Georgia Southern Men's Basketball Adds Hewitt to Signing Class
4/30/2010 9:28:00 PM | Men's Basketball
STATESBORO, Ga. - Jelani Hewitt has signed a letter of intent to enroll at Georgia Southern University and play for the Eagle men's basketball program. Hewitt will join the program for the 2010-2011 season. The 6-2, 180 lb. guard from Oakland Park, Fla., led Northeast High School to a 21-8 record and the District 16-5A championship in his junior season, earning first team all-state honors in the process.
"Jelani Hewitt is a product of very good high school and AAU programs," said Eagles' Head Men's Basketball Coach Charlton "C.Y." Young. "It is obvious he is a very good basketball player, but he also possesses the intangibles - toughness and competitive spirit - and those come from being a part of those successful programs."
A dynamic scorer and playmaker, Hewitt's junior campaign featured a career-best average of 25.9 points and six assists per game. As a senior, he was named to the All-Broward County First Team, averaging 16.4 and 5.6 assists per game while also contributing 5.5 rebounds per contest for the Hurricanes. Named MVP of the Hawk Kruel Classic 32-team tournament in December 2009, Hewitt scored a game-high 25 points with six rebounds and five assists as Northeast won the championship. In the semifinal matchup, Hewitt had 24 points, including four three-pointers, and added eight assists.
One of the top players in the state of Florida's 2010 class, Hewitt played for Coach Darrance Gillion at Northeast and helped the Hurricanes to their first postseason appearance since 1985. He also played for the 2008 national champion AAU Under-17 squad, Team Breakdown, coached by Kenny Gillion.
Last spring and summer, Hewitt more than proved his offensive ability when he hit 10 three-point baskets en route to a 45-point game at the Bob Gibbons' Tournament of Champions in May 2009. In the Next Level 24 Showcase in Orlando last August, which featured the A-list players from Florida, Hewitt scored 29 points to rank as the game's top scorer.
