James (Jay) Kinney signs with SJSU

6-foot-1 junior college backcourter James (Jay) Kinney, just finishing up at the College of Eastern Utah, has signed a letter-of-intent with San Jose State.

Here's the link.

Kinney played in 13 games this season (eight starts and at just over 26 minutes a game), averaging 12.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists per contest. He shot 45% overall, 42% on treys. In 130 overall shots, 67 were three-point attempts. He previously played at Ohio University.

A feature on Lavanne Pennington

Head here for a Barstow area newspaper feature on new Spartan signee Lavanne Pennington, a transfer from Barstow Community College.

A Texas high schooler signs with SJSU

Thanks to Assistant Coach Talvin Hester and his Lone Star State connections, San Jose State University has added a high school wing out of Texas to its roster.

6-foot-6 Jaleel Williams visited last weekend, with Hester showing him around and quickly made up his mind to become a Spartan.

Here's one note: "Williams' size and defensive capabilities make him an attractive prospect for colleges. Over the summer, he was a reliable standout for the Texas D-1 Ambassadors... and since the summer, he's received interest from San Jose State, Oregon State, Air Force and Loyola University Chicago... Missouri State has offered Williams, who is ranked No. 64 in the state by TexasHoops.com..."

Here's a video on Williams.

From Coach Max Ivany, head of the Texas Ambassadors club basketball organization: "Williams has an extremely long wingspan. He's an athletic wing who has improved his perimeter shot in the past 8 months. He's also a shot blocker on the defensive side of the ball. His length and above the rim play make him a steal. Williams recruiting had picked up significantly in the last couple of weeks where he garnered interest from several schools, including Oregon State who were ready to offer pending a scholarship opening up in the near future...

...I met the entire SJSU staff at last week's Final Four in Houston and they made it clear that they expected him to be a huge part of their plans immediately as a freshman. Jaleel has always made it clear that he wanted to attend a West Coast school and he jumped on this opportunity..."

Adrian Oliver at the Portsmouth Invitational

The only WAC player participating in the Portsmouth Invitational, Adrian Oliver, put up these numbers in his opening game: 21 minutes, 4-7 shooting (0-1 on trey attempts) for eight points, three assists, two steals, one rebound and one block.

Lavanne Pennington commits to SJSU

6-foot-4 Lavanne Pennington (written about earlier below this article) has given a verbal to San Jose State. He is a s0phomore currently at Barstow Community College and noted as a long-distance shooter.