London Giles 1st Training Student
 

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Giles, London    Coach Watts would like to congratulate "Little Cotton" on signing with the University of Nevada.  Little Cotton was my first student to work with in the Dallas/Ft. Worth metro-plex area.  I remember the 6am workouts before he would go off to school.  I remember going to his dad's shop and seeing him in the back working on his ball handling and dribble moves.  Little Cotton displayed at a very young age that he would be special.  Coach Watts again wants to say many kudos to Big Cotton and Money for doing a great job with Little Cotton and I wish you and your family continued success in the future.  I look forward to watching Little Cotton on TV.

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Basketball: Kimball's Giles Nevada-bound

London "Cotton" Giles became the first of four (and possibly five) Kimball boys basketball players to orally commit to a university. Giles on Wednesday said he will play for the University of Nevada next season.

Giles, a 6-3 point guard, chose Nevada over Louisiana-Lafayette and Marquette. Nevada produced Mavericks rookie Nick Fazekas, who won multiple collegiate awards including the WAC Player of the Year - an award Giles will shoot for next year.

"I feel like I have a good opportunity to make an impact at that school," Giles said. "I feel I can win a championship over there. I was really comfortable with the coaching staff there."
 

Giles only made one official college visit. That's how much he liked Nevada. The school, in return, will get a smart, physical basketball player in Giles. He handles the ball well and made good decisions as a point guard. He also was a solid defender.

But there's a reason why his nickname is Cotton. Watch his stroke from 15 feet and beyond.

"I've been going by that name since I was 7," Giles said. "They said my shot always goes in, and the net's made of cotton. That's how I got it."

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Men's Basketball Inks Three in Early Signing Period
Courtesy: Nevada
 
          Release: 11/14/2007
 
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RENO, Nev. — Luke Babbitt of Reno, Nev., London Giles of Dallas, Texas, and Mark McLaughlin of Kenmore, Wash., have signed national letters of intent to study and play basketball at the University of Nevada beginning in 2008-09, fourth-year head coach Mark Fox announced Wednesday.

“We are very excited to announce the signing of three young men to national letters of intent today.  This class - like every class - should be judged at the end of their careers, not before, but we are very pleased to add three players who we feel can improve our team,”  Fox said.  “Although they play different positions, they each have a great deal in common.  All three are quality kids who come from great families, and they share an ability to shoot the basketball.  We are very much looking forward to their careers as student-athletes at the University of Nevada.”

Nevada’s fall signing class is listed among the best in the nation. Rivals.com has the Wolf Pack’s recruiting class ranked 22nd in the nation, while Scout.com lists the Wolf Pack 23rd in the country. Rivals.com also listed the best signing player at each position for each conference, and Giles was listed as the best point guard coming into the Western Athletic Conference, McLaughlin as the best shooting guard and Babbitt as the best power forward.

A 6-8, 220-pound power forward, Babbitt comes to Nevada from Galena High School in Reno. Last year, he was named the 2007 Northern 4A Region Co-Player of the Year with current Wolf Pack freshman Armon Johnson. He averaged 27.8 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game and led Galena to the 2007 Nevada state championship last season. Babbitt was voted No. 3 on the Long Beach Press-Telegram’s prestigious “Best of the West” team and is listed as the 24th-best player in the country by Scout.com.

“Luke has established himself as one of the premier high school basketball players in the country, but he is an even better person.  He is a proven winner in every way,” Fox said. “He scores both inside and outside while bringing a great competitive spirit.  That combination makes him a very effective player.  It means a great deal to me when a local player embraces our program.  We are all very excited to have Luke join the Wolf Pack.”

Giles is a 6-3, 180-pound guard out of Kimball High School in Dallas, Texas. He was named the District 14 4A Newcomer of the Year last season after leading his team to a 23-10 record. Giles averaged 10.5 points and 6.3 assists per game as a junior and is listed as the 14th-best player in the state of Texas by TexasHoops.com.

“London comes from the tradition-rich Kimball High School basketball program.  He is a big point guard who understands how to run a team and win games,” Fox said. “He is a leader both on and off the court. That leadership and ability to shoot the ball really will help our program.”

McLaughlin is a 6-5, 175-pound guard from Inglemoor High School in Kenmore, Wash. He was the second-leading scorer in King County 4A last year with 24 points per game. McLaughlin is listed among the top 100 players in the country by the national recruiting services, including the 16th-best shooting guard in the country by Scout.com, and also checked in at No. 14 on this year’s Long Beach Press-Telegram’s “Best in the West” team.

“Mark is a long scoring guard.  The Seattle area has provided some great players for our program, and we are excited to be adding another,” Fox said. “Mark is a very good shooter, and we are very happy to add more scoring ability to our team.”

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The EBOSS Five - Under the Radar Gems PDF Print E-mail
By Eric Bossi, Director of Scouting, EBOSS HOOPS         
February 11, 2008

 

Eric BossiIf you are an avid reader of Hoops Future or pretty much any other site that covers recruiting to any degree, then there is no doubt you know all of the big names. Even those with the most passing interest in recruiting are likely to have read enough about guys like Jrue Holiday, Greg Monroe, Tyreke Evans, Brandon Jennings, Derrick Favors and Lance Stephenson and others to feel like they know a little something about the stars of 2008 and 2009.

The reality of the matter, though, is that there are a lot more players heading off to play college ball next year who don’t have anything more than a local reputation and big dreams. Often times, these are the kids that emerge from nowhere to torture some of the highly touted kids at big schools come NCAA Tournament time.

During this week’s edition of the EBoss Five, we’re going to take at some under the radar guys headed off to “mid” majors that are deserving of a little love. Just like any other college basketball player their success is going to be determined by their drive, whether or not they can expand their game and how well they respond to college coaching and there are no guarantees that these guys will emerge as important players at their respective schools. But, all five of these guys have proven themselves to be pretty good players on the high school level and odds are they’ll be pretty good in college too.

London “Cotton” Giles, 6-3 WG/PG, Dallas (TX) Kimball- Playing in the WAC, Mark Fox’s Nevada squad has proven for years that they can play with anybody in the country so maybe it shouldn’t be a surprise that they landed a kid who could easily play in one of the power conferences. A smooth athlete who handles the ball well, Giles can get to the rim almost at will and has the ability to make plays for others. With a name like Cotton you know that he can light it up from deep and he backs that up with his pretty jumper that features plenty of lift off the floor and a ball that has plenty of arch and rotation on it’s way to the hoop. Just how the Big 12 missed out on a player like this is a legitimate question but he’ll be a welcomed addition when he suits up for the Wolf Pack in the 2008-09 season.

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University of Kansas interested in "Little Cotton"   (Click link for story)

http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2007/jul/06/kansas_recruiting_heats/

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July 3, 2007 "Little Cotton" choosen to attend RBK U Camp in Philadelphia

(Click link for story)

http://www.highschoolstar.com/2007/07/rbk-us-choosen-ones.html

 

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Last modified: 05/29/08