Florida Atlantic and had seven blocks on the season. His freshman season saw him gain some experience vs. teams in the NCAA postseason field like Kentucky (six minutes), Texas Tech (13 minutes), Louisiana-Lafayette (12 minutes), Charlotte (six minutes), Nevada (seven minutes), as well as two games vs. UCF. For the record, the first two points he ever scored for Georgia Billingslea scored 262 points last year State were at as a sophomore and has eight career Kentucky on Nov. double-figure scoring games. 26. Billingslea was named to the Atlantic Sun Conference All-Academic team for his excellence in the classroom. Prep Career: Billingslea averaged 19 points, 11 rebounds and five blocked shots per game for the 22-7 Lithia Springs team of Coach Jason Slate. That followed a junior year of averaging 17 points and 10 rebounds. Justin was recognized as Class AAAA All-Region and All-State honorable mention. He was picked for the Georgia North-South All-Star game on the South roster. Justin had also drawn strong recruiting interest from Appalachian State and Jacksonville State, as well as early interest from UAB, Nebraska, and Winthrop. 19

4 JUSTIN BILLINGSLEA (continued) In the classroom, he received a National Scholar Athlete Award from the U.S. Army Reserve. In the postseason tournaments of , Justin scored 21 points in the win over Sandy Creek and 21 in the championship loss to Douglas County. The Lions were second in the Region and made it to the first round of the State Justin blocked Tournament. 21 shots last year. He has 8 His top high school scoring double-figure games were a 34-point night scoring games. vs. Hiram as a junior and then 29 points as a senior against Forest Park. Justin produced a unique tripledouble game as a junior with 25 points, 14 rebounds and 11 blocks vs. Douglas County. Justin also had a 23-point effort (more than 50 percent of the team total) in a win over Woodward. Billingslea also produced a 21point night in a win over Dunwoody. One of his memorable wins was Lithia Springs coming from 20 points down vs. rival Douglas County to pull out a win as he had 16 points. 100% NIGHTS Billingslea never missed in last year s game at the College of Charleston as he hit 6-of-6 from the field and 2-of-2 from the free throw line for his 14 points. As a freshman, J.B. had hit 4-of-4 at Florida Atlantic and he had a 3-of-3 night at James Madison last year. His other top game last year was 7-of-9 in game two versus Charlotte in that 14point night. His AAU team since ninth grade, the Georgia Stars, advanced to the Elite Eight in the Nike Peach Jam national tournament in Individually, Around the Peach by Adidas listed him as No. 15 on the list of the Top 25 seniors in the state of Georgia and HoopScoopOnline.com rated him No. 26 overall in the state at any position. Justin remembers facing NBA No. 1 pick Dwight Howard back in ninth grade as well as Hawks No. 1 pick Josh Smith in early high school action. Like many high school big men, Justin admires the playing style of NBA star Kevin Garnett. 20

5 JUSTIN BILLINGSLEA (continued) Billingslea had six games with five or more rebounds last season after two with five or more as a freshman. His top rebounding total was seven at Hofstra in a CAA game. A scrapper on the offensive boards, Justin had 10 games with two or more offensive rebounds last year. Personal: BILLINGSLEA S BESTS Points: 19 at Savannah St., vs. Delaware, at Charleston, vs, Charlotte, at Ala. St., at Northeastern, at Hofstra, at James Madison, Reb. 7 at Hofstra, vs. Lipscomb, vs. Troy, at JMU, at Northeastern, vs. ODU, vs. Hofstra, Asst. 3 at Hofstra, six times Steals: 2 at FAU, Blocks: 3 vs. Delaware, vs Hofstra, Minutes: 34 at Towson, vs. Delaware, Justin was born Oct. 3, 1985 in Carrollton, Ga., to Bruce and Sheila Billingslea. Justin grew up in Douglasville with his younger brother Anthony. He played basketball at Chestnut Log Middle School and went undefeated in seventh grade and won the championship, then followed that with an undefeated regular season in eighth grade before losing the title game by one point. His father Bruce, 6-2, played football at West Georgia and his mother Sheila, also a six-footer, played basketball for the West Georgia Braves. Justin had grown to six feet tall by age 12 and has grown to size 18 shoes with 3XL and 4XL shirts his normal size now. An avid weight lifter, Justin has added 15 pounds since coming to Georgia State. He had had summer surgery prior to enrolling as a freshman, but has continued to add strength ever since. Justin is majoring in sociology at Georgia State. BILLINGSLEA CAREER STATISTICS Season G/GS Min/Avg /0 221/ /22 669/23.1 FG-Att/Pct 18-36/ /.529 Totals / / /22 890/16.2 3FG-Att/Pct FT-Att/Pct Reb/Avg 0-1/ / / / / /2.9 Pts/Avg Asst 42/ / / / / Blk Stl

6 Senior Wing/Forward Oklahoma City, Okla. Northern Oklahoma CC Sept. 4, 1983 Overview: Cartwright brings one year of Georgia State action plus two years of junior college experience to the team. Coach Perry notes that things happened last year for us when Brandon was in the game. He is tenacious and an end-to-end of the court player. We love his style of taking a charge, diving for the loose balls, getting the tough offensive rebounds, and being productive without having a play run just for him Season: The junior played in 21 games with four starts in his first campaign at Georgia State. His season totals 21 Games included 28 Played, 4 Starts points scored (1.3 per game), 37 rebounds (1.8 per game), 10 assists, 22 five blocked shots and a steal. Cartwright helped with the defense and had a season-best six rebound game vs. VCU in 13 minutes, while also pulling down five rebounds vs. Northeastern and four at James Madison. On offense, his best was five points at Northeastern and five points vs. Old Dominion. Cartwright grabbed six rebounds vs. VCU and five rebounds vs. James Madison. His most minutes played was 20 in the William & Mary win and 20 vs. Northeastern. He logged 16 minutes at Drexel. The junior forward blocked two shots in the win over William & Mary. He played in both games in the CAA tournament and almost made the play that could have helped win the

7 BRANDON CARTWRIGHT (continued) George Mason game. Late in the OT, he got an offensive rebound, put a shot up that replays showed hit the rim, got his own miss and scored. The referee, however, overruled the basket saying the ball had not hit the rim and thus the shot clock expired. Junior College: For the Jets of Northern Oklahoma Community College in Enid, Okla., 80 miles north of Oklahoma City, Cartwright averaged 15 points and eight rebounds per game in Brandon was also quite active on the team of Coach Greg Shamburg by leading the Mavericks in both assists and blocked shots. Cartwright s top scoring game was a 28-point outing as a sophomore. A wing player from junior college with versatile skills, Cartwright showed he could share the ball (led his team in assists in last year in JUCO) or could play defense (led the team in blocked shots). Cartwright also showed he could score (had a 28-point best game and a Cartwright is a battler who led his junior 16-point per game average) and either could shoot the college team in assists and blocked shots, outside shot or take it to the rim for a dunk. Cartwright could probably be labeled as coming from under the radar screen, as he will be the first-ever home-schooled high school player to attend Georgia while averaging 15 points and eight rebounds per game. NOT THE NORMAL PATH Cartwright s high school ball was played in an Independent League as he was homeschooled by his mother. He also excelled in AAU ball. 23

8 BRANDON CARTWRIGHT (continued) State. But, he certainly did get himself noticed by scouts during his two seasons of JUCO play at Northern Oklahoma Community College. Brandon is a slasher and a penetrator that we haven t had in a while at Georgia State, Coach Perry explained. We ll look to see his defensive skills as well as his offensive skills. Prep Career: Brandon did not attend a public high school as he was home-schooled by his mother. But, he did get plenty of athletic competition in his hometown of Oklahoma City. His high-school age basketball team, the Oklahoma City Knights, played games in an Independent CARTWRIGHT S BESTS Cartwright scored 28 points for a career League against best in his junior college career. Points: 5 at Northeastern, teams from all 5 vs. ODU, over the state. He 3 at Savannah St., averaged 22 points and 10 rebounds for Coach Mike Bergman 3 vs. VCU, Reb. 6 vs. VCU, and Coach Greg Durbin, who sent out tapes and films to help 5 vs. Northeastern, Brandon s college career get started. 4 at JMU, at Northeastern, at Drexel, Assists: 2 vs. ODU, at Drexel, at W&M, Steals: 1 W & M, Blocks: 2 vs. W & M, at Northeastern, at W&M, Mins: 20 vs. W & M, vs. Northeastern, at Northeastern, at Drexel, at JMU, at Savannah St., In AAU competition, Cartwright played for the Oklahoma Servants for two years under Coach Major Wilson. That team played in regional events in Texas, Oklahoma and Nebraska. Personal: Brandon was born on Sept. 4, 1983 in Oklahoma City where his family has lived his entire life. He is one of four children of Jerry and Laneita Cartwright. The baby of the family has two older brothers, Jerry, Jr. and Jeremy, and a sister, Mia. Cartwright is working towards a major in exercise science at Georgia State. CARTWRIGHT CAREER STATISTICS Season G/GS Min/Avg /8.8 Totals / FG-Att/Pct 8-22/ /.364 3FG-Att/Pct FT-Att/Pct Reb/Avg 1-3/ / / / / /1.8 Pts/Avg Asst 28/ / Blk 5 5 Stl 1 1

9 Sophomore Forward Atlanta, Ga. Benjamin Mays HS Jan. 5, Season: Chase was voted to the CAA all-rookie team after he scored 176 points, grabbed 124 rebounds, blocked 12 shots, hit 11 three-point baskets and made 21 steals for the Panthers in their inaugural CAA season. He was named CAA Rookie of the Week on Dec. 12. Chase had five double-figure games and two double-figure rebound games. The freshman quickly gained attention when he had a double-double game in his third ever as a Panther with 14 points (6-of-11 FG) and 10 rebounds in the win over Louisiana-Lafayette. In game five at Philips Arena vs. then No. 15 Kentucky, Chase led a Panther 11-0 start and finished with a personal best 19 points (8of-13), while adding five rebounds vs. the Wildcats. Chase added double-figure games vs. William & Mary (15 points on 4-4 FG and 6-9 FT), at UNC Wilmington (12 points with 6-6 free throws), vs. Old Dominion (10 points), vs. VCU (10 points) and at Savannah State (10 points and 10 rebounds); In rebounding, Chase had two doublefigure games with 10 rebounds at Savannah State and 10 vs. LouisianaLafayette. He had eight rebounds and seven points in his first-ever game (the win over Delaware). He had seven rebounds vs. Georgia at the Gwinnett Center and six each vs. VCU and at UNC Wilmington. Other personal bests included two three-point baskets in both the games at UNC Wilmington and at ODU. He had three steals at William & Mary as well as three blocked shots and three assists at William & Mary. High School Review: Chase was the Georgia AAAA (fourth largest of the five classifications) Player-of-the- Year in as he led Benjamin Mays High School to back-to-back state championships. He joins former Georgia State star Shernard Long as a former State of Georgia Player25

10 of-the-year to wear the Panther blue as Long had done so with Tucker High School in Class AAAA. As a senior at Georgia State, Long was honorable mention All-America on the 29-5 Panther team of Chase, a muscular forward, was highly recruited by SEC schools (South Carolina and Tennessee), ACC schools (Florida State, Miami), the Big East (Georgetown), the Big 12 (Missouri) and a host of other major schools. But, the Atlanta native wanted to stay in Atlanta and help grow the Georgia State program that made its biggest splash with a Final 32 appearance in I want people to know and respect Georgia State, Chase said in explaining his decision to stay in Atlanta. I wanted to go to a place and make a name for myself and a name for that program. Georgia State should be the perfect place. Named to CAA All-Rookie Team Prep Career: While being on the national recruiting radar since his freshman year in high school, Chase didn t disappoint as he continued to develop and shine. Rashad saved some of his best for last as he led his team to two consecutive state championships in being named the state s most valuable player. In the state semi against Griffin, the Raiders of Mays High needed a fourth quarter rally and Chase was the one to lead. In a see-saw struggle, Chase took charge to finish with 24 points and 11 rebounds (15 second half points). Mays outscored Griffin in the fourth quarter to win, 58-54, and advance to the championship game. ROOKIE OF WEEK Chase was named CAA Rookie of the Week on Dec. 12, in just his second month as a college player. Chase also has an outside jump shot that allowed him to make 11 three-point baskets during his freshman campaign. 26

11 In the state championship game at the Gwinnett Center, Mays repeated as state champs in large part because of Chase s 27 points and 13 rebounds. Mays finished 29-4 and became the first Atlanta city team to repeat as state champs since (West Fulton High). Chase was a McDonald s All-America nominee in February as one of 49 Georgians on that list. Before his senior season started, Chase was position) in the nation by Scout. Com Williams No. 1 overall. Mike (now at Georgia) was No. 2 in and Chase was No. 3 in Georgia Octavius Spann (Georgetown) from Georgia and No. 100 In pre-season, the Atlanta named him one of The Dandy Recruiting analysts marvel The 6-7 forward is one of the group with his aggressive In the Arby s Classic during 27-31, 2004), Chase won national event in Bristol, from Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Virginia, and Canada, it was Mays tournament title and Most Valuable Player tournament contest, of his game as he points and grabbed 20 offensively) to lead a win over Dobyns-Bennett (Tenn.). Rashad listed as the No. 48 best player (at any with South Gwinnett s Louis Mercer of South Gwinnett Georgia and No. 21 overall and No. 48. Forward from Banneker was No. 4 overall. Journal Constitution Dozen and said: over his athletic body. best rebounders in the style. Christmas Break (Dec. top honors in the Tenn. With schools Te n n e s s e e, Pennsylvania, Utah that won the Chase that won honors. In the first Chase was on top poured in 33 rebounds (nine SHOWING POTENTIAL Chase produced five double-figure scoring games, with a top of 19 points vs. No. 15 Kentucky. The freshman had two double-double games with 10 or more points and 10 or more rebounds. He had a pair of games when he hit two three-point baskets in each. Chase grabbed 124 rebounds with 19 games of four or more. 27

12 posted a double-double in a win over Reston (Va.) South Lakes (Grant Hill s alma mater). Then, he earned MVP honors in leading the team to a win over Provo (Ut.) Timpview. During his senior year, Chase obviously had plenty of notable games. He scored 29 points with nine boards in a win over Cedar Grove, upping that from the 22 points he scored on that same team earlier. State 4-A Prep Player of the Year In the Region 5-AAAA tournament, he had a 23-point game vs. South DeKalb and a 22-point, ninerebound game vs. South Atlanta. Rashad produced a 22-point game vs. Woodland as well as a 21-point game vs. Cedar Grove. Chase was picked for the Atlanta All-Star Classic, scoring 20 points for the West squad. He was chosen for the Georgia NorthSouth All-Star Shootout. With the North team, Chase scored 12 points as Mike Mercer scored 21 and Octavius Spann had 10. In the summers, Chase was busy getting better with the talented AAU teams from Georgia. He played for the Atlanta Celtics and Georgia Stars, teams loaded with NBA and college-bound players like Dwight Howard, Josh Smith and Louis Williams. Those teams traveled the country from Las Vegas, to Orlando, to Indiana, to California, in competing against top competition. Personal: Rashad was born in Calvert County, Md., on Jan. 5, 1987 and moved with his family to Atlanta in The only son of Chris and Sheena Ball, Rashad has two younger sisters, Christal and Chele. As an Atlantan, Rashad went to Sylvan Middle School and Benjamin E. Mays High School. At Georgia State, Rashad is working towards a degree in marketing. His rookie year included 10 games vs. Top 50 teams and 16 vs. Top 100 teams to prepare for the future. CHASE S BESTS Points: 19 vs. Kentucky, vs. W & M, vs. ULL, at UNCW, at Savannah St., pts: 2 at UNCW, at ODU, Reb. 10 at Savannah St., vs. ULL, vs. Delaware, at Georgia, vs. VCU, at UNCW, Asst. 3 vs. W & M, at Drexel, vs. VCU, Steals: 3 at W&M, at Ala. St., at UNCW, Blocks: 3 vs. W & M, at Drexel, Minutes: 36 vs. ULL, vs. VCU, vs. Kentucky, vs. ULL, CHASE CAREER STATISTICS Season G/GS Min/Avg /16 662/22.8 FG-Att/Pct /.355 3FG-Att/Pct FT-Att/Pct Reb/Avg Pts/Avg Asst 11-28/ / / / Blk 12 Stl 21 Totals / / /16 662/ / / /6.1 22

13 Junior Center Richmond, Va. Henrico HS Aug. 8, 1986 Two-Year Overview: In his first two seasons as a Panther, Dickerson has gained 51 games of experience and 825 minutes played in the transition into the CAA. He became a starter for the first time in his sophomore season and has started 20 games now. He was No. 44 last year but has switched to No. 50 for this season. The southpaw has scored 226 career points and pulled down 193 rebounds to go with 54 career blocked shots. Dickerson has produced five double-figure scoring games and 14 games with five or more rebounds. He has had 14 career games with two or more blocked shots Season: While a knee injury slowed his start, he finished strong at the CAA Tournament. In his hometown of Richmond, Dickerson helped in the tournament-opening win over Towson with 10 points, seven rebounds, and four blocked shots as he shot 3-of-4 from the field and 4-of4 from the free throw line. In the quarterfinals vs. eventual NCAA Final Four George Mason, Dickerson was a force with eight points (4-of6), seven rebounds (three offensive), and four blocked shots before fouling out. Dickerson s first game as a sophomore was 22 minutes off the bench in the season opening win over Delaware when he netted 14 points (7-of10), pulled down seven rebounds and blocked two shots. His season-high scoring game was vs. Northeastern when he poured in 20 points (10-of-15) against the nation s leading shot FEELING REJECTED? Sophomore Dickerson s first year as a starter yielded 46 blocked shots, fourth best in the CAA, and third best in school history for a season. And, he s got two more years to go. 29

14 blocker as he made it a double-double with 12 rebounds and three blocks of his own. His second double-double was an 11-point, 11-rebound effort vs. VCU, while his season-high and personal best in rebounds was his 13 at Hofstra. He just missed another doubledigit rebound game with nine boards vs. Towson. In the regular season game with George Mason, Dickerson scored 10 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Dickerson led the team with his and the third most in a Panther 147 rebounds (5.1 per game). The sophomore shot 48 scored 182 points (6.3 per game). In 16 of his games, Dickerson shot better than 50 percent. His season high for blocked shots was his five blocks in the win at James Madison, one block better than his four vs. Louisiana-Lafayette Season: Dickerson played in 22 of the 29 games, logging 202 minutes for Georgia State as a freshman. Dickerson contributed 46 rebounds and 44 points in his inaugural season in college basketball. Deven was fourth on the team with his eight blocked shots and second on the team with his 51.3 field goal percentage on the season. 46 blocked shots (fourth in the CAA season ever). He led the team with his percent for the season (76-of-158) and Most Blocked Shots, State Season Sylvester Morgan, Zavian Smith, Deven Dickerson, Trello Galloway, Torquin Gresham, Jarrod Hill, Nate Williams, Zavian Smith, Chris Collier, His freshman experiences included playing time against a lot of the NCAA postseason field, including action against Kentucky (18 minutes), Texas Tech (14 minutes), LouisianaDickerson has Lafayette (20 minutes), Nevada (12 minutes) and overcome asthma Charlotte (eight minutes). problems to play In the CAA tournament, Dickerson had 18 points, 14 rebounds and 8 blocks in two games in his hometown. 30

15 CAA Leaders, Blocked Shots Shawn James, Northeastern 86 *Chaz Crawford, Drexel 66 Adrian Uter, Hofstra 46 *Deven Dickerson, Georgia State 38 *Frank Elegar, Drexel 38 Harding Nana, Delaware 36 Auriemas Kieza, Hofstra 34 *Arnaud Dahi, ODU 29 Lawrence Hamm, Towson 28 *Bennet Davis, Northeastern * returning in Dickerson s highest scoring game was seven points vs. Campbell and six points each at Mercer and at Campbell. He had eight rebounds and six rebounds in the two Campbell games with four rebounds at Kentucky. He blocked three shots at Stetson. In his 14 minutes vs. Campbell, he had seven points and eight rebounds, well on a pace for a double-double effort had he seen more minutes of playing time. Dickerson earned All-Academic recognition from the A-Sun Conference for his work in the classroom. Prep Career: In Richmond, Va., Dickerson was the Capital District Player of the Year, All-State honorable mention, First Team All-District, First Team All-Region as a player, as well as First Team All-Academic in both the District and Region while at Henrico High School. Being from Coach Perry s hometown, the Panthers started recruiting him early and that helped as teams like Vanderbilt and Penn State jumped into the recruiting late. Deven had strong recruiting interest from schools like St. Bonaventure, Old Dominion, Virginia Commonwealth, James Madison, UNC Wilmington and Boston University. As a senior, Dickerson averaged nearly 15 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks per game for the Henrico Warriors. Deven closed out his high school career on Feb. 24 in the Central Region Tournament with an eye-popping tripledouble of 20 points, 19 rebounds and 10 blocks as his team dropped a heart-breaking overtime 73-72, last-second winning shot game, to No. 4 Huguenot. CAREER NUMBERS: Dickerson s left-handed jump hook will help him during his final two seasons in the rugged CAA. Double-Figure Games, Points Double-Figure Games, Rebounds Double-Doubles Career Games

16 A consistent rebounder, Dickerson had double figures every game in his senior season on the 22-8 team. His top scoring game was a 24-point night against Atlee. Deven played his first year at Highland Springs and his final three years at Henrico. In AAU and Summer Leagues, Dickerson played in the Richmond Pro-Am Summer League organized by 17-year NBA vet Johnny Newman. That league draws Detroit Pistons center Ben Wallace back home to compete a little and teach some of the rising college players. Dickerson has worked out with Wallace s nephew and Wallace to get tougher.. Deven has also been active with strong AAU teams throughout his high school career. Team Richmond won the State title and was fourth in the Nationals. Personal: Dickerson has nine games with seven Deven Jerel Dickerson or more rebounds in his first two years. was born August 8, 1986 in Richmond, Va., as the oldest son of Lonnie and Eunice Dickerson. His younger brother, Desmone, is 16 and beginning his high school playing days. At 6-9 and 260 pounds, Dickerson excels close to the basket. His wing span measures seven feet to go with his 40-inch trousers and size 17 shoes. He wears triple XXX tall-man shirts and tops and usually has to have dress shirts tailor-made. DICKERSON S BESTS Points: 20 vs. Northeastern, vs. Delaware, vs. VCU, vs. George Mason, vs. Towson, Reb. 13 at Hofstra, vs. Northeastern, vs. VCU, vs. Towson, vs. George Mason, Four Times Asst. 2 vs. Hofstra, Steals: 3 vs. ULL, Blocks: 5 at JMU, vs. ULL, vs. Towson, vs. George Mason, at Stetson, at Towson, vs. Northeastern, vs. Hofstra, vs. Towson, Minutes: 37 vs., VCU, vs. Charlotte, at Hofstra, His father, Lonnie, is 6 7 and was a high school player at J.F. Kennedy High and Virginia Union. His mother is 6 2 and was a high school player at Buckingham High and was All-CIAA at Virginia Union. His dad is a state of Virginia employee with a savings plan group and his mother is a college payroll manager. The family is active in St. Paul s Baptist Church where Deven worked with the Youth Association. As a youngster, Deven also played volleyball and tennis, primarily to help with his basketball skills. He could work on his timing, blocking and jumping abilities in volleyball and his lateral movements and conditioning with tennis. Deven enjoys computer video games. In the classrooms at Georgia State, he is majoring in business management. DICKERSON CAREER STATISTICS 32 Season G/GS Min/Avg /0 202/ /20 623/21.5 FG-Att/Pct 20-39/ /.481 3FG-Att/Pct FT-Att/Pct Reb/Avg Pts/Avg Asst 0-0/ / /2.1 44/ / / / /6.3 7 Blk 8 46 Stl 0 12 Totals / / /20 825/ / / /4.4 11

17 Freshman Guard Decatur, Ga. IMG Academy (Fla.)/ Redan HS May 11, 1987 Overview: A pure point guard with scoring and passing skills, Goldston left an excellent Atlanta high school athletics program for the prestigious IMG Academy in Florida to finish his prep career. As a result of the exposure, he received letters of interest from many colleges, including Florida State, Cincinnati, Nebraska, DePaul, UCF, Tennessee Tech, James Madison and Duquesne before deciding to come home to his Atlanta and Georgia State. He was the Redan Raiders team most valuable player with his 17-point per game scoring average and his six assists a game. Trae helped the team to 18-8 and 20-6 season records and a DeKalb County Team of the Month honor. He was invited to the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. for a summer camp and earned a scholarship to that unique school. native He is one of six state of Georgia prep players from this area on the current roster and noted on his signing: We have to do our thing there. It s our state. We gotta represent it. Goldston started high school in Atlanta before being accepted to the IMG Academy in Fla. Prep Career: Goldston s high school career began at Redan High School for Coach Dawson Green in metro Atlanta. 33

18 At IMG, Goldston played two seasons and capped off his final year with 21 points a game and six assists per contest. His coach Dan Barto guided the team to a 26-8 record last year and developed Goldston s individual skills even more as well. In , Goldston really stood out at the Great Southern Trae won the Showcase in Jackson, three-point title Miss., where his IMG at the Southern team competed with Showcase. teams from around the country. In the tournament games, Trae averaged 23 points and seven assists, with a top game of 27 points and 10 assists for a double-double. In the three-point shooting contest, he turned away all challengers in winning that individual contest. Talented Trae also gained more experience and exposure playing summer AAU basketball for three years. He was a key member of the Atlanta-based World Wide Renegades team that traveled to places like Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Houston, as well as playing in national tournaments in Atlanta. Personal: A PASSER OR A SCORER Goldston averaged 21 points a game last year to go with his six assists per game. He s never had a losing season during his brief playing career with 18 wins being his season low. William D. Goldston was born May 11, 1987 in Atlanta to Dale and Shelley Goldston. The Decatur native is the youngest of four boys with older brothers Richard, Vaughn and Marcus. His father had played junior college basketball in New York and helped teach young Trae the fundamentals of the game of basketball. As he begins his classes at Georgia State, Goldston is looking at beginning studies in the field of real estate. 34

19 Junior Guard Gainesville, Fla. Kilgore (Tex.) JC/ Gainesville HS Dec. 19, 1985 Overview: A team leader, Larris has excelled as a point guard in two years of junior college play and in a stellar high school career. He was a winner last year with 19-win Kilgore (Tex.) College and averaged 5.5 assists a game and was one of the top five point guards in Florida high school ball as the runner-up for State Player of the Year. Junior College Career: Larris was named the third best point guard in JUCO ball. With the Kilgore Runnin Rangers, Larris was the team leader in assists (5.5) and free throw shooting (79 percent), while being third in steals (31) and pulling down 87 rebounds. His senior team won 19 games under Coach Scott Schumacher in a tough Texas league that had five 20-game winners. Larris helped Kilgore Coach Schumacher get career win No. 200 by making two free throws in the final minute of a game to clinch that victory. The point guard also was a key in another win by scoring a field goal with 1:22 left in a game to add to his six assists. The southpaw was named as the third best point guard in the nation in the JUCO preview by Lindy s Magazine. As a sophomore at Kilgore, Ron enjoyed a double-double game with 14 points and 13 assists vs. Blinn College. Among the teams showing recruiting interest in Larris were Dayton from the A-10, Illinois State from the MVC, Florida International from the Sun Belt and Eastern Illinois from the Ohio Valley Conference. Larris focused even more on his passing game and being a team leader in JUCO play as he has followed the skills of fellow points guards like Chris Paul and T. J. Ford. 35

20 Prep Career: In high school, Larris was a Mr. Florida Basketball candidate as a first-team all-state honoree and Class 4A Player of the Year runner up playing for Gainesville High. As a senior, he was one of Florida s top five point guards and the Alachua County Player of the Year. Ron was one of the Top 20 players in the state of Florida and picked for the Florida Super-Showcase. When his team played in the Red Cross-Rotary Roundball Classic, Larris was named the Most Outstanding Player. That event in Charleston, S.C. attracts teams from all over the United States. His Gainesville team lost the title game to Archbishop Molloy from Queens, N.Y., but he was still chosen as the best player. Quite a scorer in high school, Larris averaged 22 points a game and seven assists a game for Gainesville. More importantly, he was leading his teams to wins as they posted 25-5 records in his senior and junior seasons (50-10 combined). When they advanced to the Elite Eight his senior year, he stepped up with a 32-point, seven-assist game, but the team lost by one point to end his career. Ron was the first-ever Gainesville High basketball player to earn all-state three times. Notable alumni of Gainesville High are NFL running back Clinton Portis and singer Tom Petty (of the Heartbreakers). Obviously a huge basketball fan, he first noticed Georgia State in high school when the Panthers topped Wisconsin in the NCAA Tournament. Personal: Ron Larris was born Dec. 19, 1985 in Gainesville, Fla. He is the son of Ron Larris and Liz Walker. Younger brother Dejuan will be a freshman at Stetson University this year. Ron had worn jersey number three in high school and JUCO, but will switch to No. 22 at Georgia State in honor of his deceased grandfather, James Walker, from Ft. Valley, Ga. As he begins his classes at Georgia State, Larris will be looking at beginning studies in sociology. 36 A FLORIDA STAR Larris was State 4-A Player of the Year runner up and one of the top five prep point guards in Florida. He was the first-ever player at his school to be allstate three times.

21 Freshman Forward Peachtree City, Ga. North Atlanta Prep/ Sandy Creek HS Oct. 30, 1987 Overview: A scorer from inside or outside, Lott can use his 6 7 size to play on the wing or go inside as a small forward. He gets good elevation to get off the outside shot over defenders or dunk inside with power moves. After being named Most Outstanding Player at a FiveStar Summer Camp in Pittsburgh, Lott began to gain more national notice. Prep Career: Lott s high school career began at Sandy Creek High School for Coach Maurice Triche in metro Atlanta and ended last year with North Atlanta Prep in Covington, Georgia. At Sandy Creek, Lott averaged 15 points a game while leading the Patriots in rebounding. The three-year starter enjoyed three games with 30 or more points, including one 33-point night vs. rival Douglas County. Lott had one fun evening when he produced five dunks in a game. Sandy Creek made the Final Four in the state tournament his senior season, winning the Region championship over No. 5 ranked Douglas County. In a local recruiting service in 2005, new Panther teammate Rashad Chase was listed as the No. 6 best player in Georgia with new teammate William Trae Goldston at No. 41, just behind Lott who was listed as No. 39. NBA draftee Louis Williams was No. 1 before going on to the 76ers. Being from Atlanta, Lott is familiar with several of the Panthers like Justin Billingslea and Rashad Chase from their middle school and AAU days of competition. 37

22 In at North Atlanta Prep Academy, Lott was part of a 29-9 Lott averaged team that played some 18 points last junior college teams like year at North Georgia Perimeter Atlanta Prep. where Lott had a double-double game (24 points, 10 rebounds). He averaged 18 points a game last year at North Atlanta Prep with a high game of 35 points. During his high school career, Lott had recruiting interest from major colleges like Baylor, Southern Mississippi, Louisiana-Lafayette, and Winthrop. Lott s summers were spent playing AAU basketball to gain more experience as he played for Team Georgia and traveled to the Bob Gibbons tournament in North Carolina, the Texas Shootouts and the Nationals at Disney World in Florida. Lott is one of six Georgians who played high school ball here in the Peach State. Personal: Kevin Alexander Lott was born October 30, 1987 in Newark, New Jersey to Richard and Barbara Lott. Kevin is the youngest of three children with older brother Richard, Jr., standing 6-7 and now playing at Alabama State, an opponent this year of Georgia State. Sister Ashley is the oldest sibling and played her basketball at Kentucky State before graduating from Clayton State. His mother is a second cousin of NFL star Ronnie Lott. As he begins his classes at Georgia State, Lott will be looking at beginning studies in sports management or sports medicine. 38 BROTHER VS. BROTHER Kevin will battle his older brother, Richard, twice this year for family bragging rights when Georgia State plays Alabama State on Nov. 21 in Atlanta and Dec. 16 in Montgomery.

23 Junior Guard/Forward Denver, Col. Monterey Peninsula JC Manual HS April 20, 1981 Career Recap After being a two-time junior college allconference star, McBride was high on the 2006 recruiting list of multiple schools. The high-scoring McBride first committed in April to the University of Arkansas, but later changed that to McNeese (La.) State because he had family friends in Lake Charles, La. When Coach Tic Price left McNeese State on July 31, McBride was again a hot commodity and chose Georgia State in August. During his recruiting chase, McBride got interest from Tennessee, Kansas State, Pitt, Pepperdine, Charlotte, Oregon State, Utah State, Southern Mississippi and Southern Illinois, in addition to Arkansas, McNeese State and Georgia State. His versatility at 6-6 allows him to excel at the wing or at the guard spots with his excellent outside shot and driving to the basket abilities. His guard skills came because he was under 6-0 in high school and continued to grow and develop later. His size also is a factor in him being able to shut down opposing guards with his defense. The most amazing part of his story is that he never played high school basketball and was away from school for four years until a friend talked him into trying out for the junior college team. Junior College: McBride led the Coast Conference in scoring in with a 21.2 per game average to go with a 9.5 rebounding average for the Monterey (Cal.) Peninsula Lobos. 39

24 He shot 46.2 percent outside the arc and had multiple 30-plus-point scoring games. As a freshman for Coach Blake Spiering, McBride was all-conference after a 15.9 scoring average and 5.7 rebound average. He led the Coast Conference in both three-point shooting percentage (.533) and free throw percentage (.852). While there are multiple good games when you average 21 points per game, McBride had a top game of 36 points vs. Hartnell with six three-point baskets. He also had plenty of double-doubles, including a 17-point, 15-rebound game vs. San Francisco State. One of those players who wants the ball in clutch situations, McBride won a junior college game with no time on the clock. With his team down by two points, McBride was set to shoot a three-point game winner when he was fouled. So, he went to the free throw line with zeros on the scoreboard and calmly drained all three free throws. The Route to Junior College: The 18-year old McBride left high school in 1999 without finishing his degree, but still played a lot of basketball at the local Rec Center at 6 in the morning before work. Over a four-year period, he worked at a GM Parts Plant in Denver, worked with his dad on political campaign projects, and worked in Houston and Los Angeles with his best friend s father. That was the family he was going to be with in Louisiana when he accepted McNeese State s scholarship offer. Sadly, his best friend was killed this past December. Like Michael Jordan, McBride was cut by his high school coach In 2003, McBride participated in a 3-on-3 Hoop It Up event at the Pepsi Center in Denver. It was there a friend from eighth grade told him of a tryout the next week at Monterey Junior College and invited him along. Obviously, things turned out well since that unusual tryout. During the time between high school and junior college, McBride says he watched a lot of Duke basketball games and taped some to study Jason Williams jump shot style which he has used to improve his shot. 40