With only two legitimate frontcourt players on his 2010 roster, Mike Rice needed some help.
He got it Monday with the news that 6-foot-7, 215-pound forward Robert Lumpkins of Washington, D.C. will enroll at Rutgers and play his final collegiate season with the Scarlet Knights in 2010-11.
Lumpkins, who spent the past three seasons at New Mexico State University after a stint at Kilgore (Texas) College, recently earned his undergraduate degree from NMSU and will pursue a graduate degree at Rutgers.
“Robert is a veteran player with high-level experience,” said Rice. “We are very excited to welcome him into the program. Robert’s addition is going to provide us additional versatility and depth in our efforts to play a tenacious style for a full 40 minutes.”
Lumpkins joins senior Jonathan Mitchell and sophomore Austin Johnson as Rutgers’ true frontcourt players.
“I am very grateful for the opportunity Rutgers has given me,” said Lumpkins. “Growing up in Washington, D.C., I have always followed BIG EAST basketball. Now I get to be a part of it. I’m going to do whatever I can to help the team.”
Lumpkins played in eight games (five starts) at NMSU in 2009-10 and averaged 4.0 points and 3.8 rebounds-per-contest. As a sophomore in 2008-09, he played in 20 games. Lumpkins redshirted with the Aggies in 2007-08 after transferring from Kilgore, where he played one season as a freshman in 2006-07.
Lumpkins helped H.D. Woodson High School in Washington, D.C. to a first place finish in the D.C. Interscholastic Athletic Association East Division as a senior in 2005-06. He was a Washington Post All-Met team and a DCIAA All-League selection.
FREE THROWS
Fort Bend (Texas) Dulles guard D’Angelo Harrison confirmed that his list now consists of Baylor, Oklahoma State, Marquette and St. John’s. He will take an unofficial to St. John’s Monday….Brewster (N.H.) Academy PG Naadir Tharpe has officials planned to Rutgers (Sept. 2) and Minnesota (Sept. 17)…Onetime St. John’s target Mike Perez committed to UTEP, per azcentral.com…Former Paterson Catholic players Jhamir White and Deandre Noble transferred to the International School in Paterson and will play for JFK coach Jimmy Ring…New York point guard Jevon Thomas will likely end up back at Our Savior New American on Long Island and not at St. Benedict’s Prep, sources said.
Jamel Artis, a 6-5 G/F from Baltimore Dunbar, will play for Roshown McLeod at St. Benedict’s Prep.
“Jamel is a typical Baltimore forward,” McLeod said. “With his toughness and versatility, he will cause matchup problems for opponents. We are happy to have him and we look forward to building with him.”
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