The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

With the 2012 NCAA basketball season still weeks away from tipoff, blue chip recruits are already signing on to top programmes for fall 2013, and one Bahamian player added his name to the list yesterday.

Dwight Coleby announced via Twitter that he would join the University of Mississippi Rebels, ending the recruiting process early for the highly touted center as he heads into his senior season at Piney Woods High School.

The 6’9” 220 pound post player became the first commitment for the Rebels and was the top recruit on the team’s recruiting list for the 2013 season. He is listed as a three-star recruit by Scout.com and ranked number 23 amongst centers.

ESPN.com also lists him as a three star recruit, with a grade of 78 overall, ranked 36th in the Southeast region, 15th nationally at his position, and second at his position within the state of Mississippi.

Coleby comes from a strong bloodline, joining his brother Kadeem in the NCAA who recently transferred from Louisiana-Lafayette to Wichita State.

The elder Coleby, a 6-foot-9, 250-pound center, will have one season of eligibility remaining, to be used in 2013-14. He started 30 games as a junior, averaging 9.5 points and 4.9 rebounds. He made 56.1 per cent of his shots and 50 per cent of his free throws. He led the Sun Belt Conference in shooting percentage and ranked second in blocks at 2.4 a game.

Dwight Coleby announced his decision through his Twitter account, @daddysmooth22.

“I am going to ole miss :-)..#kooldeal..”

During his junior season at Piney Woods, Coleby began to garner attention of major programmes throughout the country when he averaged 18 points, 12 rebounds and 12 blocks per game.

He chose Ole Miss over Memphis, Georgia, Mississippi State and Southern Mississippi.

In an interview with Ben Garrett of “The Ole Miss Spirit”, Coleby said much of his decision making process was due to a relationship he developed with Rebels coach Andy Kennedy.

Kennedy will enter his seventh season with the Rebels which includes five 20-win seasons and five postseason tournament appearances.

“I have a great relationship with coach Kennedy,” Coleby said. “He and I have talked many different times. We talk on the phone a lot. He thinks I’d fit in. They get up and down in this offense, transition and stuff.”

Also contributing to the decision was the heavy availability of playing time in the frontcourt with the departure of Ole Miss seniors Murphy Holloway and Reginald Buckner.

“They’re losing two post players,” Coleby said in a previous interview with the Ole Miss Spirit. “Playing time is important to me. I can come in and produce. They use their bigs all kinds of different ways. Rebound the ball, block shots. They bang the paint.”

ESPN.com’s analysis of Coleby lists his athleticism as the focal point of his game as he heads to the next level. “Coleby is an extra long and very athletic center that is mobile and active. He runs the floor extremely well and on a consistent basis. He finishes drop off passers above the rim and powers through defenders to finish.”