CLEMSON BASEBALL

Clemson Signs Ori Ichaki


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Clemson, SC-Clemson Men's Basketball Coach Larry Shyatt has announced

that Ori Ichaki will join the Tiger basketball team as a freshman

this coming season. Ichaki (pronounced Oree its CHA ki) is a native

of Hertzlia, Israel and has been a member of various Israeli National

teams.

Ichaki has served four years in the military in Israel and is

21 years old. He has played for various European championship teams

from Israel the last four years. He was a member of the sixth-place

team in the World Championships for men in 2001 and averaged 17.3

points a game for that team, ranking seventh overall in scoring. He

was on the second place team at the European Championships in 2000

and scored 14.1 points per game. He scored 15.2 points per game for

the Young Men's team at the European Championships the previous year.

The 6-5, 195-pound swing man narrowed his college choices to

Clemson, Providence, Missouri, Pittsburgh and Southern California.

"We are thrilled to add Ori to our team," said Head Coach

Larry Shyatt. "He is a very competitive, but unselfish player who

will give us the opportunity to play a big or small lineup. He has

terrific versatility. His military background gives us a degree of

toughness and maturity that our team will need this coming season."

Ichaki is the fourth member of Clemson's recruiting class

that will enter Clemson in August. He joins 6-9 forward Akin

Akinbala of Lagos Nigeria, Julian Betko, a 6-5 forward from Sharon,

PA, and Shawan Robinson, a 6-2 freshman guard from Raleigh.

Clemson Signees for 2002-03


Name      	Pos	Hgt	Wgt	Hometown	

Akin Akinbala F 6-9 210 Lagos, Niger

Julian Betko F 6-5 190 Sharon, PA

Ori Ichaki F 6-5 195 Hertzlia, Is

Shawan Robinson G 6-2 170 Raleigh, NC

Name High School PPG RPG

Akin Akinbala Brunswick School (CT) 22.0 13.0

Julian Betko Sharon 22.7 8.7

Ori Ichaki Israeli National Team 17.4 3.8

Shawan Robinson Leesville Road 24.0 5.0

4/11/2002 - Clemson Signs Betko

Clemson, SC-Julian Betko, a 6-5, 190-pound wing player from Slovakia, has signed a national letter of intent with the Clemson men's basketball program. Betko comes to Clemson from Sharn High School in Sharon, PA and will enter Clemson as a freshman in August.

Betko averaged 22.7 points, 8.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game last year for Jim Hoy's Sharon High School team. He made 58 percent of his three-point shots and shot 91 percent from the foul line. He had a high scoring game of 31 points, a high rebound game of 14 and a high assist game of six. His top three-point field goal game was six.

"Julian gives us the long distance shooter we have been searching for. Our entire staff has seen him play at one time or another and we were all impressed with his abilities as a shooter, but also from a ball-handling and knowledge of the game standpoint." Betko is the fourth and final member of the Clemson signee class for 2002-03. In the early signing period the Tigers signed 6-2 guard Shawan Robinson of Raleigh, NC and 6-9 forward Akin Akingbala of Greenwich, CT. Wednesday, Clemson announced the signing of 6-7 forward Lamar Rice of Flint, MI.

"This class gives us balanced from a personnel standpoint in terms of positions on the floor and in the years of experience on our club," said Shyatt.

Next year Clemson will have five seniors (including walk-ons), two juniors, four sophomores and three freshmen on the roster.

"With the return of seven of our top nine players from a year ago we will have the competition in practice and the depth to compete with the upper division teams of the ACC."

11/15/2002 - Akingbala Signs with Clemson

Clemson, SC-Clemson Head Coach Larry Shyatt has announced the signing of the second member of his 2002 freshman signee class. On Thursday, Shyatt received a signed National letter of Intent from 6-9 forward Akin Akingbala. On Wednesday, Shyatt announced the signing of 6-2 guard Shawan Robinson of Raleigh, NC.

Akingbala, a native of Lagos, Nigeria, is a senior at The Brunswick School in Greenwich, CT. He averaged 16 points, 12 rebounds and six blocked shots per game a year ago. He had a high of 11 blocked shots in a game and shot 68 percent from the field.

Akingbala led his team to a 19-6 record last year and a runner-up finish in the New England Prep School Championships. The Brunswick School won the New England Championship his sophomore year. Akingbala was ranked among the top 100 rising seniors for 2001-02 by Hoop Scoop this past summer.

"Akin is an athletic and enthusiastic leaper," said Shyatt. "He has excellent desire, especially on the defensive end where he is an intimidating shot blocker. His athletic ability on the soccer field and in basketball is eye-catching. He too fits exactly what we are looking for in our program. He has excellent academic credentials."

Robinson attends Leesville Road High School in Raleigh and is considered one of the top players in North Carolina and a top 100 player nationally. He averaged 16 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals per game last year.

Robinson is ranked in the top 100 in the nation by All-Star Sports and by Hoop Scoop. A first-team all-conference player the last two years, he combined with current Florida State freshman Anthony Richardson to lead Leesville Road to the state championship game last year. His father, Darryl Robinson, is the Leesville Road High School Head Coach.

"Shawan will be a tremendous asset to Clemson University and our basketball program," said Shyatt. "He comes to us from a wonderful family and is an excellent student. You can tell he is the son of a coach.. He is an excellent combo guard who will help us immediately as a primary ball handler and deep shooter."

11/14/2002 - Robinson Signs with Clemson

Clemson, SC-Clemson Head Coach Larry Shyatt has announced the signing of the first member of his 2002 freshman class. On Wednesday, the first day of the early signing period, 6-2 guard Shawan Robinson signed a national letter of intent with the Clemson program.

Robinson attends Leesville Road High School in Raleigh and is considered one of the top players in North Carolina and a top 100 player nationally. He averaged 16 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals per game last year. Robinson is ranked in the top 100 in the nation by All-Star Sports and by Hoop Scoop. A first-team all-conference player the last two years, he combined with current Florida State freshman Anthony Richardson to lead Leesville Road to the state championship game last year. His father, Darryl Robinson, is the Leesville Road High School Head Coach.

"Shawan will be a tremendous asset to Clemson University and our basketball program," said Shyatt. "He comes to us from a wonderful family and is an excellent student. You can tell he is the son of a coach.. He is an excellent combo guard who will help us immediately as a primary ball handler and deep shooter."

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