Men's Basketball Signs Five to Begin 2020-21 Preparation

HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- Southern Miss head men's basketball coach Jay Ladner has announced five signees to begin the spring signing period.

The Golden Eagles will welcome NJCAA All-American Tae Hardy (Ellenwood, Ga.) as well as freshmen Javarzia Belton (Calhoun Falls, S.C.), Mark Jaakson (Tallinn, Estonia), Jaron Pierre (New Orleans, La.) and Blake Roberts (Hattiesburg).

It's official. ✅

This First-Team NJCAA All-American is now a Golden Eagle! #SMTTT pic.twitter.com/HHycBvktvh
— Southern Miss MBB (@SouthernMissMBB) April 15, 2020

Tae Hardy (Jr., 6-2, 180, G, Ellenwood, Ga. / Pearl River CC)
-NJCAA First-Team All-American who led PRCC to the only undefeated record in the country
-Averaged 16.6 points, 3.7 assists and 3.6 steals per game on 52.1 percent shooting (84.2 percent on free-throws)
-Posted 4.0 GPA in the fall while studying computer science; plans to be a software developer after school
-Played under Chris Oney, the NJCAA Coach of the Year
-Began his career at East Carolina (2018-19), starting nine of his 23 appearances and averaging 2.3 points and 1.3 assists per game.
-Scored 11 points in the season-opener that year against Delaware State and added 10 versus Lamar
-Graduated from Miller Grove HS in Georgia where he was named the 2017 GACA 5A Player of the Year (19.5 points and 5.2 rebounds per game)
-Played the 2017-18 season at Believe Sports Academy in Athens, Tenn.

What Ladner says...
"I couldn't be more excited to have a young man like Tae Hardy. He's a high-character young man and floor leader, which is what you look for in a point guard. He's a leader on and off the floor, mentally and physically. He was the Player of the Year in Georgia and comes out of an outstanding Pearl River program, where he was the best player on the nation's best team. He brings so much to the table."

Big man. Big game. 😤

Let's all welcome @jbelton01 to the Golden Eagle family! #SMTTT pic.twitter.com/12p3HI66UN
— Southern Miss MBB (@SouthernMissMBB) April 15, 2020

Javarzia Belton (Fr. 6-10, 275, C, Calhoun Falls, S.C. / Moravian Prep (N.C))
-Three-star recruit who was rated as the No. 42 center nationally (No. 297 overall)
-Spent last two years at Moravian Prep in North Carolina and scored 20 points against Oak Hill Prep in November 2018
-Ranked No. 12 by Charlotte Observer in area basketball rankings while at Kernersville West Ridge Academy in 2017-18
-Helped Calhoun Falls Charter School to its first Upper State finals appearance in 20 years as a sophomore (2016-17)
-Earned a slew of offers over his career, stretching from Texas A&M to UNLV and Wichita State as well as several more along the East Coast

What Ladner says...
"Javarzia is the biggest kid I have ever signed. I've never seen a physical specimen like him at his age, a solid rock at 6-10 and 275 (lbs). You'd wonder about his mobility, but he's athletic, has good hands and gives us a body type that we don't have often. Javarzia is a skilled kid from really good prep program. He resembles [graduating senior] Boban Jacdonmi down low. He's gonna be a great Golden Eagle."

The Estonian pipeline continues. 🇪🇪

Give it up for @MarkJaakson! #SMTTT pic.twitter.com/pDhgR994l8
— Southern Miss MBB (@SouthernMissMBB) April 15, 2020

Mark Jaakson (Fr., 6-7, 200, G, Tallinn, Estonia / Get Better Academy)
-Averaged 11.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game with GBA this year (Prague, Czech Republic)
-Was teammates with Southern Miss rising sophomore Artur Konontsuk
-Head coach, Julian Betko, played at Clemson and Butler, serving as a team captain for Bulldogs team that finished No. 13 in 2008
-Team captured First League and U19 league titles
-Earned MVP honors in Final Four as well as several All-Star Five awards

What Ladner says...
"Mark is a young man that we identified last year. He played at the Get Better Academy, which is the same program as Artur Konontsuk. He couldn't come last year, but he's a skilled 6-foot-7 guard that can shoot the ball. Mark is athletic and gives us long-range scoring threat opposite [LaDavius] Draine that can put the ball in the basket. He's a high-character guy, which is the type of kid we are looking at."

Crescent City ➡️ Hattiesburg

Everybody welcome @JPIERRE5_ to the Southern Miss family‼️ #SMTTT pic.twitter.com/Nf5fY41mfa
— Southern Miss MBB (@SouthernMissMBB) April 15, 2020

Jaron Pierre (Fr., 6-4, 180, G, New Orleans, La. / St. Augustine HS)
-Three-star prospect; ranked No. 4 in Louisiana and 240 nationally by MaxPreps.com
-Helped St. Augustine to 26-game win streak deep into playoffs, going 31-2 as a senior
-Earned First-Team All-State honors by averaging 27 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals per game
-Had consecutive 27-point games in February
-Earned Purple Knight Holiday Classic MVP honors as a junior in December 2018
-Made nine three-pointers in a game versus Thibodaux that season

What Ladner says...
"Jaron is a player that will put a lot of smiles on fans' faces. He's long, athletic and the best player out of the New Orleans area and Catholic League, which produces some great players. He comes from a famous St. Augustine program, where he played for legendary coach Mitch Johnson. Jaron is a long, athletic, tough skill-guard that can play multiple positions. He's going to be an outstanding player that will lead us to a lot of success."

Hometown kid! @blake_roberts5 is now a Golden Eagle! 🏠 #SMTTT pic.twitter.com/A0CQ6RBArL
— Southern Miss MBB (@SouthernMissMBB) April 16, 2020

Blake Roberts (Fr., 6-2, 180, G, Hattiesburg, Miss. / Oak Grove HS)
-Averaged 10.6 ppg as a senior, totaling 842 for his career
-Three-year selection to All-Region and Lamar County All-Tournament Teams
-Team won Region 5-6A District Tournament title in 2019 and Regular-Season in 2020
-MLK Outstanding Contribution to Basketball Award Winner; holds a 4.0 GPA
-Currently attending Ladner's alma mater, who was also the head coach for 2011-12 season
-Father, Lee, was three-year starting quarterback for Southern Miss, helping the Golden Eagles to C-USA titles in 1996 and 1997.

What Ladner says...
"Blake fits the mold of what we want in our basketball players. He has great character, is a serious student, hard-nosed, tough and dedicated. Blake has strong Southern Miss lineage and can really shoot it. We look forward to great things from him."

University of Southern Mississippi Athletics

Men's Basketball Signs Five to Begin 2020-21 Preparation

Players Mentioned

Boban Jacdonmi

Artur Konontsuk

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