USC Aiken Announces Addition of Six Transfers

AIKEN, S.C. – University of South Carolina Aiken head men’s basketball coach Vince Alexander announced his 2010-11 transfer class.

Joining the USC Aiken men’s basketball program for the 2010-11 campaign are six high-quality transfers, including four NCAA Division I transfers and two junior college transfers. Coming to Aiken out of the NCAA Division I ranks are Alvin Brown (James Madison), Myles Holley (Nebraska), Chase Holmes (Presbyterian College) and Kenny Manigault (Wichita State). The Pacers will welcome Elan DeJourdan (New Mexico Military Institute) and Dajuwan Carter (Aiken Tech) out of the junior college ranks.

Brown and Manigault have three years of eligibility remaining, but the rest of the six incoming student-athletes will have two years of eligibility remaining.

“I'm really excited about this recruiting class,” noted Alexander. “I'm equally excited about the players we have returning. Together, I believe they give us the deepest and most athletic team in my time at USC Aiken. Our group is very excited about playing together, which I know will be important and be a key to how successful we can be in the upcoming season.”

A 6-foot-10 center, Brown was a part of James Madison’s men’s basketball program for the last two years, but he only played in one season for the Dukes after redshirting his freshman campaign.

Brown concluded his redshirt freshman season in 2009-10 playing in 12 of James Madison’s games. He played in 11 of JMU’s last 16 contests on the year.

He finished the year averaging just under a point a game and 1.2 rebounds per game. He had his best game in JMU’s 96-76 win over Longwood on Feb. 22, 2010 as he finished with five points, five rebounds and seven blocks in a career-best 14 minutes on the floor. The seven swats in the contest were the most by a Duke since the 2002-03 season.

Brown finished his prep career at Friendship Collegiate. The Fort Washington, Md. native averaged 12 points and eight rebounds as a senior. He also led Friendship in blocked shots.

Holley, a 6-foot-4 guard/forward, played just one season for Nebraska after spending his freshman season at Brunswick Community College in North Carolina. During his lone season at Nebraska, Holley, an explosive athlete, averaged 3.4 points and 2.0 rebounds per game. He hit upon 43.1 percent on his shots on the year.

Holley scored a season-high 11 points in a Nebraska game with nationally-ranked Baylor. He played 21 minutes in the game and hit on 5-of-11 shots in the contest. One game later, Holley, who appeared in 21 games in total for Nebraska, made his lone start of the year in a Nebraska loss to No. 14 Texas.

The Norfolk, Va. native helped Brunswick to a school-record 28 wins in his lone season in the program in 2007-08. On the year, Holley averaged 13.2 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. The averages were good enough to place him in the top 15 in school history in both categories. Holley shot a stellar 59 percent (164-for-278) from the floor during his freshman season.

Holley was one of the best players in the state of Virginia coming out of high school. In fact, he was chosen first team all-state in Virginia during his junior and senior seasons for Booker T. Washington High School. As a senior for Booker T. Washington, Holley averaged 16.7 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. He was chosen as his region’s Player of the Year for his efforts as a senior.

Holmes played in 31 games last season for Presbyterian College, starting 21 of the 31 contests. He led the Blue Hose with a Presbyterian College NCAA Division I single season record 421 points, which was good for a 13.6 points per game average.

The 6-foot-4 guard/forward was also able to corral an average of 4.2 rebounds to go along with his team-best 39 steals in PC’s 2009-10 campaign.

The Chesnee, S.C. native scored a career-high 29 points in PC’s loss to No. 10 North Carolina in the 2009-10 season. He was 11-for-18 from the field in the loss to the Tar Heels.

In his freshman season in 2008-09, Holmes averaged 7.8 points per game in 29 contests. He started 10 of the 29 games. His best game of the year came against VMI as he poured in 24 points in the game with the Keydets.

In the prep ranks at Chesnee High School, Holmes concluded his career at the Upstate high school as a three-time all-state selection. Holmes finished his prep career by playing in both the North-South game and the South Carolina all-star game after averaging 23 points, 10 rebounds, four steals and four assists per game at Chesnee.

As a true freshman in 2009-10 at Wichita State, Manigault played in 16 games for the Shockers, averaging 7.2 minutes per game. Manigault posted 1.6 points and 0.9 rebounds per game for Wichita State last season. He shot 41.2 percent from the field.

The 6-foot-4 guard was one of the most highly recognizable prep athletes in the Palmetto state in recent years as he was chosen as the 2008 South Carolina Independent Schools Association Player of the Year while helping his Pinewood Prep team to four consecutive state titles from 2006-09. He was chosen all-region from 2006-08 and all-state in both 2007 and 2008.

Manigault averaged 14 points, eight rebounds, eight assists and five steals at Pinewood Prep High School in Summerville, S.C. The North Charleston, S.C. native was named the top freshman point guard coming into the NCAA Division I Missouri Valley Conference prior to the start of his freshman season in 2009-10.

A 6-foot-5 forward, Carter spent the last two seasons with Aiken Tech. The Rocky Ford, Ga. native averaged 7.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.2 steals per game last year for Aiken Tech. He suited up in 26 games last year for the Knights.

DeJourdan is a 6-foot-7 post. The New York, N.Y. native played in 28 games last year for the New Mexico Military Institute, starting 26. DeJourdan shot 50.9 percent from the floor over the course of his sophomore season with the Broncos. He averaged 7.2 points and 5.6 rebounds per outing.

The newcomers join a USC Aiken men’s basketball program that has won a school-record 72 games over the last three seasons. The 72 victories over the three-year span are the most in the Palmetto State among all levels of college basketball.

Under the guidance of Alexander, USC Aiken has become a national force in NCAA Division II over the past three seasons. In addition to the victories, the 2007-08 USC Aiken men’s basketball team won the Peach Belt Conference Regular Season Championship and the 2008-09 Pacer men’s basketball team advanced farther than any other squad in program history to the NCAA Division II “Sweet Sixteen.” The 2009-10 USC Aiken men’s basketball team claimed the Peach Belt Conference Tournament Championship.