Marshall Basketball: Three Ink Letters of Intent with Herd

The early signing period for college basketball opened last week and Marshall acted quickly, receiving three letters of intent by Saturday. The list includes two junior college players and a high school standout from neighboring Kentucky.

Henry Uwadiae, Center, Kirkwood Community College (Ia.)

A native of Nigeria, Henry Uwadiae came to America at age 16 for his first taste of organized basketball. He spent a year at Findlay Prep (Nv.) with additional stops at United Faith Christian Academy (Nc.) and Evelyn Mack Academy (Nc.).

Uwadiae gave a verbal commitment to Wichita State in July of 2011 but, he was ruled academically ineligible and never enrolled at the Missouri Valley Conference school.

Standing 6-foot-11, 228 pounds, Uwadiae spent a redshirt season at Kirkwood Community College last year and officially joined the basketball team this fall. He will have three years of eligibility remaining once at Marshall.

Uwadiae is regarded as a project, he grew up playing volleyball and did not concentrate on basketball until age 14.

Jay Johnson, Forward, John A. Logan College (Ill’s.)

As junior Jay Johnson averaged 18.9 points and 12.5 rebounds per game at Woodford County High School (Ky.). He overcame a torn ACL in the summer before his senior season to be selected for the Kentucky-Indiana All-Star Team. The same Kentucky squad featured current Thundering Herd basketball player Tamron Manning.

During his freshman season at John A. Logan College the 6-foot-7 forward averaged 10.7 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. Once enrolled, he will have two years of eligibility with Marshall.

Shane Hall, Forward, Johnson Central High School (Ky.)

A 6-foot-9, 210 pound forward, Shane Hall is a standout player at Johnson Central High School (KY). Despite battling injuries to both ankles, he averaged 15.9 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks per game as a junior. Rivals, Scout, and ESPN all rank him as a three star prospect. According to reports, Hall also received recruiting interest from Butler, Tennessee, UAB, and Northern Kentucky.