SAVANNAH, Ga. (July 10) - Armstrong Atlantic State head men's basketball coach Jeff Burkhamer has announced his signing class for 2008-09, introducing seven new players who will join the Pirates for the upcoming season. (View Complete Class Profiles Here)

The class includes two transfers from NCAA Division I institutions, two junior college players and three incoming freshmen, with all seven players hailing from Georgia, North Carolina or South Carolina.

Senior Uriah Hethington (6-8, 230, C, Cairo, Ga.) joins the Pirates after playing last year at Middle Tennessee State University, seeing action in 15 games as a junior and averaging 2.4 points and 1.3 rebounds per game. Prior to playing for the Blue Raiders, Hethington was a former No. 1-ranked center prospect by Rivals.com after his freshman year at Okaloosa Walton CC in 2005-06, where he averaged 12.3 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.1 blocked shots a game. Junior Marquise Duvall (5-7, 230, C, Columbia, S.C.) comes to Savannah after playing two seasons for Charleston Southern University. Duvall played in 19 games as a sophomore, averaging 3.1 points and 3.6 rebounds per game, and played in all 28 games for the Buccaneers as a freshman, averaging 4.6 points per game.

"Uriah gives us a low post presence on both ends of the floor," coach Burkhamer said. "We feel Uriah will be an impact player in our league. Marquise gives us another big body to beat and bang with in the low post. He is aggressive and tough and brings a workmanlike attitude to the floor."

Junior Dwight Tolbert (6-5, 210, F, Tifton, Ga.) was an All-Conference selection in 2006-07, helping Chattahoochee Valley CC to a 20-win season while averaging 13.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game. Tolbert was also an All-State player while at Tift County HS. Junior Gabriel Robinson (6-3, 190, G, Augusta, Ga.) led Aiken Tech to the NJCAA Region X regular season and tournament championships as both a freshman and a sophomore, leading Region X in assists at 7.4 per game in 2007-08.

"Dwight gives us that big wing player that has always been so productive in our system," Burkhamer said. "Dwight is very good faced up and can make shots to the three-point line or put the ball on the floor and get to the rim. Gabriel is a big point guard that can make plays. We really like the way he handles the ball and uses his body to protect."

Three high school players round out the class for coach Burkhamer and the Pirates. Freshman David Pruett (6-3, 185, G/F, Sugar Hill, Ga.) was the 8A Region Player of the Year for Lakeview Academy and earned first-team All-Area and All-State honors as a senior, averaging 21.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game this past season. Zach Corliss (6-2, 175, G, Fletcher, N.C.) averaged 19 points and 5.8 assists per game as a senior for West Henderson HS, earning All-Conference and All-Area honors twice in his career. Last, and certainly not least, is freshman Chris VanLandingham (6-4, 185, G/F, Hendersonville, N.C.), who led the state of North Carolina in scoring as a senior at 32.5 points per game for North Henderson HS. A two-time Asheville Citizen-Times Player of the Year, VanLandingham was the Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year and a first-team All-State selection as well.

"David gives us another big wing that can really shoot the basketball," Burkhamer said. "Zach is a true point guard who has outstanding leadership qualities and is a very good decision maker. Chris is a scorer, who can make the three or drive to the rim and create his own shot."

These seven players join five returnees from last season's squad that went 17-11 overall and 11-9 in the Peach Belt Conference.