Men’s Basketball: Top-notch class headed to UCI
UC Irvine head coach Russell Turner and his staff have signed a talented quartet of high school seniors to National Letters of Intent in the November signing period.
Joining the Anteater program next season will be freshmen Brad Greene (Lone Pine HS), Evan Leonard (Cerritos HS), Tommy Rutherford (Grossmont HS) and Eyassu Worku (Los Alamitos HS).
“We are excited to announce the signings of four excellent players and high-character young men,” Turner said. “These student-athletes and their families are great fits for our University and our basketball program, and the future is bright for UC Irvine Basketball. Our fans should look forward to seeing these players develop and reach their very high potential.
“I want to give special credit to our assistant coaches and staff who have identified these players as the ones to help us continue to improve our program. Our staff is outstanding and I feel fortunate to work with such committed people. Our continuity has allowed us to collaborate well in working to attract players who fit our core values and bring real talent to our team.
“The University community here is what allows us to recruit so aggressively, as many people on campus are excited to mentor the young men we recruit. As a coach I get energy from these community interactions, and I believe strongly in the education our players receive here at UCI,” Turner added.
The 6-10 Greene resides on the Lone Pine Paiute-Shoshone Reservation and he is a descendant of the Mono, Paiute-Shoshone, Chippewa and Mohawk tribes. He averaged 18 points, 13 rebounds, 5.5 blocked shots and two assists per game last season when he earned first team All-CIF and All-Desert Mountain League honors.
Leonard, a 6-1 guard, is a three-star local recruit from Cerritos High. He earned first team All-CIF second team All-State honors last season after averaging 22 points, six rebounds, three steals, two assists and one blocked shot per game.
The 6-8 Rutherford is a three-star recruit from Grossmont High. He averaged 23 points, 18 rebounds, two assists and 1.5 blocked shots per game last season en route to first team All-CIF and All-Grossmont League honors. He also has received All-Academic recognition with a 4.8 GPA.
Worku, a 6-2 guard, is from Los Alamitos High, the alma mater of UCI associate head coach Ali Ton. Worku averaged 17 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals per game last season, earning first team All-CIF and All-Sunset League honors, and second team All-Orange County recognition.
“Brad Greene is an emerging talent with great size,” Turner said. “He has a really strong body and drive to improve. He is the first Native American player we have recruited, and we are excited about the opportunity he has to represent the Lone Pine Paiute-Shoshone people here at UCI. His work ethic is clear from his outstanding academic performance, and we all look forward to helping him continue to improve.
“Evan Leonard is a gifted scorer who will have some big scoring nights this season. Evan has watched our program closely for a number of years because he hails from Cerritos High School, the alma mater of Aaron Wright (UCI senior guard). Evan has shown leadership potential already with his pursuit of his classmates, and our staff is excited about his and his family’s devotion to UC Irvine,” said Turner.
“Tommy Rutherford is a hard-working and tone-setting big man with tremendous talent, and he is the best student our staff has recruited to play basketball here at UCI. Tommy will major in civil engineering and will be a great addition to the University community,” Turner said. “Tommy is the first recruit our staff has landed from San Diego, and we are excited to be connected with Grossmont High and the Rutherford family.
“Eyassu Worku is a talented and skilled point guard who is very young for a high school senior, and has a bright future both on the court and in the classroom. Eyassu has excellent speed and court vision, and his experience at Los Alamitos High School, a program that has produced many excellent players, including Ali Ton, is valuable,” said Turner.
— From staff reports