University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Men's Basketball Adds Two to 2008-09 Signing Class
4/16/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
April 16, 2008
HATTISBURG, Miss. - Southern Miss Head Men's Basketball Coach Larry Eustachy has announced the signing of two recruits to national letters-of-intent for the 2008-09 academic year.
Corey Smith, a 6-7 power forward out of Pleasant Grove, Ala., and LaVanne Pennington, a 6-3 guard from San Bernardino, Calif., will join the Golden Eagles for the 2008-09 school year.
Smith was the 34th-ranked power forward in the country by Scouts.com. He averaged 19.3 points and 12.4 rebounds in his senior season, scoring over 1,500 points and pulling down more than 1,000 rebounds in his career. Smith was a three-time All-State and All-Country Player, as well as the 2008 Jefferson County MVP. He was also named to the Alabama All-ASWA Second Team, and participated in the Mississippi-Alabama All-Star Game.
This past year, Smith was named the sixth-ranked Super Senior in the state of Alabama by the Birmingham News.
Smith chose Southern Miss over Alabama State.
Pennington of San Bernardino, Calif., a 6-3, 180-pound guard, averaged 19.5 points, four rebounds and four assists per game last year for Coach Audie Norris at Genesis One Christian School in Mendenhall, Miss.
Pennington chose Southern Miss over Houston and New Mexico.
They join Andre Jackson (Dallas, Texas), who signed in the fall, as current signees for the 2008-09 school year.
