Coleby, Joesaar, Saiz Join Ole Miss Program
OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss head coach Andy Kennedy announced the signing of a trio of talented players on Thursday, as Dwight Coleby, Janari Joesaar and Sebastian Saiz all signed national letters of intent to join the Rebels for the 2013-14 academic year.
A native of the Bahamas, Coleby transferred to the Piney Woody School (Miss.) last season and averaged 18 points and 12 boards a game. A Clarion-Ledger “Dandy Dozen” selection, he is rated the No. 18 center and No. 149 player in the nation by Rivals.com and played for the Jackson Tigers AAU squad last summer. The 6-9, 235-pound big man is also listed as the No. 160 player in the nation by 247Sports and the 17th-best center in the country by ESPN.com. Coleby, who is averaging 22 points, 14 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game through his first four games this season, chose the Rebels after taking official visits to Memphis, Mississippi State, Georgia and Southern Miss.
“Dwight is a very active big man who will bring a physical presence to our front line next year,” said Kennedy. “His size, athleticism, timing and skill set will allow him to make an immediate impact in our program.”
A 6-7 wing originally from Estonia, Joesaar joins the Rebels from Sunrise Christian Academy in Wichita, Kan. Before coming stateside, Joesaar averaged 12.3 points and 6.7 rebounds for the Estonia U-20 national team at the 2011 European Championships, after posting 12.3 points and 8.3 rebounds in 2010. As a junior at Sunrise, he averaged 14 points and 7.4 rebounds a game, while shooting 38% from three-point range and a team-best 81% from the free throw line.
“Janari is a big, athletic wing who can extend the defense out to the three-point line,” said Kennedy. “With his international experience, we feel his talent will allow him to play multiple positions for us next season.”
A teammate of Joesaar at Sunrise Christian, Saiz originally hails for Spain. The 6-9, 232-pound forward was a member of the Spanish U-18 national team and averaged 6.6 points and 5.4 rebounds this year at the European Championships. He recorded a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds versus Lithuania and was rated one of the top prospects in Europe by EuroHoops Magazine. This is Saiz’s first season playing basketball in the US after enrolling at Sunrise Christian this fall.
“Sebas is a very skilled forward who is playing at a very high level following his performance this summer in the European Championships,” Kennedy said. “With a 7-5 wingspan, his extraordinary length magnifies his abilities to make plays both offensively and defensively in the paint.”