ECU Men’s Basketball News‏

GREENVILLE, N.C. — Wakefield Ellison (Asheville, N.C.) and Erin Straughn (Pensacola, Fla.) have each signed their National Letter-of-Intent to attend and play basketball at East Carolina University beginning next season announced head coach Mack McCarthy on Thursday.
 
“We couldn’t be more pleased with our signing of Wakefield Ellison and Erin Straughn,” said McCarthy.  “They are both outstanding young men who are versatile, multi-position basketball players.  Both signees are serious students from academically-oriented families.  Erin and Wakefield and their parents will be great additions to the Pirate basketball program for the next four years.”
 
As a junior at Asheville High School last season, Ellison (6-5, 190) averaged 22.1 points and 7.5 rebounds per game and was named to the all-state 3A boy’s team by NCPreps.com, while leading Asheville to the West Sectional Championship. He led the Mountain Athletic Conference in scoring last year with 603 points, which was the second-highest single-season scoring total in school history. As a sophomore, he netted 503 points, which ranks as the third-highest single-season scoring total at AHS.
 
Straughn (6-6, 205) led Pensacola High School to a 25-4 record last season and an appearance in the regional semifinals. An all-district selection, Straughn averaged 16.6 points, seven rebounds and four assists per game during the 2007-08 season. HoopScoop ranked Straughn as the 13th-best prospect in Florida for the Class of 2009.
 
ECU opens the 2008-09 season Friday, Nov. 14, against Coker College. Tip-off is slated for approximately 7:30 p.m. inside Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum.