Signees shine on the court
RUSTON, La. – Not only did Louisiana Tech have a lot of success on the hardwood this past season, so did the future Bulldogs.
Jace Bass, Thailand Elder, Kenneth Lofton, Jr. and Kenny Hunter, all of which signed national letters-of-intent back on Nov. 15 during the early signing period, produced strong seasons for their respective teams.
Bass, a 6-foot-3-inch, 185-pound combo guard, is the lone junior college signee in the class. He started the first 16 games for Long Beach City College before suffering an ankle injury that sidelined him for the remainder of the season.
Prior to going down, he was averaging an eye-popping 30.7 points per game for the Vikings which ranked No. 1 in the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA). The team was 13-4 at the time, having won six straight, and ranked a season-best No. 23 in the state.
Bass produced 10 30-plus scoring performances, including three games where he registered a career-high 41 points. For the season, he shot 48 percent from the field, 35 percent from beyond the arc and 80 percent from the foul line. He also averaged 5.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game.
Elder, a 6-foot-2-inch, 160-pound combo guard led Allen High School in Allen, Texas to a 9-6A district title, the program's first outright district championship since 1992.
The team finished the year with a 31-5 overall record and a perfect 14-0 conference record.
He averaged 15 points per game while shooting 42 percent from the field and 35 percent from three-point range, making 80 triples. He also averaged five boards and two assists per contest and totaled 48 steals.
As a result, Elder was named District Offensive Player of the Year and TABC 6A All-Region.
Lofton, the other Texas signee, led Port Arthur Memorial High School to a 29-7 overall record and a share of the 21-5A district title.
The 6-foot-7-inch, 240-pound forward averaged 17 points per game while shooting 64 percent from the field and 33 percent from beyond the arc. He also averaged 10 rebounds and three assists per game, racking up 13 double-doubles on the year.
He earned several postseason awards, including All-Greater Houston Third Team, District Offensive Player of the Year, TABC 5A All-Region and 5A AllState.
Hunter, a native of nearby Shreveport, led Huntington High School to a 29-7 overall record, a season-best No. 3 state ranking and a quarterfinal appearance in the Class 4A playoffs.
The 6-foot-10-inch, 230-pound forward, averaged 19 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks per game for the Raiders, amassing 15 double-doubles.
He was selected to three AllTournament Teams and was named District 1-4A Most Valuable Player.