National Signing Day updates: 10 Link Academy basketball players sign with colleges
Wednesday was a big day for the Link Academy Lions boys basketball and first-year Link Academy Lady Lions girls basketball teams in Branson, Mo.
The school announced that 10 seniors – seven boys and three girls – signed national letter of intents on Wednesday morning during a National Signing Day ceremony.
The seven seniors signing for the Lions were: Antonio "T.O." Barrett (Missouri), James Brown (North Carolina), Jaxson Ford (Sam Houston State), Mitchell Holmes (SMU), Labaron Philon (Kansas), Jalen Shelley (Arkansas) and MJ Thomas (New Orleans).
“I’m just excited and proud for them," second-year Link Academy head coach Bill Armstrong said. "Those guys, they’ve worked so hard for this day. They’ve worked their whole lives dreaming of playing Division I basketball. All of them signed at a really good level. I think they’ll all be able to go to their teams and make an impact right away. I’m excited about what the future holds for them.”
For the first-year Lady Lions squad, JaNyla Bush (Missouri State), Bri’Aria Cannon (Eastern Kentucky) and Regan Williams (Kansas) will sign on Wednesday.
The top-rated senior for Link Academy, 6-foot-6 senior shooting guard Tre Johnson, is not expected to sign on Wednesday.
The Dallas native, who is rated as the No. 4 overall prospect in the Class of 2024 by ESPN, Rivals, On3 and the 247Sports Composite, has narrowed his decision to either Baylor or Texas.
The Lions, the No. 3 team in the SBLive/Sports Illustrated Top 25 national high school boys basketball preseason rankings, went 27-1 and won the GEICO national championship a year ago behind standouts Ja'Kobe Walter (Baylor), Elliot Cadeau (North Carolina), Cameron Carr (Tennessee) and Corey Chest (LSU).
Walter, a McDonald's All-American, is expected to have a big role with the Bears and scored 28 points in his debut on Tuesday. Cadeau, the Preseason ACC Rookie of the Year, had a team-high six assists in his debut on Monday.
This year's pack of Lions, who open the season on Wednesday night, will look completely different with a rebuilt roster loaded with transfers.
Led by Johnson, the Lions have four seniors rated in the 247Sports Composite Top 100: Johnson (No. 4), Philon (No. 36), Shelley (No. 53) and Brown (No. 68).
Philon is a 6-4 point guard, while Shelley is a 6-8 small forward and Brown is a 6-9 center. Barrett, who is signing with nearby Mizzou, is a 6-4 guard ranked as the No. 122 player in the Class of 2024.
Another player to watch this season is Jasper Johnson, a 6-4 junior combo guard from Kentucky who is rated as the No. 13 prospect nationally in the Class of 2025 and recently took an official visit to Missouri. Andre Iguodala Jr., a 6-6 small forward, is another junior to watch this season.
On the girls side, the Lady Lions will be a mix of upperclassmen and underclassmen in their first season but will be led by Williams, a 6-3 forward who transferred from Park Hill South, and Bush, a two-time state champion who transferred from Vashon.
To get live updates on your phone - as well as follow your favorite teams and top games - you can download the SBLive Sports app: Download iPhone App | Download Android App
- Nate Latsch | latsch@scorebooklive.com | @SBLiveMiz
