(Posted May 19, 2010)

HUNTINGDON, Pa. - Greg Curley, the all-time wins leader in Juniata College men's basketball coaching history, announced that nine high school student-athletes have committed to Juniata College and will wear the blue and gold starting with the 2010-11 season.

The following is a list (in alphabetical order) of newcomers starting in the fall 2010:

Pat Cassidy
Guard, 6-4, 175, Hollidaysburg, Pa. / Hollidaysburg Area High School


Cassidy was a four-year letterman for the Golden Tigers, leading his team to the District 6 Class AAAA championship, and a 16-9 overall record as a senior. The all-around player had his team reach as far as the PIAA Class AAAA second round.

As a senior, Cassidy averaged nearly 10 points per game, adding six rebounds and five assists per contest. He was named to the All-Altoona Mirror Second team in 2010 as well as being named to the 2008 and 2009 All-Tournament team.

The son of John and Janet Cassidy, Pat was an honor roll student and participated in Student Council. He also competed for three years on the track and field team. He is considering studying Education.

Coach Greg Curley said, "Pat's my kind of player: smart, tough, versatile, and driven. He is as good a leader, teammate, and competitor as I have seen in the high school ranks. An outstanding athlete, Pat has been extremely well coached and has competed against some of the top high school talent in the state. He is capable of playing four positions and has the unique ability to influence the game with or without the ball. He is someone who understands and is committed to the process of winning, and we expect him to play a big part in the future of our program."

Jeremy Hays
Guard, 6-1, 170, McMechen, W.Va. / John Marshall High School


During his three years on varsity, he helped his team to a 46-26 overall recording, including three straight trips to the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference (OVAC) Championship game.

As a senior, Hays collected recognition for his balanced play on the court. He earned a spot on the OVAC First team, the All-Valley First team, and the West Virginia All-State Second team. He was also named as an OVAC West Virginia All-Star.

The 6-1 guard averaged 20.4 points per game as a senior, 865 points overall through his three years on the varsity squad. He also grabbed 180 rebounds (3.4 per game as a senior) and dished out 145 assists (3.1 per game as a senior).

The National Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society member was also a track star, placing seventh in the West Virginia State track meet in the high jump.

"Jeremy is a very versatile and talented player," said Curley. "He has the ability to play either guard position equally well and has and unbelievable feel for the game. He has one of the most complete games coming out of high school that I have seen. He can score when needed, create for others when needed, or make a play on the defensive end when needed, but what truly separates him from other players is his sense of when to do what. "

Andrew Maul
Point Guard, 5-9, 140, Portage, Pa. / Portage Area High School


Maul will add depth to the point guard position as he averaged 13.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game as a senior. He helped his team finish 15-9 in the Western Pennsylvania Athletic Conference (West-PAC), ending the season in the District 6 quarterfinal round.

He was named to the West-PAC All Conference team as a junior and a senior, in addition to being named to the Tribune-Democrat AmeriServ all-star game. He was also named as a member of the Altoona Mirror All-Star third team.

But his most impressive work has come in the classroom at Portage Area High School, earning numerous academic awards. He is ranked first in his graduating class while being a part of the National Honor Society, the vice president of the Spanish club, and the treasurer of the science club.

The son of Jeff and Karen Maul, Andrew will be studying biology at Juniata with a concentration in pre-med.

"Andrew is the perfect for Juniata and our basketball program," Curley explained. "He is an outstanding student, a great competitor, and a fantastic person. We are extremely excited with his decision to attend Juniata College and play for our program. He brings the leadership, ability, and the drive necessary to achieve at a championship level."

Lucas Mellot
Forward, 6-4, 175, McConnellsburg, Pa. / Southern Fulton Jr/Sr High School


Mellott, a PIAA Boys' A All-State Third team representative in 2010, lettered in three different seasons for the Indians, totaling 930 career points while pulling in 626 career rebounds. As a senior, he averaged 17.1 points per game as well at 9.0 rebounds per contest.

He has helped his team to the District 5 Championship as a sophomore and again as a senior. This past season, the Indians made it to the second round of the PIAA A Boys' Basketball Championship before being ousted by nine points.

A Sideling Hill League First Team representative as a junior and a senior, he was also named to the ICC First team in 2008-09, and again in 2009-10. In addition, he earned the Public Opinion Player of the Year award for his efforts as a senior.

"Lucas is a terrific athlete, a great competitor, and an outstanding leader," Curley said. "We love his versatility, his ability to rebound, and the way he attacks the basket," continued Curley. "We think he has the potential to be an outstanding defender and feel his best basketball is in front of him. He is a great fit for our program."

Nick Pappas
Forward, 6-5, 180, Slatington, Pa. / Northern Lehigh High School


As a senior at Northern Lehigh High School, Pappas nearly contributed a double double, scoring 12.2 points per game and adding 9.3 rebounds a contest. Through his four-year career as a Bulldog, he scored 7.0 points per game while grabbing 6.2 rebounds per night.

Pappas helped his team in winning the Colonial League championship in three out of the past four years, as well as the District XI Championship in 2007-08. As a senior, he led his team to a 20-6 overall record, including a Colonial League Championship.

He is among the all-time greats at Northern Lehigh, finishing his career as the second best shot blocker in school history, denying 137 shots in four years. He also had 102 as a senior, ranking him third for a single season.

"We think Nick's best basketball is in front of him," Curley said. "He is extremely athletic and very committed to the game; both of which attributes we think can take him a long way. We are very excited to have him join our program."

Dimitri Ross
Forward, 6-4, 210, Petersburg, Va. / Appomattox Regional Governor's School


Ross helped his team by scoring 18.2 points per game, grabbing 9.5 rebounds per game as a senior. In his four-year career on the varsity squad, he totaled 1045 points while pulling in 571 rebounds, putting him second all-time in both categories as a Tiger.

For his success on the court, Ross was named as an All-District selection as a sophomore, junior and senior, including a first team selection this past year. He was also named to the McDonald's/Tidewater Academy All-Tournament team scoring 28 points in the semifinals and 19 points in the championship game. He was also named to the same tournament team as a junior.

The son of Wilson and Gail Ross, Dimitri was a part of the Latin and Writers' Clubs, as well as a part of the Yearbook Staff. He will continue his education concentrating in Communications.

"We are really excited about Dimitri's decision to become an Eagle," head coach Greg Curley said. "He's a great fit for our program, our community, and Juniata. His versatility, work ethic, and leadership are among his greatest attributes and we definitely think he is someone who can help us reach our goal of a Landmark Conference championship."

Brian Scholly
Forward, 6-4, 190, State College, Pa. / State College Area High School


Scholly has earned three letters and has been a two-time District Champion as a member of the State College Area High School Little Lions.

Scholly also earned a spot on the Skip Coleman Tournament All-Star team in back-to-back years in addition to winning the Kiwanis Tournament Most Valuable Player award for his efforts on the court.

As a senior for the Little Lions, he averaged 8.3 points per game, while grabbing 2.7 rebounds per game and dished out 1.1 assists per contest.

The son of David and Theresa Scholly, Brian was in the top ten percent of his graduating class, while being a part of the World Languages Honor Society and participating in the Best Buddies club. He will continue is studies with the History department at Juniata.

"Brian is a perfect fit four our system, he is very versatile and can shoot the ball extremely well. He is very knowledgeable of the game and again is the perfect fit for what we try to do." Curley went on, "his attitude and his approach to the game all fit into what we are trying to get done. Plus the fact that he is a priority recruit, I'm really excited to have him with us."

Kevin Snyder
Point Guard, 5-11, 160, Indiana, Pa. / Indiana Area High School


Snyder scored 7.0 points per game as a senior at Indiana Area High School, including 4.9 assists and 3.9 rebounds.

Lettering for three seasons as a Little Indian, Snyder helped his team to a 41-29 overall record, and a spot in the WPIAL AAA 3 playoffs all three season. As a senior, the team went 11-12 overall, but Snyder enjoyed his best team season as a sophomore when the team went 19-6.

A captain as a senior, Snyder earned the MVP award during the 2008 Tip Off Tournament and was named to the All-Tournament Team in 2009 at the same tournament. His close to five assists per contest led all of Indiana County.

The son of Pat and Erin Snyder, Kevin was a part of the National Honor Society and named to the High Honor Roll. He also participated in the Key Club as well as the Leadership Seminar. His P.O.E. coming into Juniata will be Secondary Math Education.

"Kevin is a natural leader and a fierce competitor," Curley said. "He's the kind of guy that pushes those around him to achieve more. A terrific all around athlete and outstanding student, he's a perfect fit for Juniata and our program."

Randy Zimmerman
Guard, 6-0, 175, Saxton, Pa. / Tussey Mountain High School


Zimmerman scored 1788 points over his four years on the Titan's varsity squad. As a senior, he averaged 24.4 points, six rebounds and five assists per contest.

He earned the team's most valuable player award as a junior and again this season as a senior. Zimmerman's play on the court was also recognized at the state level, as he was named to the PIAA All-State Third team as a junior and the PIAA All-State Second team as a senior.

He led his high school team the PIAA A Boys' Basketball Championship Quarterfinals this past season, going 24-4. The Titans were Sideling Hill League champions as well as District 5's second seed in the state championships.

He was also named an Altoona Mirror All-Star for his junior and season seasons. His teammates and coaches added to his accolades for the past two years by naming him the Tussey Mountain team MVP for each of the two seasons.

The son of Randy and Wendy Zimmerman, Randy will further his education at Juniata College by studying Elementary Education.

"Anyone who has watched Randy play over the past several years realizes we are getting a very special player and a very special competitor." Curley went on, "I doubt there is a tougher kid in the state. Beyond his ability to score points, which is very impressive in its own right, he plays with the confidence and grit of a winner. I'm not sure if Randy is afraid of anyone or anything; he's the kind of guy who takes on all comers; the kind of guy that wins championships. There is really no telling just how good he can be."

Overall, Curley and the rest of the Juniata coaching staff is extremely excited for this group of young men to be coming to campus starting in the fall. Already considered one of the deepest classes Curley has recruited in his nine-year tenure at the helm of the Eagles, Curley expects a lot of this incoming class.

"Randy is the final piece to an outstanding recruiting class that will join a very strong and determined core of returners this fall. This group is without question one of my deepest in both talent and character. I think we have all the ingredients necessary to be extremely successful. With a little more time and experience, plus a ton of hard work, our program is ready to take come very big steps. I think anything less than a championship in the next few years would be very disappointing for all of us."

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