HIGH POINT, N.C. — The High Point University men’s basketball team has added guards Dejuan McGaughy and Haiishen McIntyre to finish its recruiting for the 2012-13 season, announced head coach Scott Cherry on Tuesday. McGaughy and McIntyre join four other newcomers and 10 returners for next season.
“We’re really happy to be able to sign two more guards who can score and play defense,” said HPU head coach Scott Cherry. “Dejuan and Haiishen are both very good with the ball in their hands. They are both very talented on the offensive end, are able to shoot threes and score off the bounce. Defensively, we will be able to pressure more and keep fresh bodies on the floor. These two along with the other guys we signed make us a much deeper and more talented team.”
McGaughy was a two-time junior college All-American guard for Mercyhurst University-North East in North East, Pa. He is originally from Columbus, Ohio, and attended Marion-Franklin High School. In 2011-12, McGaughy averaged 19.7 points, 5.2 assists and 1.3 steals while leading Mercyhurst North East to a 17-14 record. He was named Region III Player of the Year and second-team NJCAA All-American.
“Dejuan is extremely quick and can really pass the ball,” said Cherry. “He can run the offense and he knows where people need to be, but he’s also capable of scoring and making plays for himself. He can come off ball screens and penetrate the basket. Dejuan is fast and athletic, which will help us on the defensive end.”
At 6-foot-1, McGaughy also hit more than two three-pointers per game while shooting 39.9 percent from beyond the arc. He played a team-high 34.2 minutes per game. As a freshman in 2010-12, McGaughy averaged 18.9 points, 4.5 assists and 1.5 steals while shooting 47 percent from the field. He led the team in scoring and assists both seasons. He also played wide receiver and defensive back in football at Marion-Franklin.
McIntyre is from Harrisburg, Pa., and attended Harrisburg High School. A 6-foot-2 combo guard, he scored a school-record 24.2 points per game along with 6.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game as a senior. He was a first-team Class AAAA All-State, becoming his team’s first such honoree since 1998. He was a two-time Patriot-News Big 15 selection.
“Haiishen is a scorer. He’s a combo guard who can play with the ball or without it,” said Cherry. “He can come off screens, shoot threes and he gets to the free-throw line a lot. In the games we watched, he got to the free-throw line 14 or 15 times and it wasn’t just fouling at the end of games. He was able to get into the paint and create shots. He will also help us on defense with his speed and athletic ability.”
McIntyre led Harrisburg High School to a 21-7 record, the team’s first state playoff berth since 2009 and an appearance in the state quarterfinals. Along with his scoring average record, McIntyre totaled 1,186 points in his high school career. He scored 20 or more points 20 times in 2011-12, including a school single-game record 37 in a 79-71 double-overtime win over Central Dauphin.
McGaughy and McIntyre join two other incoming guards – junior Derrell Edwards and freshman Adam Weary – in the Panthers’ 2011-12 recruiting class. During the fall signing period, High Point inked forwards Cliff Cornish and Lorenzo Cugini. The Panthers also have 6-foot-7 forward John Brown, who was Florida 1A Player of the Year in 2009-10. Brown attended HPU and redshirted last season.
“It’s a big recruiting class but we filled some needs,” said Cherry. “We will be a much deeper team with these six recruits and a good core of guys returning, including John Brown, who sat out last year.”
2012 HPU Men's Basketball Newcomers Name Class Position Height Weight Hometown Last Team John Brown* RFr. F 6-7 195 Jacksonville, Fla. Oldsmar Christian Cliff Cornish Fr. F 6-8 240 Glen Burnie, Md. North County HS Lorenzo Cugini Fr. F 6-6 200 Stow, Ohio St. Vincent-St. Mary's HS Derrell Edwards Jr. G 6-2 190 Baltimore, Md. South Plains College Dejuan McGaughy Jr. G 6-1 180 Columbus, Ohio Mercyhurst Univ.-North East Haiishen McIntyre Fr. G 6-2 160 Harrisburg, Pa. Harrisburg HS Adam Weary Fr. G 6-2 180 Memphis, Tenn. Ridgeway HS *Attended HPU and redshirted the 2011-12 season
No players from NC? Wow Scott. You can’t tell me you couldn’t sign any guard from NC that could contribute to the team I saw this past season. Kids are in your lap and you want give them any looks. HP AD need to look at your roster full of out-of-state kids (tuition) and look at your win-loss record at the end of the year. Coach please recruit NC! Kids are not hard to find. Frankie Eaves could play, but he is gone…Reggie Perkins, Jr., gone…come on coach get to work!!!!!
@ Wow I agree players in his own back yard Jordan Hanner,Frank Eaves or Tracy Gathings????? Same as A & T they always look everywhere else and then end up having sub par seasons. The Triad continues to get overloooked.