University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Basketball Adds Sixth Signee Of Spring Period, Lands Pelton
11/14/2005 12:00:00 AM | General
Basketball Adds Sixth Signee Of Spring Period, Lands Pelton HATTIESBURG, Miss.
"Kendaris is a 6-6 versatile player who can play both the three and four positions," Eustachy said. "He is a good perimeter shooter, and also can play the inside game. He's an excellent rebounder whose team had a very good season last year, and he was a big part of that."
The 6-foot-6 forward from Troy, Ala., played for Coach Greg Heiar at Chipola College, helping the team to a 33-4 record and a fourth-place finish in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) National Tournament. He averaged 12 points, five rebounds, three assists, and 1.5 steals per game as a sophomore, leading the Indians to the Florida Community College Athletic Association (FCCAA) state title and the NJCAA Region VIII Championship. Pelton, who was an FCCAA All-Tournament selection and an All-Panhandle Conference First Team Honoree, shot 83 percent from the free throw line and was a 46 percent shooter from the field.
During his freshman season at Chipola, the Indians finished sixth in the national tournament and had a 32-5 record. Pelton averaged nine points, six rebounds, three assists and one steal per game that season, while committing only nine turnovers in 22 games.
Pelton played his senior high school season at Central Park Christian School in Birmingham, Ala., leading the team to a National Association of Christian Athletes (NACA) National Championship, averaging 21 points, nine rebounds, eight assists, three steals and two blocks that season, earning the team's MVP honors. He also participated in the 2002 Alabama High School Activities Association All-Star game.
Pelton joins five players who signed with Southern Miss in the spring period, a group that includes Courtney Beasley of Bridgton (Maine) Academy, Travis Hall of Western Nebraska Community College, Kyle LaMonte of Marshalltown (Iowa) Community College, David Cornwell of Los Angeles City College and Donatas Visockis of The Cardinal Gibbons School in Baltimore, Md. Craig Craft, a 6-foot-3 guard from Raleigh (Miss.) High School, was the lone signee during the early signing period in November.
