Emmitsburg, Md. (April 30, 2008)--Mount St. Mary’s men’s basketball coach Milan Brown has announced that Lamar Trice (Philadelphia, Pa./Ihmotep Charter) and Jacolby Wells (Emporia, Va./Greensville County) have signed National Letters of Intent to enroll at the Mount in the fall.

Trice, a 5-11, 165-pound point guard, led Imhotep Charter to the state semifinals and a 27-4 record his senior season.  In the Class AA state semifinal game, he tallied 13 points, eight assists and six rebounds in a loss to Strawberry Mansion.  Trice averaged eight points, eight assists and three steals as a senior while earning Third Team All-Philadelphia Public League honors.  He also participated in the Philadelphia Public League All-Star game.

“We are excited to have a point guard of Lamar’s caliber join our program,” said Brown.  “He is a true point and does a great job of getting into the lane off the dribble as well as pushing the ball and making good decisions in transition.  He’s going to allow us to continue to play uptempo basketball with speed and quickness.”

Wells, a 6-7, 215-pound forward, was named First Team AA Virginia High School League All-State in Virginia.  He also earned First Team All-Southside District honors and second team Region I honors for the second straight year.  Wells averaged 15 points, nine rebounds and five blocks as a senior and earned a spot in the Virginia High School Coaches Association All-Star game.  Wells tallied a triple-double with 26 points, 12 rebounds and 10 blocks against Surry County High School this past season.  He is the first-ever student-athlete at Greensville County High School to earn a Division I basketball scholarship.

“We are excited to have someone with Jacolby’s size and athleticism join our frontcourt,” said Brown.  “His ability to block shots as well as finish around the basket will be a welcome addition.  With some strength, he can prove to be an excellent player for many years to come.”

This past season, the Mount won its first Northeast Conference championship since 1999.  The Mount defeated Coppin State in the NCAA Opening Round game for its first-ever NCAA Division I tournament win before falling to top-seeded North Carolina in the first round.  The Mount ended the season with a 19-15 record, the team’s second-best mark since moving to NCAA Division I in 1988-89.