Hogs add two forwards to signing class

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. –- Forwards Glenn Bryant and Delvon Johnson have signed letters of intent to play basketball at Arkansas next season, head coach John Pelphrey announced on Wednesday.

Bryant is a 6-7, 190-pound freshman small forward from Roseville, Mich., but he prepped at Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Va. Johnson is a 6-9, 220-pound junior forward from Richton, Ill., who spent this past season at Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa, Iowa.

Bryant averaged 11.3 points as a senior with more than 200 blocked shots. He averaged 12.5 points as a junior. Rivals lists him as the No. 36 power forward in the nation and No. 140 overall while ESPN ranks him the No. 34 power forward.

“Glenn is a 6-7 athlete who was one of the highest-rated high school players left unsigned,” Pelphrey says. “He spent the last two years at arguably the best high school program in the country and played for legendary Coach Steve Smith. He is an uncanny shot blocker. He’s a tremendous athlete and we believe his best basketball is ahead of him.”

He helped Oak Hill go 40-1 with No. 1 rankings from ESPN Rise and PrepNation.com. Oak Hill lost to Findlay Prep in the finals of the ESPN Rise National High School Invitational championship game, 74-66.

As a sophomore at Macomb Dakota High School outside Detroit, he averaged 14.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 6.0 blocked shots.

Bryant also received offers from Michigan, Xavier, Detroit and South Florida, and was recruited by Temple and Marquette, among others.

As a sophomore at Indian Hills, Johnson averaged 6.9 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.9 blocked shots on a team going 33-3. He led the team in rebounding and in blocked shots, and was third with a .570 field goal percentage (102-179). Johnson also considered TCU and Ole Miss.

“We are very excited to add Delvon to our team,” Pelphrey says. “He will give us good front court depth. He’s a good player who we also believe has his best basketball ahead of him. He is a young man we will enjoy having around and representing the state of Arkansas. Not only is he willing to work on the court, he’s an outstanding student as well. He will help Arkansas.”

As a freshman, Johnson played at Western Illinois in the Summit League. He played in 23 games with two starts, and averaged 2.6 points and 3.7 rebounds in more than 13 minutes a game while shooting 51.1 percent from the floor (24-47).He was fourth on the team in rebounding despite being eighth in minutes played. In conference play, he played 14 minutes a game in 17 contests with two starts, and averaged 2.5 points and 3.9 rebounds. He shot 52.9 percent from the floor (18-34) and was again fourth in rebounding despite being seventh in minutes.

Pelphrey also announced freshman forward Andre Clark of North Little Rock is transferring. Clark, 6-9 and 218 pounds, played in 24 games off the bench this year. He played just more than nine minutes, and averaged 2.5 points and 1.8 rebounds.

“We appreciate what Andre has done for the Razorback program,” Pelphrey says. “We wish him the best in the future.”

Bryant and Johnson give the Razorbacks three spring signees. Point guard Julysses Nobles (6-1, 170) of Jackson, Miss., is another late addition after leading Callaway High School to the Class 4A state title and the overall state championship. Rated the No. 46 point guard in the nation by ESPN, he averaged 20.9 points, 6.3 assists and 5.1 rebounds on a 33-6 squad and was a finalist for the state’s Mr. Basketball Award.

He signed with the Razorbacks after also receiving offers from Florida State, Baylor, Wichita State, Alabama-Birmingham, Tulane and Georgia State. He also received interest from Wake Forest and Tulsa, among others.

Bryant and Nobles join a class including early signees Anthony Borden, Jemal Farmer and Marshawn Powell.

Borden is a 7-0 center from West Memphis, Ark., Farmer a 6-5 junior guard from Cloud Community College in Concordia, Kan., and Powell a 6-7 forward from Crozet, Va.

Borden averaged 16.0 points and 10.0 rebounds as a junior, and 13.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 7.0 blocked rebounds as a senior. Ranked the No. 18 center in the nation by ESPN, he earned Class 6A all-state honors after leading WMHS to a 20-9 finish and into the state semifinals. He signed with the Hogs after considering Ole Miss, Xavier, Alabama, South Carolina and UAB.

Farmer averaged 16.1 points and 5.4 rebounds, and made 37 threes as a freshman at CCC. This year as a sophomore, he averaged a team-high 17.1 points along with 4.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.3 steals in earning second-team All-Jayhawk Conference honors. He shot 45.1 percent from the field (148-328), 30.1 percent on threes (34-110) and 76.2 percent at the line (115-151). He signed with Arkansas over Nebraska, Iowa State, Kansas State and UAB. Farmer and Johnson both prepped at Bloom Township High in Chicago Heights, Ill.

Powell, a 220-pounder, averaged 22.0 points, 12.0 rebounds and 5.0 blocked shots last year at The Miller School. This year, he averaged 22.0 points and 12.0 rebounds again. He had 15 points in the 69-61 victory over Atlantic Shores to win the Virginia Independent Schools Division II title. He had 14 points in a 48-45 win over Blue Ridge for the Division I title. He is ranked the No. 16 power forward in the nation and the No. 47 player overall by Scout, and the No. 25 power forward and No. 73 prospect overall by ESPN. He chose the Razorbacks over Pittsburgh, Kansas State, Clemson, Virginia Tech, Virginia, Maryland, Florida State, New Mexico, Miami, North Carolina State, LaSalle and Massachusetts.

Arkansas’ 2009 Recruiting Class with 2009 averages and honors

Anthony Borden 7-0, 230, C West Memphis, Ark.; West Memphis HS 13.0 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 7.0 blkESPN No. 18 center, Class 6A all-state

Glenn Bryant 6-7, 190, F Roseville, Mich.; Oak Hill (Mouth of Wilson, Va.)11.3 ppg ESPN No. 34 PF, Rivals No. 36 PF

Jemal Farmer 6-5, 213, G/F Chicago, Ill.; Cloud (Concordia, Kan.) CC 17.1 ppg, 4.2 rpg2nd-team All-Jayhawk Conference

Delvon Johnson 6-9, 220, F Richton, Ill.; Indian Hills (Ottumwa, Iowa) CC 6.9 ppg, 6.5 reb, 1.9 blk Led team in rebounds and blocks

Julysses Nobles 6-1, 170, PG Jackson, Miss.; Callaway HS 20.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 6.3 assts State Dandy Dozen, Mr. Basketball finalist

Marshawn Powell 6-7, 220, FCrozet, Va.; The Miller (Charlottesville) School 22.0 ppg, 12.0 rpg Scout No. 16 PF; ESPN No. 25 PF