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Six impressive student-athletes recently signed letters-of-intent to play basketball for Lamar State College-Port Arthur in 2008-09.

Lamar State head coach Jerre Cole already signed point guard Josh Washington from Baton Rouge, who averaged 19-points-per-game as a senior.

Cole’s most recent recruits also are known for their offensive skills. Adrian Fontenot, a 6-6 power forward, was the leading scorer this year for Baytown Sterling High School, where he recorded 17.6 ppg and earned first team All-District 21-5A honors for the second straight year.

“Adrian is a talented, versatile basketball player who should be very good in our system,” Cole said. “I believe he was seriously overlooked this past year, and we could not be happier to have him in our program. We expect very good things from Adrian this next year.

Jacovin Buckner, a 6-2 small forward, was one of the top scorers for Port Arthur Memorial High School.

“Jacovin was a steal for the Seahawks. Not only is he one of the better players in the area, he fits our system,” Cole said. “I believe toughness is central to winning, and Jacovin brings that every time he takes the court. I really look forward to having him on our team.”

Corey “Dallas” Bean, a 6-2 guard from Little Cypress-Mauriceville High School, was a first team All-District 22-4A pick this year.

“Dallas is a very solid signee. He is a cerebral player who excels individually and also makes those who play with him better,” Cole said. “Dallas is a ‘gym-rat.’ He wants to be a good player, and those are the kind of guys you win with.”

Cole found a double-scoring threat in 5-11 guard D’jameon Stearns (16 ppg) and 6-4 small forward Joseph Franklin (15 ppg) from Wheatley High School in Houston, which went undefeated this year to win the district and region championships.

“Given the way we would like to play, we are very fortunate to land both D.J. and Joe,” Cole said. “They played in an up-tempo, press-oriented system in high school, and both are skilled players who can score.”

The Seahawks also signed a junior college transfer, 6-0 guard Chan-cious Rose, a 2007Aldine High School graduate who was the leading scorer this year for Ohlone College in California. 

“Chance will be a key to our success this coming year. He is a tough, competitive player who has proven he can play at this level,” Cole said. “He played for a friend of mine at Ohlone College, so I know he has been coached hard and has played against tough competition. His hard-playing style should make him a crowd favorite.”

This year, Lamar State is making this transition from non-scholarship Division III to full-scholarship Division I competition. The Seahawks are joining Region XIV, which is considered to be one of the toughest junior college conferences in the nation.