STEPHENVILLE – The Tarleton men's basketball program has completed their class for the upcoming 2012-13 season with the signing of four new Texans.
The first signing is a Division I transfer from Western Kentucky in A'Darius Pegues. The 6'10”, 260-pound forward is a native of Fayetteville, N.C., but attended Western High School in Louisville, Ky. There he was ranked as the No. 82 player in the country by Rivals, and played AAU alongside NBA veteran O.J. Mayo.
Upon graduation, Pegues signed with Western Kentucky, but a redshirted freshman season and an injury ended his chance of playing. Now fully recovered and ready to hit the floor, the Texan coaching staff is excited about what Pegues brings to the program.
“For people who love come-back stories, A'Darius is a great young man to root for,” said head coach Lonn Reisman. “He's been through a lot of adversity during his basketball career but we are optimistic about what he can achieve. A'Darius has a chip on his shoulder and is eager to prove that he can be a very good collegiate basketball player. We are excited to give him the opportunity. He has a lot of hard work ahead of him in the pre-season, but as he continues to get in shape and shakes the rust off he could be a special player for us down the road.”
Joining Pegues for the upcoming season is Jakob Damstra, a 6'9” forward from just down the road in Dublin. As a senior, Damstra averaged 13.6 points, 14.2 rebounds, and five blocks per contest, while leading Dublin to a District Championship and Regional Tournament appearance, the school's first since 1994. Earning District 6-2A MVP honors, Damstra was also recognized as an Academic All-State honoree, an All-Region selection, and team MVP in the Mineral Wells All-Star Classic with a 15-point, 16-rebound performance.
"Many colleges missed out on Jakob Damstra……PERIOD,” said Reisman. “Jakob possesses everything we look for in a student-athlete. He's a young man with the support of a great family and community who has a lot of people looking forward to seeing him succeed. Jakob is going to have a great career at Tarleton State. He has a ton of potential and a great work ethic.”
The third signing is Curtis Woods, a 6'6”, 215-pound forward from Samuell High School in Dallas. Under the direction of head coach Harrison Hamm Sr., Woods averaged 9.2 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game as a senior. He also earned first team All-District accolades. He is another vital piece of the puzzle in Coach Reisman's eyes.
“Curtis was the best player on his team in a tough district in Dallas,” Reisman stated. “He's played against great competition and basically averaged a double-double during his senior year. Curtis has that sleeper quality and will really benefit from the individual attention he will receive at this level.
The fourth and final addition to the 2012-13 class is Kenny Ferguson, a 6'3” native of Keller. At Keller High School, Ferguson contributed 12 points, four assists, and five rebounds each game for head coach Randall Durant. As a senior, the standout guard was named First Team All-District.
“I like Kenny Ferguson's competitive nature,” said Reisman. “He's a very tough kid that I think will really represent Tarleton State on and off the floor. Kenny was a unanimous selection to the District 7-5A first team. Despite breaking his wrist in the fall, Kenny fought his way back and helped lead his team to the playoffs for the third straight year.”
These four signings join Chuck Guy, Michael Hardge, Jon Cathey-Macklin, De'Andre Upchurch, and Devin Mitchell as new Texans this season as Tarleton looks to defend its Lone Star Conference title.
For more information regarding the 2012-13 Tarleton men's basketball season, check out TarletonSports.com.
